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“What Is A Little-Known Fact That Can Save You From A Life-Threatening Situation?” (30 Answers)
You never know when you will get into a dangerous situation. You may think that it's impossible given your lifestyle, but it’s always better to stay safe than sorry as life-threatening circumstances are even more perilous when you aren’t prepared for them.
Granted, you can't be prepared for everything, but Redditors have decided what is the most important to know after brandon061416 asked, “What is a little-known fact that can save you from a life-threatening situation?”
While we hope that you never ever need to use these tips, let us know which ones you found the most surprising and think should be common knowledge. Also, share any tips that you have that more people should know of.
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If the cops invite you to come down to "talk" say no. The minute they tell you they are taking you, shut up other than you want a lawyer. Even if you are 100% innocent. Period. There are no gray areas to this.
In an arrest they say “you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you.” And this is because it’s true they will use it against you so save yourself a favor and JUST SHUT UP
A hug can be a temporary cure for depression. Especially from someone that loves the depressed person. It's saved my life so many times.
Tell your daughters: if someone is coming at you in a threatening/kidnapping vibe, pull out your phone and say "Facebook Live" and theres a good chance they'll walk away... Since it's "Live/streaming". You don't have to actually fidget to get FB Live up and streaming, just say that you are. (please do if your capable). It saved my 38 year old cousin from getting kidnapped while out walking her dog. She learned it from a 14 year old girl (friends with her parents) who was also almost kidnapped.
If you think you hear someone outside your house at night, your instinct will be to turn all the lights on. You should in fact turn them all **off** for two reasons: First, with the lights off he can't see where you are or what you are doing. Second, you know your way around your house in the dark way better than he does, and if he gets in, this works to your advantage.
I have broken my big toe three times walking around my house at night, so this one may not work for me!
Awareness is a tool. Use it.
When you walk into a place you've never been, take note of everything around you.
When you meet someone new, pay attention to them.
When things are sketchy in any way, pay attention to them.
If you keep attention at all times, you'll rarely be surprised by anything.
This is actually the best advice. I’m pretty sure most people on here will have had a creepy feeling while talking to someone. Listen to that inner voice, it’s very often right.
Never let them take you to a second crime scene: If they're trying to abduct you, and you let them, the kidnapping becomes murder 99% of the time. Fight like hell no matter what.
And while doing that, also try to scratch then so you can get their dna under you fingernails
If the tornado looks like its not moving its headed right for you
Also, a tornado close to you sounds like a train going by (without the horn blaring). So if you hear this outside your home, GET SAFE NOW!!
If you think you may be having a heart attack, take an aspirin. Actual aspirin, like Bayer.
Edit: many people are pointing out to chew it so it’s faster acting. Sorry for leaving that part out.
This is VERY true. Try to have some available (keep in car, at your desk, etc.). You can get the chewable 51mg over the counter in the US. -- But, DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT take more than 160mg, this can cause other issues!
Believe that gut feeling that something is wrong.
Except for us overthinkers here we convince ourselves we have a gut feelings when we don’t or we don’t have ‘em when we do. How do u know you have a gut feeling?
Carbon monoxide can travel through walls.
Carbon monoxide (CO) from external sources can easily penetrate gypsum wallboard (drywall) commonly used in apartments and houses, potentially exposing people indoors to the toxic, odorless, tasteless gas within minutes, concludes a new study.
Know where the exits are.
Especially with the recent events, ALWAYS SCAN FOR EXITS IN ANY PUBLIC PLACE YOU ENTER
Unless you have training don't try to rescue someone drowning by swimming to them, use something to reach out for them to grab onto. They will grab onto you out of fear and not let go and you may drown with them.
Reach. Throw. Row. Go (or Don't Go depending on your abilities). You can't help them if you die trying. Anyone drowning instinctively grabs onto anything around them and will absolutely climb on top of you while trying to save themselves, drowning you in the process. It's instinctual, not intentional. Approach from behind if you absolutely must approach. And if they dunk you, swim down & away; they won't follow. You can always hang back and let them tire themselves out until they can't fight you.
If you have to sleep in a car, you can loop your seatbelt through your door handle loop and click it in for extra security.
