Agency: Don't Buy Amazon's Male-to-Male Extension Cord

Some user reviews call them "suicide cords," and while the US Consumer Product Safety Commission didn't go that far, it did make clear this week that a certain electrical cord sold by Amazon is a bad and dangerous idea. Just don't buy it, the agency announced. The extension cords, sold under different brand names, have a male plug on each end. That can lead to nothing good, reports Gizmodo, which says there's no reason for such a cord to exist. Apparently people buy them intending to plug one end into an electrical outlet at home and the other end into a gas generator in an attempt to electrify the home.

"You obviously should not do something this stupid," Gizmodo says. A post by the agency lists a few of the ways this can go wrong:

• "When plugged into a generator or outlet, the opposite end has live electricity posing a risk of serious shock or electrocution."
• "The flow of electric power in the direction reverse to that of the typical flow of power circumvents safety features of the home's electrical system and can result in a fire."
• "The short length of some of the cords also encourages use of a generator near the home, which could create a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning."
• "Furthermore, these cords do not comply with applicable national safety codes, such as National Fire Protection Association 70."

(More Amazon stories.)