Are the people who design car batteries pratical jokers or sadists? [View All]

[hedgehog]

I've had to jump assorted batteries over the years, and every time it's the same routine:

Pop the hood, then locate the battery. Inevitably the terminals are in an awkward location. Then the real fun begins. Your job is to secure a humongous alligator clip to the 1/16" length of 1/8" terminal that is showing. If you are lucky, that terminal is clean and shiny. If you're not so lucky, you're standing in the dark with rain running down your neck trying to figure out how to clean the terminals with the tools at hand; typically an empty coffee cup from the take-out and maybe a donut bag. I've secured the red clip only to have it pop off just as I get the black clip on. So then I have to take the black clip off, put the red clip back on and try securing the black clip again. The longer it takes to secure the black clip, the more likely the red clip is to pop off.