I used a steel rod once because I kept blowing fuses every time I put the brakes on. It's all I had on hand and didn't want to get ticketed on the way home for no tail lights. The ticket would have been far cheaper. Burnt the harness up before I could get it back out.
Used to frequent a dues house I knew to smoke crack and he had two pieces of copper wire stuck in the service box after they took his meter. He had AC, of course we all smoked there, duh.