So, I got tased today...
For those who don't know, I'm currently in training to be in Security at Winstar (if you don't know why I'm no longer in Poker, ask and I'll tell you). Today was Taser training, and we were given the option to be tased. Of the 20 or so people in the class, I was the only one to take this option. Now, I'm not going to cast judgment. Quite a few were there for re-certification and had experienced a taser previously; others were older people or had health issues that led them not to do it; others just didn't want to do it. I don't really care either way - it's their choice. So, here it is, with lj-cuts for your sanity.
Quick note: I'm not going to talk too much about how a Taser works or about health/safety issues arising from their use other than to point you to this website for information on the first topic, and this website for information on the second. Also, remember that it's not the voltage that kills you; it's the amperage. When arcing across your body, a Taser has only 1,200 volts and .0026 amps. By comparison, an average static shock has anywhere from 7,000 to 50,000+ volts and about .005 amps.
Before I go into the experience and my motives behind doing it, I want to speak on something that's been bothering me since long before tasers ever became a significant part of my life. Over the last few years, the media has put a lot of focus on tasers and their potential safety issues. Nearly every time I have encountered a story of someone being killed, a little further digging revealed that the victim either had a prior condition that was been known to be exacerbated by electrical applications, or the officer in question (when I say officer in this post, I'm referring to both law enforcement and private security) used the Taser unnecessarily or excessively.
Remember, the media likes to blow a lot of things out of proportion (not just Tasers) in order to obtain better ratings. When they say a person was hit by a Taser with 50,000V, there is some truth to that, but mostly just misunderstanding how Tasers work (I guess I will be going into this a bit). When the probes are ejected and searching for a means to complete the circuit, the voltage is 50,000; however, as soon as those probes come into contact with your body and complete that circuit (and rendering you immobile in the process), the voltage immediately drops to 1,200V. Thus, your body never experiences anything above 1,200V.
And when the news says that someone was tased 19 times, they usually weren't. Occasionally, an officer does get overzealous, but usually, it's not the case. What is really happening, and what creates a lot of those multiple burn marks seen in pictures, is the result of something called a drive stun. On the end of a Taser's "barrel" are two prongs (different from the probes that get fired) that arc electricity, much in the manner of a cattle prod or other stun device. This is used when you are to close to the opponent to fire the prongs, or when one prongs doesn't stick in the person, a drive stun can be used to complete the normal circuit. In a physical altercation where the opponent is thrashing about (which often happens as a result of tasers), an officer can lose contact between the stun and the opponent and regain it in a different spot. Furthermore, a taser doesn't just shoot electricity once; it fires 15-19 pulses a second for a 5 second cycle. As a result of these two things, a single application of a drive stun can be spun by the news as being multiple individual uses. In summary to all of this, don't always believe the media, and do your research.
Now as far as the experience itself, there is what I experienced and what I remember experiencing. For the most part, the two agree, but I believe there might be a few minor discrepancies; it's not a result of the taser, but just the way the mind handles things. I'll give you two accounts - my point of view and what a bystander saw. Keep in mind that I have a fairly high pain tolerance and read my description accordingly. My PoV is as follows:
I was standing in the front of the room with my trainer behind me and two classmates supporting my weight, prepared to help me to the ground. I was given the choice to be warned beforehand or not, and I chose not to be. My trainer began to talk, asking me my name. As soon as I answered this, he discharged the taser (I can only assume he would have randomized the length before firing for other people who might have followed). I felt a slight poke below my right shoulder blade and above my waist on the right side, as if from a needle (which is in fact what it was). The electricity I felt, while not pleasant, was fairly mild by my standards, and I remember thinking "Oh, that's not so bad." I heard the instructor say "Drop" and voluntarily began to go to my knees, with the classmates helping to support my weight. As I went down, I suddenly felt a much stronger, more intense arc from below my shoulder blade to the back of my right knee. This caused all the muscles along that path to contract, and through clenched teeth, let out a loud grunt. The sensation, for me, was comparable to having someone hit me along that path with a cricket bat - a bit of initial pain, but mostly just a strong thud sensation. As I was laid down, I never lost consciousness or had anything fade or blur. Within a few seconds of the cycle ending, I felt okay except for the sudden cramp in my calf. The needles were pulled out and that was that.
From an outside perspective, one would have seen the same thing up until the trainer fired the taser. He said "drop" instinctively, expecting the circuit to complete as normal. However, the wire broke off the probe that entered into my lower back, and he stepped in and delivered a drive stun to the back of my knee, completing the circuit and debilitating my muscles. The grunt I let out was actually pretty quiet and audible only to the people standing closest to me (which is a far cry different than the screams and cursing let forth by many volunteers; unexpectedly enough, man usually scream more often than women do). I had few lingering effects once the cramp had been worked out, other than a slight tingling where the upper probe and the drive stun had been. Apparently, I recovered from it faster than most people do and had fewer aftereffects.
Now why in hell did I do this, especially when it wasn't required of me (as opposed to many law enforcement trainees, who are required to)? Well, a couple of reasons, one arguably more sane than the other. Predominantly, if I'm ever in the situation where I might have to taser someone, I want to understand what I'm about to subject them to. I want this understanding not so much for sympathy's sake, but for that brief moment I will take to consider if it is truly necessary. I know what I'm about to do to that person, and I'll be able to judge whether the situation warrants it. This judgment helps me avoid the situation where someone might be permanently injured or killed by my action. Is the same degree of force necessary with this old, drunk man as it is with that young, drunk kid?
The other reason may not make sense to some people. A big part of my philosophy on life is that I should take advantage of every experience I am presented with, excluding anything that will have long-term negative effects on my well-being, physical, mental or otherwise. As a result, I will try most things twice (the second time to make sure my initial negative reaction wasn't a result of a bad mood or outside influence). This philosophy has led to some situations that have not always been happy for me, but I don't regret any of them; I'm a better person for the experience and the knowledge gained from it. This tasing was one of those experiences.
