It's impossible to prepare for everything but that doesn't mean we have to face uncertainty with our naked butts.
Josh Otusanya is an internet personality who has captivated TikTok with quite a variety of different video series, like 'Small habits that can make someone dislike you' or 'Better questions to ask your crush.'
However, it's his uploads on survival that often get the most attention. Otusanya shares practical advice that can potentially save a person's life in everyday situations (getting chased by a swarm of bees) and extraordinary occurrences (getting kidnapped), and I know we would all like to never have to use these tactics. But it's probably best we know them.
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If you call 911 for an emergency, say your location first. So if the phone cuts off, they know where to find you. "What is your emergency?" I'm at 222, Fake Address Drive, and I'm being held ca-.
If you're swimming and find yourself so deep or disoriented that you don't know which way is up, blow some bubbles, then follow the bubbles. They always go up.
Otusanya describes his TikTok content as a mixture of life advice and comedy. "I have several years of experience as a stand-up comedian so I often use comedy to drive home those life lessons," he told Bored Panda.
"Up to [starting this series], I made a lot of videos related to building up self-confidence, improving communication skills, and more. I wanted to experiment [and create something that could] improve someone's life by potentially saving it one day. I've received a lot of messages from viewers who said tips from that series legitimately helped them avoid danger which is great to hear."
There's an emergency and you or someone else needs help. Don't just yell, "help". Instead be specific like "you with the bad outfit, call an ambulance". You'll avoid the "bystander effect" where if people aren't called out specifically they'll freeze and not know what to do.
If you're ever choking in a public area, don't try to avoid causing a scene by going to the bathroom. Most deaths are people found in the bathroom because there were too polite to seek help. Thank me later.
Of course, such a project requires its fair share of research. Watching a few shows with Bear Grylls is nowhere near enough. It's something Otusanya has to constantly work on.
"I have a master list of potential video topics with random notes/information I come across for future video ideas," he said. "I source my information from a combination of books I read and audiobooks I listen to as well as various videos and documentaries, interesting conversations with people, articles related to random questions I want to know the answer to, and more!"
If you're riding as a passenger in a car, never rest your feet on the dashboard. If an accident happens and the airbags deploy, your kneecaps will fly into your skull.
Reminds me of the x-ray shown in a documantary of a young woman with the volume k**b of the car radio in her head after her car crashed. This was in the 1950s.
If you ever get kidnapped, leave behind as many traces as possible, clothes, jewelry, anything that helps search dogs, pick up your scent and ultimately find you.
Also: be a pain in the ass! Kick, scream, yell that you don’t know this person, fight like you’re life depends on it, because once they succeed in getting you secured/to another location, that may very well be it! The key is to prevent them from taking you in the first place, so always look alert and make yourself a “bad target” to acquire!
If a guy takes a pregnancy test and it comes back positive, go see a doctor immediately. There's a chance that he could have testicular cancer.
If you're getting chased by a swarm of bees, don't jump in a lake or a body of water. They'll just wait for you above the water. Instead, keep running. They'll stop chasing you when they feel like they've won.
If you're in a lightning storm and your hair starts floating, it means you're about to get hit by lightning. So find shelter immediately.
If you're relaxing at your house and you smell something that reminds you of fish or pee, call an electrician immediately, house could be on the verge of having an electrical fire.
That has happened to me, but it turned out I accidentally peed in my pants.
If you see a sign that says beware of pickpockets or thieves, don't instinctively patch your pocket, or check your belongings, thieves, and robbers, use these signs to know who to attack from afar.
When I was about 14, I was on a bus once in a high pickpocketing area and had my money tied around my neck in a little bag that I had tucked under my shirt. I actually felt a dude’s hand creeping under them hem of my shirt and at first I thought he was trying to grope me, but then I remembered the money pouch and realized he was probably trying to rob me instead (or as well as grope me). I alerted one of my friends with a look and then grabbed the guy’s hand before he could go too far, digging my nails into his skin so hard I drew blood as I gave him a look that warned “do it and it’ll only get worse for you.” He immediately dropped his hand back out and fled as soon as the bus stopped, and I kept my money tucked that way the rest of the trip.
