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“Doesn’t Mean It’s Safe”: 47 People Share The Most Dangerous Things That Are Often Dismissed
Walking down a flight of stairs can be as mundane an activity as tying a pair of shoes. Most of us treat it as something that is second nature, completely forgetting about the inherent dangers. To paint quite a grim picture, various law firms have reported that over a million people in the US get injured each year falling down a stairway.
Now, this isn’t a doom and gloom post as much as it is a reminder of the things and activities that can actually badly hurt us (or worse) if we get too careless. It could be swimming in the ocean, posting personal details online, or being out in nature, among many others.
These people on Reddit also shared their insights, which you will find as you scroll through.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Posting your entire life online. No one needs to know everything about you. Too much risk in something coming back to bite you in the a*s.
People that do this are literally insane.
RELATED:
#2
Swimming in the ocean.
Crystalwitch60 4 weeks ago
Yup it can be , if you can’t bloody swim well or even at all , it’s a very dangerous place to be even for excellent swimmers , the tides currents run winds n waves can change in an instant !, never ever go out alone
#3
Driving. We do it every day. And every day there are more cars on roads. We’re increasing our chances of injury or passing every day.
#4
Petting strangers’ dogs. Even breeds not generally considered dangerous.
Rocket Surgeon 1 month ago
ALWAYS ask if you can pet a dog, and ALWAYS let the dog come to you. Then ALWAYS hold your hand non-threateningly for the dog to approach and sniff, and then - and ONLY then - do you pet the dog.
#7
Walking around or behind a horse without keeping your hand on it.
Horses can get very scared very fast and a well placed kick can beak your neck, leave you a vegetable or even stop your heart.
If you must move around one, keep a hand on it after it is aware of your presence and slide it with you so it knows where you are, also stay very close to it the whole time so the potential kick has less wind-up.
David Paterson 1 month ago
Horses are officially the most deadly animals (other than humans) in Australia. They k**l the most people.
#8
Driving closely behind a truck pulling a trailer, cutting them off or breaking suddenly in front of them. If I'm hauling a horse trailer, I CANNOT stop quickly. You put everyone in danger by doing that.
MotherofGuineaPigs 4 weeks ago
I was taught that if you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you. Back off until you can.
#10
Usually things that make people say "Well I do it all the time and I'm fine".
#11
Stairs. They end a lot of people.
Little Bit 4 weeks ago
When I was about five years old I had a particularly bad tumble down some stairs. I have never felt safe on stairs since, even while holding the rail. I also had a relative who got k****d falling down the stairs.
#12
Letting small children play with dogs. Especially medium to larger breeds that can do a lot of damage. And yes, I’m looking at you: pit bulls, akitas, German shepherds, etc.
Even that special angel of a dog who has never shown aggression before, can react when feeling stressed.
I will fight anyone and die on this hill!!
Edit: I know not everyone thinks this but there’s a lot of folks out there who will deny that their precious dog COULD EVER do harm. And that is plain false.
tracy black 4 weeks ago
my big dog is gentle but my little dog will eat you alive if he dont know you
TCW Sam Vimes 4 weeks ago
My dog is really cute (Kooiker), weighs only around 12 kg and I tell everyone HE'S NOT A TOY. Every dog has 42 sharp arguments in his mouth and they will use it if they feel threatened. Just instinct, doesn't matter how well trained or well behaved they are, if cornered (like on a leash and waiting in front of a shop). Do not approach dogs that do not know you. Never forget that any animal will fight back when it thinks running is not an option anymore.
Bur* 4 weeks ago
My very large Cain corso plays with my children all the time. He actually gets more gentle the smaller the kid is. He will still eat your face off if he can tell you're making me uncomfortable and won't back off. It's not that my precious monster COULD NEVER, it's that he has been trained to behave a certain way and there are always warning signs before a dog snaps. 🙄
nottheactualphoto 4 weeks ago
It's your dog, and your kids. They know each other.