Learned that from a truck driver
A lot of people find it appealing to have a weapon on them and that’s a personal choice I won’t go into lol. If you choose to, whether it’s a knife, or a gun, or pepper spray, KNOW HOW TO USE IT!!! You will be amazed how quickly your knife can be turned on you if you don’t know what you’re doing with it.
I also heard a piece of advice that is sad, but probably effective imo. If you’re getting robbed or attacked or whatever, don’t just scream or yell for help. Scream and yell “help my child!” Yes even if you don’t have a kid. That’s more likely to draw someone’s attention, especially if you’re a man calling for help. Hope this helps someone.
I told my daughter that if she's ever on her own (like if she's waiting at a rest area while traveling with her grandparents) and someone tries to get her in their vehicle, to scream THIS IS NOT MY PARENT.
NEVER put something in someone’s mouth if they’re having a seizure. Try to turn them on their side, and place something soft like a jacket or pillow under their head while they have a seizure. If it lasts five minutes or longer call an ambulance. Source: 20 years of epilepsy.
Addtionally, place them in the 'recovery position'. i.e on their side, face turned paralell to the ground and their upper arm in front of them to help hold that position. This helps keep their airway open. Persons who have seized, fainted, had a stroke etc. will also often loose their stomach contents and this position will help prevent choking.
People commonly say not to make eye contact with people in sketchy places. However, eye contact takes away the element of surprise, which is often an attacker’s first weapon/advantage.
I was taught look at their neck. That way you show that you are aware of them but you don't trigger them into interacting with you by looking right into their eyes.
If you're fighting a kangaroo, as you do, punch the kangaroo as hard as you possibly can, and don't run.
Running shows fear and then the kangaroo knows it can beat you.
The reason why you punch is because, in a kangaroos mind, any kick is way stronger than any punch. Let's say 10x stronger (I don't know exactly).
So if you punch them hard enough, they'll back down because they'll think you can kick them 10x harder than that.
If you didn't punch them hard enough, well, you're f****d.
This is interesting. Thankfully I won’t be fighting any kangaroos soon!
Don’t jog with loud music playing on your headphones/earbuds. Many people pass away from not being able to hear cars etc
A couple different things for different situations.
If you’re stabbed and the knife is still in, don’t take it out. It’s plugging a wound and stopping you from leaking.
If you’re stuck outside in the cold, especially if you’re lost, stay in place and try to stay out of the wind. Stationary people are easier to find. Also, no matter how warm you suddenly feel, keep your clothes on. Your body flash-processes glucose in a last ditch effort to keep warm right before you freeze to death, and it can make you feel unbearably hot if you’ve been freezing for the last couple hours.
Above all else, if you can’t remember anything else, “calm people live. Panicked people pass away.”
5 years Search and Rescue, if you move, make a trail. Break branches, make small piles of rocks, scratch your direction of travel into the ground. Also, carry one of those foil emergency blankets everywhere. They have so many uses, cost a few dollars, and take up little space. But can save your life.
In the case of an abduction, your best bet is to scatter some of your belongings, like an ID, on the ground. The possibility of tracking you down becomes that much greater that way.
I was told once that if someone grabbed me to vomit or urinate on them, if you can. Guarantee they drop you.
If you live and play in a big city or a place with a higher risk of crime, keeping “burners” handy in case you are a victim of armed robbery is very helpful.
That old phone you’re trading in? Hold onto it. Wipe it and carry it with you when you’re out. Also keep a burner wallet. Put 80-100 in it, with either a cancelled state Id (ideally with an old address, or even get a fake) or some older expired stuff and an inactivated credit card.
Keep your real s**t in a hidden pocket, boot, etc. if you do get robbed, calmly hand over the burner phone and wallet. The criminal will look inside, see some cash and a card, and then move on.
In almost all situations, losing some cash and a 4 year old iPhone is much better than losing your real s**t, having to go to the dmv, being without a cell phone to call for help, and having your credit cards used fraudulently.
Drink when you're thirsty. Too many travellers pass away of thirst while literally carrying water. Rationing water may be appealing, but it's always important to drink regularly.
This is something that happened to me a few years ago.