Next time you enter a building, look for an exit that people don't use often in an emergency. When everyone's going out the main exit you take the one less traveled. that extra time can make all the difference.
If it's hot outside, avoid leaving plastic water bottles inside your car. If the sun hits the bottle at the right angle, it could eventually start a fire.
If you're cooking on the stove and the stove catches fire, do not use water. First, turn off the stove, then cover the pot with the lid. If you don't have a lid, dump baking soda.
But don't confuse backing soda with backing powder, the latter is highly combustible and potentially explosive.
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First, HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN YOUR KITCHEN that is rated for natural gas and electric and grease fires. They're a bit pricey, but guaranteed they work. Sorry for the all caps, but the number of people who don't just keep a fire extinguisher...
Keep the kitchen extinguisher in the living room or powder room. If it's in the kitchen where the fire is located, you might not be able to get to the extinguisher.
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I have a fire blanket next to the stove. Landlords have to provide one along with a fire extinguisher.
What the heck is a fire blanket?!? Where can I get one? Sounds a LOT more sensible than trying to figure out how a fire extinguisher works during an emergency!
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Flour dust is, as is any dust or powder that would normally burn quite slowly. Salt or baking powder don't burn. Still, a wet towel is usually easier to find and less messy.
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Question: how it comes up to catch fire on a stove? Have seen it here on BP and in movies, but never in person. I already cooked on hot stove (the one you put wood inside and light it up), gas stove, electricity stove, glass ceramics, induction..and never caught fire (hopely won't ever)..but how it can happen?
For me it was my poor husband attempting his first solo Sunday roast as I was unwell. He left a pan of oil on the hob ready to go in the oven to heat for the roast potatoes. He then switched on a ring on the hob to cook something else. It was unfortunately the wrong ring and the one under the oil (he knows NOT to leave these things on the hob now of course!). He went away for a few moments and the oil caught fire. We had a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket and were able to stop the fire spreading while the fire brigade were on their way. Like others have said here we got the same advice - don't dampen a tea towel as people don't have time to get the dampness levels exactly right and it can make things worse. Better to spend the money on the right equipment.
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We just have a fire blanket in our kitchen (red pouch thing that sits on the wall, has 'fire blanket' on it and 2 little black pull tabs underneath to get the 'blanket' out). We got two of them years ago when I was like 6 or 7 because my dad being a firefighter, I started developing a fear of fire (worried he'd die or something). It eased my fear significantly, and we never even had to use them.
I keep a fire blanket near the stove. They aren't commonly found in homes in the USA, but are easy to find online. I got one the time I had a grease fire and it grew surprisingly large before I got another pot to smother it (the pan didn't have a lid). If the grease had spilled out onto the stove, then it would have been too big for any lid.
I have a fire blanket and a fire extinguisher - and have had to use them once. Better safe than sorry.
Load More Replies... And if you’re a little absent minded and are worried about leaving the stove on turn the light on above the stove before you turn on the stove or the oven once you turn off the stove or oven then turn off the light. If you get into the habit of doing this you won’t have to worry about it anymore
This is an article about useful tips... not one about tips that NOBODY (especially WolfGirl) has ever heard before. ;-)
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I've found out the hard way about that one. The tall pillar of flame was scary but impressive as hell and went out after that. Only the ventalation grid above got scorched fortunately and I didn't get burned :)
Just don't use flour and don't try to run outside with the flaming pan, it will fan the flames. Call 911.
I was advised directly by the Fire Brigade not to use a damp towel. I was told that they no longer recommend this as it can be hard to get the dampness levels right - too wet or too dry can be dangerous. Every kitchen really should have a fire blanket and extinguisher, far safer. Not a fan of the news site but this: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1096994/Chip-pan-Think-using-wet-tea-towel-out.html
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If you wake up in the middle of the night, and smell gas in your house, don't turn on the lights! Just go outside and call for an emergency. Because if your house has a gas leak, a spark from a light switch could blow up the house.