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DowntownStevieB 4 weeks ago
You know, Draghounds are the most dangerous of all breeds, having the strongest bite, pound-for-pound of all the dog breeds...combined with that small dog personality lol
Blyss Blyssylb 4 weeks ago
Hey Humans! What if we Taught our children How to Act around animals and How to Treat Others (Human & Non Human)! We'll call it Etiquette. Yeah! Animal Etiquette like: Do Ask 1st before approaching/petting. And Don't Tease the dog while it's eating. Yes, this should be done both at home and in school. And Human Etiquette? Well, would you (human) appreciate me pretending to kick you while you're eating? No you would not. And would you (human) allow me to just (out of nowhere) walk up into your house? No!? Why not? What do you mean by "I'm a stranger"? ... bottom line, Etiquette. Learn it. Teach it. Use it.
#13
Hippos.
#14
Garage door springs.
UnclePanda 4 weeks ago (edited)
I've installed six garage doors, including stretch and torsion springs. The tools and techniques are extremely simple but the forces are great and you're on top of a ladder. I don't recommend it.
#15
Botox. Medspas.
#16
Hiking alone.
#17
Poor dental hygiene can lead to heart disease.
#18
Mushrooms there is a saying. There are old mushroom hunters. And bold mushroom hunters. But there are no old bold mushroom hunters.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 month ago
With all my knowledge of mushrooms...... I only ever eat bought ones!
#19
A lot of carnival rides. A lot of them have long-ignored mechanical problems, and the people operating them aren't exactly rocket scientists.
#20
Running water in a steam / river. The currents are much stronger than they look and can easily sweep an adult right off their feet.
#23
On the beach: "Oh, look, the water is going way out!".
#25
Not doing the dishes and mum coming home.
#26
Pushing someone in the water as a prank. Why is that still a thing? I've heard of people getting seriously hurt or drowning. Even a redditor said that they knew how to swim but they were taken by surprise so their body froze up.
Upstaged75 4 weeks ago
There was a bridesmaid who pushed the bride in a pool as a joke during her bachelorette party. The bride ended up paralyzed from the neck down.
#29
Texting and driving.
I know you think you're a safe driver and you're paying attention but you're just not. You're distracted and in charge of a speeding tonne of metal. Seriously, don't do it.
#31
Mountain biking. It is a super popular sport but it is really dangerous. I am a mountain biker. Everyone I know has had a serious injury.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 month ago (edited)
I recall hitting a tree root hidden by a fern frond cycling to work down a towpath. I probably flew 10 metres 😑
#34
Childbirth. A surprising amount of people go into pregnancy not realizing how bad it can be and end up with some sort of impairment, disability, or even death because of it. My mom almost died birthing my youngest sibling. The US has high maternal mortality rates, and yet people act like you’re crazy when you say you don’t want kids.
Sam Trudeau 4 weeks ago
The trick is always "don't do it uninformed". If you do it, you are willing to risk the risks
#35
Flour.
Flour dispersed into the air is more explosive than gunpowder, and eating raw flour can give you salmonella.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 month ago
Yeah, saw a film with a gunfight in a tunnel with an overturned flour truck. I called BS immediately!
#36
Saving a drowning person. The person isn't just going to calm down and let him being dragged, he is going to try to save himself at your cost.
#37
Sunbathing may be?
Geobugi🇰🇷🇰🇭 4 weeks ago
Zig uag wanderer, getting burned is when you see and feel the damage but even when you just get tanned it is still not good. I am not saying that you are doomed but please believe me when i tell you that your skjn will thank you. A lot of it is genetic, some people spend their entire life in the sun and do not get any problem, other people develop skin cancer at a young age. There is just no point in pushing your luck 😉
#38
Re-ligion.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 month ago (edited)
Way more people are kìlled because they have a different imaginary friend than any other reason, yes.
#39
Island beaches. There are a lot in Hawaii that are a lot more dangerous than tourists realize. Islands are on the edge of the vast ocean and can sweep people in.
Bored Trash Panda 4 weeks ago
Yep very true. I lived in Hawaii long time ago. We went to the beach d**n near daily and I was a REALLY good swimmer. Weather turned not so great and the waves got big. Almost got swept out, luckily a friend grabbed me and pulled me up shore.
#40
Kids who let the escalator slide their shoes from the stairs to the platform. Also animals going on escalators period. If you don’t want to know why then don’t google “escalator degloving”.
#41
Knocking somebody out. According to movies you just hit the ground and get up after a couple of minutes of unconsciousness then shrug it off.
#42
I think people know using a mobile device while driving is dangerous, but don't *realize* its danger.