So, now that my (long-winded) part is over, any questions?
Quick note: I'm not going to talk too much about how a Taser works or about health/safety issues arising from their use other than to point you to this website for information on the first topic, and this website for information on the second. Also, remember that it's not the voltage that kills you; it's the amperage. When arcing across your body, a Taser has only 1,200 volts and .0026 amps. By comparison, an average static shock has anywhere from 7,000 to 50,000+ volts and about .005 amps.
Before I go into the experience and my motives behind doing it, I want to speak on something that's been bothering me since long before tasers ever became a significant part of my life. Over the last few years, the media has put a lot of focus on tasers and their potential safety issues. Nearly every time I have encountered a story of someone being killed, a little further digging revealed that the victim either had a prior condition that was been known to be exacerbated by electrical applications, or the officer in question (when I say officer in this post, I'm referring to both law enforcement and private security) used the Taser unnecessarily or excessively.
Remember, the media likes to blow a lot of things out of proportion (not just Tasers) in order to obtain better ratings. When they say a person was hit by a Taser with 50,000V, there is some truth to that, but mostly just misunderstanding how Tasers work (I guess I will be going into this a bit). When the probes are ejected and searching for a means to complete the circuit, the voltage is 50,000; however, as soon as those probes come into contact with your body and complete that circuit (and rendering you immobile in the process), the voltage immediately drops to 1,200V. Thus, your body never experiences anything above 1,200V.
And when the news says that someone was tased 19 times, they usually weren't. Occasionally, an officer does get overzealous, but usually, it's not the case. What is really happening, and what creates a lot of those multiple burn marks seen in pictures, is the result of something called a drive stun. On the end of a Taser's "barrel" are two prongs (different from the probes that get fired) that arc electricity, much in the manner of a cattle prod or other stun device. This is used when you are to close to the opponent to fire the prongs, or when one prongs doesn't stick in the person, a drive stun can be used to complete the normal circuit. In a physical altercation where the opponent is thrashing about (which often happens as a result of tasers), an officer can lose contact between the stun and the opponent and regain it in a different spot. Furthermore, a taser doesn't just shoot electricity once; it fires 15-19 pulses a second for a 5 second cycle. As a result of these two things, a single application of a drive stun can be spun by the news as being multiple individual uses. In summary to all of this, don't always believe the media, and do your research.
Now as far as the experience itself, there is what I experienced and what I remember experiencing. For the most part, the two agree, but I believe there might be a few minor discrepancies; it's not a result of the taser, but just the way the mind handles things. I'll give you two accounts - my point of view and what a bystander saw. Keep in mind that I have a fairly high pain tolerance and read my description accordingly. My PoV is as follows:
I was standing in the front of the room with my trainer behind me and two classmates supporting my weight, prepared to help me to the ground. I was given the choice to be warned beforehand or not, and I chose not to be. My trainer began to talk, asking me my name. As soon as I answered this, he discharged the taser (I can only assume he would have randomized the length before firing for other people who might have followed). I felt a slight poke below my right shoulder blade and above my waist on the right side, as if from a needle (which is in fact what it was). The electricity I felt, while not pleasant, was fairly mild by my standards, and I remember thinking "Oh, that's not so bad." I heard the instructor say "Drop" and voluntarily began to go to my knees, with the classmates helping to support my weight. As I went down, I suddenly felt a much stronger, more intense arc from below my shoulder blade to the back of my right knee. This caused all the muscles along that path to contract, and through clenched teeth, let out a loud grunt. The sensation, for me, was comparable to having someone hit me along that path with a cricket bat - a bit of initial pain, but mostly just a strong thud sensation. As I was laid down, I never lost consciousness or had anything fade or blur. Within a few seconds of the cycle ending, I felt okay except for the sudden cramp in my calf. The needles were pulled out and that was that.
From an outside perspective, one would have seen the same thing up until the trainer fired the taser. He said "drop" instinctively, expecting the circuit to complete as normal. However, the wire broke off the probe that entered into my lower back, and he stepped in and delivered a drive stun to the back of my knee, completing the circuit and debilitating my muscles. The grunt I let out was actually pretty quiet and audible only to the people standing closest to me (which is a far cry different than the screams and cursing let forth by many volunteers; unexpectedly enough, man usually scream more often than women do). I had few lingering effects once the cramp had been worked out, other than a slight tingling where the upper probe and the drive stun had been. Apparently, I recovered from it faster than most people do and had fewer aftereffects.
Now why in hell did I do this, especially when it wasn't required of me (as opposed to many law enforcement trainees, who are required to)? Well, a couple of reasons, one arguably more sane than the other. Predominantly, if I'm ever in the situation where I might have to taser someone, I want to understand what I'm about to subject them to. I want this understanding not so much for sympathy's sake, but for that brief moment I will take to consider if it is truly necessary. I know what I'm about to do to that person, and I'll be able to judge whether the situation warrants it. This judgment helps me avoid the situation where someone might be permanently injured or killed by my action. Is the same degree of force necessary with this old, drunk man as it is with that young, drunk kid?
The other reason may not make sense to some people. A big part of my philosophy on life is that I should take advantage of every experience I am presented with, excluding anything that will have long-term negative effects on my well-being, physical, mental or otherwise. As a result, I will try most things twice (the second time to make sure my initial negative reaction wasn't a result of a bad mood or outside influence). This philosophy has led to some situations that have not always been happy for me, but I don't regret any of them; I'm a better person for the experience and the knowledge gained from it. This tasing was one of those experiences.
So, now that my (long-winded) part is over, any questions?