Hey Mary,
That was not a dude/dudette thing. Just a dumb thing.
Like the time I was rebuilding the carbs on my '72 BSA Lightning. I put my battery on charger, then tore my carbs apart and put them together again. Then, after several beers (and a little something else), I disconnected my battery and stuck a screwdriver across the terminals to make sure the battery charged up OK, igniting the hydrogen. My HD buddy and Norton Buddy said my "big head was engulfed in a huge blue flame". My ears rang for three days.
If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.