After a week of heavy drinking me and some friends were in the back of a car heading home. We were sleeping off our hangovers when I reached over groggily and gulped down a few gulps of my water. It took me a couple of seconds to realise the water was blue.
In fact it was actually antifreeze in a water bottle that he had kept in the back. Antifreeze is tasteless and so is actually easy to drink. I immediately panicked and let everyone know I’d just drank poison, we pulled over and I tried to make myself sick repeatedly but I couldn’t due to my adrenaline even with fingers down my throat.
I recalled in my college biology class that antifreeze itself isn’t poisonous, it’s what it breaks down into, if you can drink something that stops that from happening then you’re okay. I distinctly remember my teacher telling me that alcohol gets a priority pass when ingested after antifreeze and you should immediately drink it if this crazy situation should occur.
I ran to the boot and started chugging straight alcohol that was left over from the weekend, I think I drank a half bottle of whiskey which was probably too much. At the hospital they actually gave me a tiny bottle of Smirnoff I think.
I was quite hammered the rest of the way back singing songs in the car while my mates all had bad headaches, my hangover was delayed for a day and probably a lot worse but at least I didn’t die.
A little more, yeah the bottle was just a plain old water bottle, the car was old and leaked coolant and my friend worked with cars. I still to this day realise how stupid it was having it lying in the back seat, but drinking it is no doubt much stupider.
I sometimes feel like it was some kind of fate that I was taught that fact in school only maybe a year previously, also the driver was in the same class as me and so he immediately recognised what I was doing which was funny. The other guys must have thought I’d accepted my fate and wanted to go out on a high.
It is incredibly stupid to have an unmarked bottle of antifreeze anywhere, but especially in a car.
In the **extremely** unlikely event you are attacked by a swarm of bees, most adults can typically just outrun them, especially if you run into the wind. Do not stop running, some bees will chase you for up to a quarter mile. Do not try to hide under water, they will wait for you to come up for air.
But what about those of us who are like… the slowest runners in the world and EXTREMELY clumsy lol
Take a Basic Life Support class. 3 hours and around $60 will teach you CPR, how to use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), and the proper way to perform the Heimlich Maneuver. They teach adult, pediatric, and infant BLS in one course.
I've had my BLS card for 4 years, and I've had to use my knowledge 6 times. Worth it!! ❤
What about animal life support? Also, it’s hilarious how they used an alien blowup to practice on!
Do NOT add water to a grease fire. (Not little known but it makes sense to repeat it giving how bad consequences can be for those who don't follow this advice).
Basically… water on gas fire.. go BOOM. Basically it can cause explosions and the flame to grow larger.
If you think you're being followed while walking outside, pretend to get a call and respond 'normally' and say something along the line that you'll meet soon. In the same scenario if you approximately know the person is slightly further behind and you round a corner.. run like an idiot to a more crowded or safer place. Go into a shop, bus, a group of people..hell even ring someones doorbell if you have to and ask to call the police.
Absolute worst case scenario if it's in the middle of the night and nobody is out..and someone is following you..smash/kick someone's car so it sounds a loud alarm..it could scare the stalker off.
Have the local police non-emergency line in your contacts; if you tell them you're calling them because you think you're being followed, they should be willing to stay on the line with you to make sure you're safe and give you advice on what to do.
If you are being attacked by almost any predator the first thing you should go for is the eyes. Predators are smart animals and only hunt what won't maim them. If you go for the eyes of a predator it will mostly likely back off and reevaluate trying to eat you.
Only time a predictor will risk a vital organ to hunt ( aka eyes ) is when it is starving. Else it will back off knowing that if you do take out its eyes it will not be able to hunt anymore therefore starve.
Never use cruise control in a rain storm.
This is true, because most cars cruise control do not account for tires slipping on wet ground, nor if it is muddy or loose dirt.
Pack lots of clothes in your car during winter and keep your car well maintained.
The longer a hostage situation is the greater your chance of survival.
If someone approaches you trying to kidnap you be as disgusting/mentally disturbed as possible. Throw up, Urinate, If your a girl on your period you can use that, pull your hair out, scream, mutter horrifying things under your breathe. Disgust them enough and they will leave you alone.
I dont know if it's true everywhere, but where I've been in the western states it's a general rule.
