# Static electric shock when exiting your car

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/static-electric-shock-when-exiting-your-car/62549>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [March 13, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/static-electric-shock-when-exiting-your-car/62549 "2011-03-13T13:37:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wbaxter1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@wbaxter1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wbaxter1)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/static-electric-shock-when-exiting-your-car/62549/1 "2011-03-13T13:37:31Z")

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This isn’t really a question but a simple solution to static electric shock when exiting your car. When you exit the car place your foot on the ground close to the car. Then as you stand up place the back of your leg against the car. You will still get a shock but it is greatly ameliorated by the cloth of your pants, also the shock occurs in an area of your body that has less nerve endings then your fingers or other parts of your body. This won’t work as well if you are wearing a skirt.

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/static-electric-shock-when-exiting-your-car/62549/2 "2011-03-13T14:12:49Z")

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or just spray your seats with an anti-static spray and don’t worry about it. Pick some up at your local computer store.

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**Author:** ![wbaxter1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@wbaxter1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wbaxter1)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/static-electric-shock-when-exiting-your-car/62549/3 "2011-03-13T15:49:03Z")

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My idea works even if it isn’t your car!

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**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/static-electric-shock-when-exiting-your-car/62549/4 "2011-03-13T19:26:43Z")

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I simply hold the metal edge of the door as I get out.

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**Author:** ![mleich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mleich](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mleich)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/static-electric-shock-when-exiting-your-car/62549/5 "2011-03-14T11:57:05Z")

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I would rather get shocked than get mud on my pants.

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**Author:** ![Hedgehog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea666f/32.png) [@Hedgehog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Hedgehog)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/static-electric-shock-when-exiting-your-car/62549/6 "2011-03-19T15:16:09Z")

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I second this method. I have not had a static shock from a car since I adopted this habit…

…Place hand on door edge before your foot hits the ground.

That way the charge built up on the car is discharged through the shoes and is not noticeable. By contrast if you ground the foot first and then touch the door the discharge is through your finger and gives the painful shock.

In my experience the shocks only happen when the humidity is very low, which means winter here in New England.