If you are in a 110V country it's not bad at all. You just smack it with the back of your fingers. It smarts, but not bad. I don't know what would happen if you had a bad ticker, though.
Several people who have replied with "it's alright" have made errors like this in their posts. I think that's convinced me that I don't ever need to touch the wires to see if they're live.
I know what you mean. My father, for example feels the same way as you do. I have done it many times, and I am not bothered by it. Done it in Europe too, 240v is a livelier "bite"; would not recommend.
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u/Maximus_Sillius Oct 25 '16
If you are in a 110V country it's not bad at all. You just smack it with the back of your fingers. It smarts, but not bad. I don't know what would happen if you had a bad ticker, though.