When lost in the woods and you find a logging road, the intersections at a t are generally not 90. The least sharp turns almost always point back to the highways. Full logging trucks don't turn as easily so the less sharp turns are usually on the way out.
__ \ ___ --> highway this way.
Writing in my notes: In case ever lost in the western US pull up Bored Panda to read confusing advice about following the curves
Never put your hands in your pockets when going up or down the stairs, if you trip while your hands are in your pockets they may as well be useless
If a high voltage power line falls near you, stepping away from it may kill you, as they may carry more than 100,000 volts. One large step may put your front foot at a place where the voltage is much lower. If the difference is high enough the insulation from your shoes may be too low to prevent the voltage from passing through (and killing) you. Prevent this by shuffling away using tiny steps. This minimizes the voltage difference between your feet.
Also, never get in water in an area that there could possibly be downed power lines!
If you're underwater after an accident, you'll probably be disoriented and not know which way the surface is. Follow the direction of bubbles.
Related - if you're underwater in a car, don't try to force the door open against the incoming flow of water, you'll exhaust yourself. Let the car fill
Another article on here stated that it is worth trying to get the door open once or twice before the car is submerged as the pressure may not be big enough yet and one might succeed in opening the door, as waiting until the car is full might result in people drowing, for example in the back or the passenger seat
If you haven't been in a fight since 6th grade you're probably not going to win a fight with an adult stranger.
I’m never, ever going to provoke a fight with anyone. However, if I’m fighting for my survival, it’s completely “no holds barred”. I will kick, scream, bite, elbow, knee, headbutt, stamp, spit, punch, p**s and poop. You better believe it! Dignity is nothing compared to survival and I’m fighting with everything I’ve got.
If you see a huge explosion in the distance you've got 1-2 seconds before you will be hit by the shock wave. You can protect yourself from the shock wave by turning away from the explosion, exhaling, and keeping your mouth open to help equalize the pressure.
If it’s nuclear you would probably just wanna go quick because the more time after, the worse your death will be.
If you get caught in a rip current, swimming against it will tire you out. Swim parallel to the beach until it weakens enough for you to escape and swim to shore
Always swim between the flags in the areas with lifeguards.
If someone's pointing a gun at you, it's probably risky to pull out a gun and point it at them.
I'd like for once to see a Hollywood movie where someone tries this and the other guy pulls the trigger immediately.
When under a missile attack go to a wall with no side the is directly outside, on the lowest floor you can (basement if have under a table (stay neer the tables leg) if there is an alert for any sort of chemical attack lock the doors and put wet clothes on the bottom and top of the door and on your face. I live in Israel.
Even if all your tires are flat/slashed you can still drive on them. It'll mess up your rims something fierce but you'll be able to get away from whatever is causing you drive on your rims.
Edit: Holy c**p this blew up over night. Few things I'll add to this for clarification. As well as different things for different scenarios. Before I start I recommend you check your insurance. Most dealership insurance, or big insurance groups, have you pay for roadside assistance automatically, which means towing/lockout/gas/flat changing/jump start.
1. I meant this as yes, "a life threatening situation" but more of a Jason/Swamp-Thing/Hillbilly chasing you trying to murder you. Like in horror movies when they run to the car, see all the ties slashed, then immediately give up on that option. Don't give up, like I said you can still drive on it, get away from that situation.
2. If you plan on traveling a long distance get your car inspected. Most local shops, or even major ones, usual have a promotion going on for free checks first time. What they do is read the codes from your vehicle, check fluid levels, and then check the tread; something you can do with youtube and an autozone. Some of those are things that can be handled later but most issues you'll want to deal with based on what might cause the most issues.
3. Check if there is a spare. Most cars that have a spare have a pretty unsafe jack as well. It can lift up your car so you can change that tire but it takes forever.
3A. By unsafe jack I mean that while it can lift your car the moment your car rocks, from like a friend leaning on it or a kid jumping around, the rocking will cause it to slip and the car to fall. DO NOT GET UNDER THE CAR WITH THE JACK THEY USE FOR THE SPARE.
