I remember when I was first learning about electronics and limitations of my multimeter; I wanted to test the output voltage of an electrical fence (the type that briefly shocks livestock when they touch the wire). So I brought my cheap multimeter into the field and stuck the common probe into the earth and touched the wire very quickly with my positive probe and stopped. I didn't get a shock so I figured it seems to be ok but I didn't hold the probe long enough to get a reading. So then I held the probe on the electric fence longer except this time I got a nasty shock from the fence and I dropped the multimeter. I still didn't get a reading but I didn't try again. Instead I just read the output on the box which said I got 3.5 Joules, 8700 volts through my body