If you're at your house at night and feel like somebody broke in, turn your lights off. So they can't see you. And you know your way around your place in the dark better than they do, use it to your advantage.
This is really bad advice. If someone is in your house, you turn on all lights and make lots of noise to scare them off. If you confront them, chances are you will come off worse as they've a lot to lose.
If you or someone, you know, has a car, always leave the car keys near your bed. So if someone breaks in, you can press your car alarm and scare them away.
If you're cleaning a cat's litter box, avoid using bleach! A cat's pee has a chemical in it called ammonia. If it mixes with bleach, it creates a deadly gas that can kill you.
Whenever you're walking to your car, before you get inside, always check your back seat and be aware of your surroundings. In case someone is hiding, preparing to kidnap you.
Some of these are valid. Some I have used ...a few are clearing things someone made up without any real world evidence.
Agree, some of these are valid, some are just..entertaining. But those little hints that could probably save your life are cool-like when you have a blue reflection in your eye instead of a red on a photo could (COULD!!) be a sign that there's something with your brain. Or increasing growth of hair on a woman's upper lip could (COULD!!) be a sign for cervical cancer. This stuff..Or, you can 'read' fingernails-depending on whether the grooves on it are horizontal or vertical, straight or crooked or whatever, you can recognize the state of health and possible deficiencies, like if your body takes too little oxygen or so (not when drowning or choking-haha)..
Load More Replies... Ok I don't know why people are saying these are fake, because most of them are very true. I'm just confused how no one knows them. I can't be the only one who watches crime documentaries and reads Stephen King and Dean Koontz
Two of my favorites! Koontz isn't often cited by women that I know. He does have some odd stuff!
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Here we go again with tikfock bull****. These folks are even more annoying than "influencers".
And yet, here you are, reading an article about them, taking time out of your obviously very busy day to comment on them... :)
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This was a terrifically bad post. half of the suggestions are either stupid, insane or outright dangerous
A fellow panda on here by the name of S says to this "And yet, here you are, reading an article about them, taking time out of your obviously very busy day to comment on them... :)"
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If you are ever trapped in your car during a fire or entering water, breaking the window is very difficult. Remove the front headrest, the metal legs are pointed and can break a side window if you strike it in the corner
As said by my fellow panda S "And yet, here you are, reading an article about them, taking time out of your obviously very busy day to comment on them... :)"
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Some of these are valid. Some I have used ...a few are clearing things someone made up without any real world evidence.
Agree, some of these are valid, some are just..entertaining. But those little hints that could probably save your life are cool-like when you have a blue reflection in your eye instead of a red on a photo could (COULD!!) be a sign that there's something with your brain. Or increasing growth of hair on a woman's upper lip could (COULD!!) be a sign for cervical cancer. This stuff..Or, you can 'read' fingernails-depending on whether the grooves on it are horizontal or vertical, straight or crooked or whatever, you can recognize the state of health and possible deficiencies, like if your body takes too little oxygen or so (not when drowning or choking-haha)..
Load More Replies... Ok I don't know why people are saying these are fake, because most of them are very true. I'm just confused how no one knows them. I can't be the only one who watches crime documentaries and reads Stephen King and Dean Koontz
Two of my favorites! Koontz isn't often cited by women that I know. He does have some odd stuff!
Load More Replies... Here we go again with tikfock bull****. These folks are even more annoying than "influencers".
And yet, here you are, reading an article about them, taking time out of your obviously very busy day to comment on them... :)
Load More Replies... This was a terrifically bad post. half of the suggestions are either stupid, insane or outright dangerous
A fellow panda on here by the name of S says to this "And yet, here you are, reading an article about them, taking time out of your obviously very busy day to comment on them... :)"
Load More Replies... If you are ever trapped in your car during a fire or entering water, breaking the window is very difficult. Remove the front headrest, the metal legs are pointed and can break a side window if you strike it in the corner
As said by my fellow panda S "And yet, here you are, reading an article about them, taking time out of your obviously very busy day to comment on them... :)"
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