Brian - once an object reaches terminal velocity it's velocity remains basically the same. Before that point, however, it is still acelerating, so the height it is dropped from does make a difference - otherwise you'd kill yourself jumping off a chair.

I'd also like to know what the result was about the "peeing on the live rail" question. When I was young, a boy in the neighborhood was reputed to have done himself some severe harm by attempting it, and while it didn't kill him, it was thought to have scuppered his chances of fatherhood. All our parents banned us from playing near the railway line as a result. I'd hate to think what would happen if it was off a bridge onto one of the more modern overhead wires which are a much higher voltage than the third rail. On the other hand we have rigged up induction coil tricks of the same kind at parties and they didn't seem to produce any lasting damage.