Well, my ex-landlord complained about getting a big shock from the phone wires while remodeling. I guess people don't realize how much juice is in those wires. But I'm pretty sure if it was enough to electorcute you there'd be more awareness of it. I guess there is also no way to shut that power off, so it can't be a lethal dose. (Notice how I skillfully avoided using specific electrical terms such as current, voltage, etc. I know the limits of my knowledge eh? That's why I won't touch any of this stuff!)
[...skillfully avoiding electrical terms...]
Me too. My husband has explained volts and amps to me a 100 times (maybe 99 times) and I know one kills, the other doesn't. I was shocked once when I was two. Stuck a bobby pin into a light socket. Zowie!
I just found this topic while searching for info. Normal operating voltage on an idle telephone line is 48 volts DC. When ringing the voltage spikes to roughly 90VAC at 23 milliAmps. Nothing worse than a static shock.