#43
NSAIDS (ibuprofen, alive, etc) when there's alcohol in your system. That stuff will fry your kidneys.
TCW Sam Vimes 4 weeks ago
Liver, actually, even without the alcohol. Be sure to stay well under max daily dosage
#44
Wet floors. Busted 4 of my teeth out a couple months ago right after I clocked out and slipped on the floor I JUST mopped.
#45
Being out in nature.
It's a lot of fun to visit, but trying to spend an extended amount of time (like overnight) without preparation and knowledge can get you k****d.
Slmd 3 weeks ago (edited)
Just going outside in general, too. Know the area: where I am, there's loads of dangerous snakes, spiders, crocs, plants etc. Even something like a mosquito can carry ross river fever or malaria, so always wear repellent. Also, hats! underappreciated and most people don't like wearing them, but it's better than getting cancer or sunburns on your head. (sunscreen is also good). Also swooping birds... really, prepare before going out, especially into the bush.
#46
Ozempic.
Júlia Fortes 3 weeks ago
Please please. Ozempic is a diabetes medication. Diabetes is a condition that makes you go to the doctor a lot and get a lot of exams. Stop using that to lose weight, we dont even know the future side effects of that on non-diabetic people. They are testing it on you. The same applies to mounjaro
#47
Showers. Old people slip and get broken bones often. Also rugs.
#48
Literally anything if you throw it hard enough.
#49
Honestly. Just driving back and forth from work always seems so benign that I forgot to be thankful for getting home safely.
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the US!
Bored Trash Panda 4 weeks ago (edited)
Last month when I was driving to work one morning, there was a junk filled truck in front of me. Well, they didn't have everything tied down. A HUGE pallet flew out. I had to slam on my breaks and swerve into the lane next to me. Even though he was several car lengths ahead of me, the wood still almost hit my car. Might not have ended me, but probably would have ended my car and severely hurt me.
#50
Sleep deprivation, and not sleeping properly for whatever reason because procrastination seems funnier.
#51
Petting dogs you're not familiar with. So many people just walk up to dogs and start trying to pat them, and then have the gall to be offended when the dog is anything less than enthusiastic about being petted by a stranger.
The simple truth is that, like people, dogs have different personalities and even those raised by perfectly good families and socialized as pups can end up with attitude problems. You also never know what could set off a dog or what hidden trauma it may or may not have. I have seen so many people who try to push forward even when the dog is already growling at them. You'd think they'd realize that the dog is explicitly warning them that it's gonna bite if they come any closer, but they don't listen. They think it's funny/cute/a test and still try to pet the dog since they "have a way with animals".
Approach all dogs with caution, ask first how friendly the dog is, and don't be mad when the owner is blunt and tells you to stay away.
#52
Saving someone with a heimlich grip. You can definitely rupture someone's organs with this move and people have died as a result of being saved by this procedure. Always send someone to the hospital after doing this as the victim might otherwise bleed to death in their sleep that night.
UnclePanda 4 weeks ago
This is irresponsible, possibly legally so. They're already dead when you begin CPR, so organ damage isn't a concern. Advice like the item causes people to not try CPR.
#53
Eating rice that’s been left out for a while.
Ace 4 weeks ago
Perfectly safe as long as it's been properly covered an refrigerated. There was one case of death from Bacillus cereus poisoning a few years ago that got picked up and exaggerated all over the interwebs, but that was someone who at a dish of cooked past that had been left out, uncovered, in a warm kitchen for a week or so. One case. As such it's a better example of "things that people think are really dangerous but in reality are fine as long as you're not stupid".
#54
Marriage.
Bored Trash Panda 4 weeks ago
My first marriage, very much so. Current marriage, not even close to dangerous. Golden retriever husband (who thinks he's a Pitbull lol)
#55
Diarrhea.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 month ago
Yes. Get those electrolytes in FAST! And a blocker like immodium.
#56
Sunburns can be very dangerous.
Normally you don't think too much of them, just a few days of irritated/itchy skin, but if you aren't careful you drastically increase your chance of getting malignant melanoma (skin cancer) through a handful of decent sunburns.
TCW Sam Vimes 4 weeks ago
Sunburn is a form of radiation damage, not only a short time burn like you get from boiling water or a candle flame. It causes severe damage to the DNA that your body has to repair or you get cancer. The more often it happens the more likely the chance for malignant cells surviving and g8ving you one of the most lethal forms of cancer.USE SUNSCREEN
#57
Letting your dog off the leash in public.