3B. Yes it can be exceedingly dangerous to change a flat based on whats going on around you, or where you are. If you are on a highway, interstate, or a place with a ton of blindspots get away from all that as fast as you can. You might have to drive on the rim a bit but let the mechanic worry about that. If you are on a dark road at night time get as far from the road as you can. If you are near a turn get inside the turn as most cars drift towards the outside when they turn at high speeds. Try to make yourself as visible as possible, reflective vest, people holding flashlights behind you, road flares.
3C. Fastest way I've found to change a tire.
First, once you get to a location your confident in enough to get out in check traffic: see how many cars pass and how close they pass, that'll let you know it's relative safety.
Second, put the E-Brake on and get the lug wrench and loosed the bolts before you lift the car. The reason is that, based on the tire location and your drive type, the tire may spin as you try to loosen the lug nut. By leaving it on the ground it acts like holding a jar, making it easier to loosen the nut. Same thing with the E-Brake, it'll stop the tire from spinning so you can loosen it.
Third, once they are loose jack up the car, a lot. I know you can get the flat off once the rim is like 4 inches off the ground but you have to keep in mind the spare will be taller. Keep jacking it up until you the jack is nearly extend all the way. Most of the time the jack is sized for the spare so it'll look weird and make you a bit uncomfortable with how skinny it looks, that's fine. After this spin out the lug and replace the tire with the spare.
Fourth, hand tighten all the lug nuts, using your other hand to push back the tire so as much off the bolt is exposed as possible. The lug wrench is long and it'll most likely mean you can only do 1/4 turns or 1/2 with it which will take forever to bolt back on the tires. This way you only use the lug wrench to tighten the screws, rather then put them on.
4. Driving on the rim will mess up your rims. Thats unavoidable, I'll leave it up to you to determine what the situation calls for. Honestly I recommend you check your tires every other week or so, use a penny to determine if the tire tread needs to be replaced. If the tread is smooth get it replaced immediately. I know money can be tight so a used tire shop is fine, they'll have more tread than the tire you got so that's good.
5. There is different goops/run flat bottles that are good for punctures. You spray it in the tire then inflate it.
5A. Because it's good for punctures you must inflate it to a good size at a gas station after you use the goop.
5B. The goop is normally only good for 100ish miles, it is literally meant as a stop gap till you can get it to a mechanic. Just because the title or picture's might infer that it's fixed, it is not: you need to get the hole patched or the tire replaced.
Thanks for all the additional info, specifically on tire changing. I recommend everyone try changing a tire so they know how to in an emergency.
No matter how much you trained your awesome karate moves, or even the much more realistic Krav Maga or mma, you have no actual chance to effectively block a knife attack with your bare hands.
If you can't run, block with the outside of your arms, away from major arteries, and be prepared to get cut up badly!
After reading this, maybe isolation for COVID wasn't so bad afterall. I'm scared to leave the house now!
If you are ever in a building and the fire alarm goes off. Always evacuate Immediately. People die because they think it is a practice, fake, or they are just trying to send that last email. No. Nothing at work is worth that risk.
I moved in to a new apartment recently. The fire alarm went off for the first time. Weirdly it was accompanied by an automated message over the loudspeaker saying “The fire alarm has been activated. Await further instructions.” I was very confused by this - no one evacuated. I’ve never been somewhere where the alarm goes off and you DON’T just get out.
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If you're ever in an avalanche (c'mon, it's happened to us all...) and trapped under snow, spit to know what direction you should head in as the experience tends to be disorienting.
There's no earthquake tips in these :( Could you pandas fix this? I think I've heard about trying to get under a doorway or something, but my memory is being spotty
Get down (on your hands and knees is best, but at least bend over if you can't crawl), get under a sturdy table or desk if available, use one hand to hold onto whatever you're under and the other to protect as much of your neck and head as you can, be prepared to move with what you're under if things start sliding around. If no table/desk is available, get as close to an interior wall as possible and use both arms to cover your neck and head. At the very least, get as far away from windows and things that could fall on and crush you (bookshelves, china hutches, dressers, etc.). If you're inside when the quake starts, DO NOT go outside until the initial quake is over. Doorways are not your friend. Be prepared, though, for aftershocks and be prepared to get back under something if they hit. If you're already outside, get as far away from buildings or any other structures as you can. If you're in your car, put it in park and put on the parking brake. Source: lived in Japan
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Know your bears while in the woods. Grizzley bears have straight claws and can't climb tree, brown and black bears have curved claws and climb trees readily.
