A quick solution doesn’t mean it’s the right solution, let alone safe. And for one family in New York, it was a deadly one. More specifically, a man visiting his mother and father-in-law had discovered they were using a “suicide cord,” also known as a “suicide cable,” to set up their Christmas decorations. Now, before anyone gravely misunderstands what this implies, the term refers to a male-to-male extension cord: a cord with male plugs on both ends. It can serve as a ‘quick fix’ for adding a few more feet to a cable to reach an outlet, but it comes at a very risky cost, which is what the New Yorker’s in-laws discovered.
“Came running when the MIL shouted in pain. She had shocked herself on it. FIL said he had ‘fixed’ the cord,” the man recalled in his post on r/mildlyinfuriating. While he clearly knew this extension cord was a bad idea, it would appear that his wife’s parents didn’t. One commenter simply details why this equipment is so dangerous to use: “A cord with a male plug on both ends, so when it is plugged in to the wall there is a live exposed pair of plug blades.” As a result of this deadly risk, “They are extremely illegal everywhere in the US,” yet some people still manage to get a hold of them.
As one person puts it, “That’s an accident waiting to happen, decorations aren’t worth risking someone’s life. I’d be more than mildly infuriated.” Another chimed in, “No reason why anybody would need one of these unless they’re trying to tase someone.” However, there is a reason, needless to say. People want the unsafe yet easy method to resolve their Christmas decorations’ wiring. Whether it’s a cord too short to reach an outlet or using the cable as a workaround when the plug is on the wrong side, the male-to-male extension cord is the worst possible option.
Fortunately, it would seem the mother-in-law was shocked but seriously uninjured, based on OP not adding any additional details about the “suicide cord” incident. Still, it’s a good lesson that any sort of DIY fix with electrical wires can result in a traumatic, life-changing, or even life-ending consequence. No one should use a male-to-male extension cord, period.
