electronics that don’t obey the law of physics

Almost lost my finger today. I was at my studio trying to use my serger after it had been in storage for months, and I found that I had a lot of cleaning and realigning to do. When I just about got it set up for a certain stitch, the threads got stuck underneath. So I lifted the presser foot (which should automatically forbid the machine to start whether or not you press on the control foot) and proceeded underneath to get the threads in the right place, when the machine started to sew! I did not press on the control foot, nor was the presser foot down, so basically the machine started by ITSELF! 3 of my left fingers got caught in the parts underneath. 2 I got out fairly easily, the 3rd was wedged in pretty bad. I seriously thought I was going to lose it (literally & figuratively), especially since it hurt just as much to not move it as it did to try and wiggle it out… Finally, and thankfully, I clenched my teeth and just pulled it(the left ring finger) out, and tried to deal with the pain. Luckily no flesh was cut, but there was a sharp, deep indentation which slowly went away over the next half hour. It didn’t bruise nor swell, really, so there was almost no sign that it happened! It’s still sore to the touch though.
A very surreal experience.

Now, why did the machine turn on by itself? This question brings me back to about 6 months ago, when I had the serger set up and running in my old apartment. About 3 times in a row, it decided to start sewing by itself (I was sure my foot nor anything else was pressing the control foot). I thought it was a ghost (but I don’t believe in ghosts?), but then again I figured there was some electrical connection that went a-wire. Doesn’t happen very often, but it can, right? So I let it go and didn’t investigate further.

Now I wish I did. I could’ve avoided my little “accident” today, possibly.