As useful as these tips are, and it might actually save someone's life, the possibility of these scenarios, like getting kidnapped – gets highly exaggerated in one's mind. The vast majority of homicide and violent crimes happen within families and people who know each other. You are far more likely to be assaulted by someone you know than a random stranger. And then what do you do? What are the safety tips on living with someone abusive, or when a friend is overdosing on alcohol? If you are overdosing? What should you do when you're in a road accident or think you're having a heart attack? What do you do if you suspect your workplace doesn't follow safety guidelines? These are much more common ways to go, but I rarely read clever safety advice on them, and most people don't know. So people will be prepared for a kidnapping but end up not knowing what to do in a more common scenario, that statistically is far more likely to kill them.
I can't belive how many people say things like „don't wear headphones outdoor” or „always be aware of your surroundings”. I spend at least 2 hours per day walking places, usually much more. I'm not going to look behind my shoulder all the time, in case there's a wacko following me or a crazy driver. I pay close attention when I cross a street, or in a sketchy area, but I'm not going to spend hours every day expecting to be attacked or in an accident. That's no way to live!
After reading this, maybe isolation for COVID wasn't so bad afterall. I'm scared to leave the house now!
If you are ever in a building and the fire alarm goes off. Always evacuate Immediately. People die because they think it is a practice, fake, or they are just trying to send that last email. No. Nothing at work is worth that risk.
I moved in to a new apartment recently. The fire alarm went off for the first time. Weirdly it was accompanied by an automated message over the loudspeaker saying “The fire alarm has been activated. Await further instructions.” I was very confused by this - no one evacuated. I’ve never been somewhere where the alarm goes off and you DON’T just get out.
Load More Replies... If you're ever in an avalanche (c'mon, it's happened to us all...) and trapped under snow, spit to know what direction you should head in as the experience tends to be disorienting.
There's no earthquake tips in these :( Could you pandas fix this? I think I've heard about trying to get under a doorway or something, but my memory is being spotty
Get down (on your hands and knees is best, but at least bend over if you can't crawl), get under a sturdy table or desk if available, use one hand to hold onto whatever you're under and the other to protect as much of your neck and head as you can, be prepared to move with what you're under if things start sliding around. If no table/desk is available, get as close to an interior wall as possible and use both arms to cover your neck and head. At the very least, get as far away from windows and things that could fall on and crush you (bookshelves, china hutches, dressers, etc.). If you're inside when the quake starts, DO NOT go outside until the initial quake is over. Doorways are not your friend. Be prepared, though, for aftershocks and be prepared to get back under something if they hit. If you're already outside, get as far away from buildings or any other structures as you can. If you're in your car, put it in park and put on the parking brake. Source: lived in Japan
Load More Replies... Know your bears while in the woods. Grizzley bears have straight claws and can't climb tree, brown and black bears have curved claws and climb trees readily.
As useful as these tips are, and it might actually save someone's life, the possibility of these scenarios, like getting kidnapped – gets highly exaggerated in one's mind. The vast majority of homicide and violent crimes happen within families and people who know each other. You are far more likely to be assaulted by someone you know than a random stranger. And then what do you do? What are the safety tips on living with someone abusive, or when a friend is overdosing on alcohol? If you are overdosing? What should you do when you're in a road accident or think you're having a heart attack? What do you do if you suspect your workplace doesn't follow safety guidelines? These are much more common ways to go, but I rarely read clever safety advice on them, and most people don't know. So people will be prepared for a kidnapping but end up not knowing what to do in a more common scenario, that statistically is far more likely to kill them.
I can't belive how many people say things like „don't wear headphones outdoor” or „always be aware of your surroundings”. I spend at least 2 hours per day walking places, usually much more. I'm not going to look behind my shoulder all the time, in case there's a wacko following me or a crazy driver. I pay close attention when I cross a street, or in a sketchy area, but I'm not going to spend hours every day expecting to be attacked or in an accident. That's no way to live!
