Comment Re:Does anyone really prefer NEMA 5-15? (Score 1) 711
It's not possible to slide your finger in to touch a half-inserted live blade on a NEMA 5-15 plug. The blade does not become energized until it is inserted too far into the socket.
Because we are talking about AC power, there will not be a dangerous arc when you yank the cord out of the wall. A 60 Hz live wire crosses 0 Volts 120 times per second. You can't pull a cord very far in 1/120 of a second. High voltage DC (solar panels) is a different story (switches are always overdesigned and may include blades to break the circuit in multiple places).
Do you have much experience with electrical work? The NEMA and BS plugs are pretty much the same. Do you prefer the left side or the right side of the road? Obviously, the plug designs must differ in order to maintain incompatibility. The only significant difference between the two systems is price. Why don't you avail yourself of the luxury of buying 30 cent duplex receptacles? Get a big pack of them at Walmart. Instead of bending and rebending your blades to see if they stick properly into your 30 year old wall socket, get a new one. All of a sudden, your heavy transformers will stick in the wall instead of falling out. Using up-to-date, fully functional equipment, you may just find that the system is not so bad after all.