#58
Using a fire escape on an old multi-floor apartment building.
A resident found out the hard way when trying to exit by using the building's badly rusted fire escape. The weight of his body caused one of the "landings" to cave in, even though the landlord supposedly had the fire escape "inspected" for code compliance.
#59
Birth control pills. In some women, they can cause blood clots (DVT or deep vein thrombosis). These clots can form anywhere in the body. Sometimes the blood clots can dislodge and get carried by blood to lungs (pulmonary embolism) or heart (heart attack). When blood clotting occurs in the brain (cerebral thrombosis), they can cause a stroke.
EDIT: I would also like to share that last year I had a CVT stroke because I had been on Estrogen BC for 8 months. 8 MONTHS!!! That’s all it took. Out of the blue, I had severe headache that felt like someone was hitting the back of my head with a baseball bat...every second. I lost motor control in my arms and legs, couldn’t see properly or understand anything. I even forgot my name! Turns out all major veins in my brain were completely clogged by clots. It took over a year of rehab but luckily I have fully recovered. I hope and wish this never happen to anyone ever. Sorry for the long text.
#60
To anyone unfamiliar with cooking, if you're frying with a lot of oil, do not add water and especially not an ice cube. Sounds so silly, but you'd be surprised that it's not more of a PSA especially considering how harmless in theory it sounds.
#61
Sugar. Most people don't realize how terrible the stuff is for you. *takes sip of soda*.
#63
Notes appearing around the house that you didn't put there.
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 4 weeks ago
I think this is referencing an old Reddit thread: A man lived in a crappy apartment and started finding notes he didn't put there. He became convinced it was his landlord sneaking in and even set up a camera, but the next day there were more notes and some of the camera's recording had been deleted. His posts continued to get more and more paranoid until a commentor recommended he check for carbon monoxide in his apartment. It turned out to be the case- OP's bedroom wasn't ventilated and if I recall was built above a car park or similar, and the carbon monoxide was causing the memory loss and paranoia. He was leaving the notes himself, and because of the carbon monoxide, couldn't remember doing it.
#64
Prescribed medicine. Just because it’s prescribed doesn’t mean it’s safe.
otiose 4 weeks ago
OP must not live in US, where prescription d**g ads contain enough warnings to make you seriously wonder why anyone would take them. Also, there is always the possibility of finding you are allergic to a prescription. (Do not take if allergic to xxxx, breastfeeding, pregnant, trying to become pregnant, have s******l thoughts, or own a dog. Seek medical help for erections lasting longer than four hours. Consult your doctor about any unusual bleeding, excessive thirst, blurred vision, or problems breathing. Etc., etc., etc.)
#65
Eating cinnamon.
The Other Guest 4 weeks ago
I'm guessing they mean "by the spoonful," such as in the cinnamon challenge that was weirdly popular a while back.
#66
Popping your neck can cause a stroke!
Edit: my understanding of the physiology was wrong. It has more to do with impaired blood flow to the brain than blood clots.
#67
Falling in love. If you do it with someone who doesn't care enough to recognize the significance it could be the death of you. It's probably going to be the death of me.
Michael Largey 4 weeks ago
"Falling" is recognized as dangerous in every other context but romance.
What do you think ?
Lady Eowyn 4 weeks ago
Basically, then, being alive is dangerous. It has a 100% mortality rate.
David Paterson 1 month ago (edited)
This list missed the most underrated dangerous thing of all. Sport. All sports, not just extreme sports.
Júlia Fortes 3 weeks ago
Also nutmeg. Two or three tea spoons of it can lead to tachycardia, hallucinations, seizures and even coma. And the hallucinations can even make you k**l yourself
Lady Eowyn 4 weeks ago
Basically, then, being alive is dangerous. It has a 100% mortality rate.
David Paterson 1 month ago (edited)
This list missed the most underrated dangerous thing of all. Sport. All sports, not just extreme sports.
Júlia Fortes 3 weeks ago
Also nutmeg. Two or three tea spoons of it can lead to tachycardia, hallucinations, seizures and even coma. And the hallucinations can even make you k**l yourself
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