Acceed See said:
I have discovered several times after I leave the bus seat and
grab the stainless steel pole, there was a pak sound. Is that a
ESD? Are the charges from my hand or the pole?
Certainly could be static discharge, two different materials,
like fabric and plastic, rubbing against each other can
transfer charge.
If you can still find an old fashioned neon bulb, a tiny little
glass container with two wire electrodes separated by a bit of
neon gas inside, you can hold one lead of the bulb and let the
other get close to the pole. You might shield the bulb from
the light in the bulb, so you can still see it but it won't be
overwhelmed by the lights on the bus, then you might be able
to see a brief flash in the bulb as the sparck jumps from the
pole to the free lead. There are more sensitive detectors but
this might be enough for your testing.