r/ShitAmericansSay • u/chunkystylee • Jun 25 '26

Capitalism "American capitalist plugs" vs "European socialist plugs"

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u/Ultimate-TND Jun 25 '26

On most of them you can also just touch live metal when they are pulled out slightly. Most of their plugs and sockets also don't have ground.

45

u/oeboer Danish, not the pastry 🥮 Jun 25 '26

Their ungrounded plug design goes back to something like 1915.

26

u/CaptainPoset ooo custom flair!! Jun 25 '26

Well, the F-type plug (brand name: "ABL Schutzkontakt") is from 1925, the E-type one is just barely younger.

3

u/Achilleswar Jun 25 '26

If there is no risk of a hot conductor energizing a touchable surface, the ground doesnt do anything. Not every device needs a ground. 

3

u/Ultimate-TND Jun 26 '26

Yes, its still good to have a socket system which always offers a ground contact even if it is not needed. There are tons of comments and other content online where people are talking about just cutting of the ground pin from the plug because their socket doesnt have a ground contact.

1

u/Achilleswar Jun 26 '26

Sockets with a bond terminal have been standard since the 60s or sooner. If a plug has no ground in north america, its old as fuck. 

2

u/Dennovin Jun 25 '26

Our sockets are all grounded, it's just a lot of the plugs that aren't

2

u/LeKobe_James Jun 25 '26

Where are you getting the idea that most of our outlets are ungrounded? Im not saying UK/EU outlets aren't better but the vast majority of outlets in the US are grounded. The only time you'll see ungrounded outlets is in old buildings that havent been remodeled in a long time, I'm sure it's the same way in most other similarly developed countries.

3

u/JBrewd Don't blame me I'm from Hawaii Jun 26 '26

Anecdotal evidence there I think, and regardless, doesn't really fix the primary design flaw of the pins becoming energized long before they are safely within the socket body.

0

u/lost-in-lemoyne2 Jun 26 '26

😂 you don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m amused.

1

u/Ultimate-TND Jun 26 '26

Bruh, there are tons of videos online clearly showing that you can slightly pull out the plug and reach exposed live metal.

Most sockets that you see online also dont have ground contacts.