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Original poster

I'm developing a car door handle phobia. Is there any way to avoid the electric shocks?

38 replies

TooTicky · 09/05/2007 12:38

On warm days, I get out of the car and as soon as I go to open the back door - ZAP! It's quite painful sometimes.

OP posts:
NoodleStroodle · 09/05/2007 12:41

Is it to do with your shoes?

NoodleStroodle · 09/05/2007 12:43

Sorry I should explain - I had something similiar and took car to garage where man explanied about rubber shoes, static electricity and getting out of the car.

Crocs are the worst, closely followed by my Hobbs trainers. Normal shoes are fine.

Boco · 09/05/2007 12:45

i have a lift button phobia for the same reason.

dontwanttogetoutofbed · 09/05/2007 12:45

wear gloves. or put any jacket,shirt,cloth on your hand when you come in contact with the door

themoon66 · 09/05/2007 12:47

I find wearing trainers the worst.... you can see the huge spark, like mini-lightning, jump between my hand and the car door on dark nights.

I find it best to open the door to get out, but grab a metal bit of car... say the sill or door frame... grip tight. Do this BEFORE putting any of your feet on the ground. Keep a tight grip of the metal as you climb out.

Sometimes you feel a slight 'something' in your hand, but nowhere near as bad as that huge electric jolt you normally get.

geekgrrl · 09/05/2007 12:48

dh gets this really badly on loads of stuff and has a small shock absorber key fob he uses - we've got three spares ones, CAT me if you'd like one.

themoon66 · 09/05/2007 12:48

Bobo... i have the lift button phobia too. I push it with a corner of my handbag.

JodieG1 · 09/05/2007 12:48

I get this every time I get out of the car. Doesn't make any difference what I'm wearing and if I use my sleeve or coat to shut the door I still get a shock.

MrsJohnCusack · 09/05/2007 12:49

lift buttons here too
forgot to pull my sleeve over my hand yesterday and yelled like a fool in a deparment store

BettySpaghetti · 09/05/2007 12:50

I get the lift buttons thing all the time too and occasionally car doors.

I tend to try and wrap part of my sleeve around my hand but of course that doesn't work with short sleeves in the summer.

bran · 09/05/2007 12:50

Try touching the back door with your hip before reaching for the handle with your hand. Apparently it's all the sensitive nerve endings in your hand that makes it so painful, other parts of the body are less sensitive to touch and so don't register the shock as much.

AitchTwoOh · 09/05/2007 12:52

pmsl. i didn't realise this happened to everyone else. i find it awful on escalators and with handrails in shops, for some reason.

Polgara2 · 09/05/2007 12:54

Oh god I get this every single time I get out of the car no matter what I am wearing. On the odd occasion I manage to shut the car door without touching it [clever eh! , I then get one from the front door when I put my key in aaaaaaarrrrrghhhhhh!!!
Shall attempt some of this solutions and hope no-one thinks I am barmy (well more than they already do anyway!)

Original poster
TooTicky · 09/05/2007 12:54

I'm wearing sandals - rubbery soles...
Oh yes, lifts. They are awful.
I've tried covering my hand with cloth and it doesn't work for me.
themoon66 - I'm okay getting out, it's just when I next touch the car. So, if I hold onto a metal bit of car whilst climbing out and opening back door for little ones, maybe that will help. People may look at me oddly though
geekgrrl - oh yes, please!!!! I can't do CATs, but could you email me on [email protected] ? That would be wonderful

OP posts:
Original poster
TooTicky · 09/05/2007 12:55

That's useful to know Bran.

OP posts:
MrsWho · 09/05/2007 12:55

I thought I was going mad its being happening so often recently. Glad I'm not the only one.

lyrabelacqua · 09/05/2007 12:56

I get the lift button thing too. Why does it happen? it only seems to happen to me when I've been pushing the pushchair with the foamy, squishy handles (McLaren Volo).

Original poster
TooTicky · 09/05/2007 12:59

So, does anybody know why it happens? And why more so when the weather is warm?

OP posts:
BigmummaL · 09/05/2007 13:01

I get this too and have developed a bit of a phobia. Really hate shutting the car door!

FiveFingeredFiend · 09/05/2007 13:01

rubber gloves

Miaou · 09/05/2007 13:08

Knock the back of your hand against the handle first. It gets rid of the static without giving you a shock.

themoon66 · 09/05/2007 13:08

TooTicky.... You only get the shock when you open the back door because the static is till on you. By gripping the metal and then putting your feet down, you earth yourself and the static is discharged. Then, when you come to open the back door, you should be fine coz there is no static left on you.

laloop · 09/05/2007 13:13

Try touching something non-metal first when you get out of the car - eg a wall, wooden fence or the car window - before you touch the metal door.

lyrabelacqua · 09/05/2007 13:14

What do we do about lift buttons? And the metal railings inside lifts?

whomovedmychocolate · 09/05/2007 13:15

I used to have this, now I use silicon hair spray (any leave in hair conditioner spray does the job) and it doesn't happen anymore.