There are many dangerous things in the world and plenty of reasons why they are unsafe. Most of these things are either illegal or highly regulated, which protects us from a good deal of danger.
However, that is not always the case, as not all danger is obvious. When one Reddit user asked people online about the most dangerous yet totally legal things that they own, netizens filled the thread with answers. Scroll down to find out what they shared!
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My books. They are full of ideas! And as a society, we seem to becoming afraid of ideas.
Your car. A two ton hunk of metal capable of reaching speeds of over 100mph, that can disintegrat humans on contact. And they are everywhere, some being driven by utter morons who pay the bare minimum of attention while doing so.
I literally read the study guide while I was in line waiting to take the tests. I easily passed. Drivers Ed is a joke in Florida.
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Cars are not the problem. We need to raise the bar on getting and keeping a driver's license.
Cars ARE a problem. Deathrate going up on US cyclists and pedestrians, just because of the fashion for a large vertical grille on SUVs. Pointlessly large & deadly --- watch e.g. FortNine, tall canadian bloke fitting completely inside the empty space under the hood of one, while explaining the numbers (500 excess deaths a year) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpuX-5E7xoU
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I stand by the notion that all drivers need to re-test the practical every 10 years minimum rather than just the open book written. And that at 55, that drops down to 5 years.
Say that again when you hit 65 years old. I dares ya.
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Cue ten thousand whining carbrain addicts claiming "a 20kg bicycle and 80kg rider going 20kmh are MORE dangerous than a two ton car going 100kmh!!!" They will, it's an inevitability.
"minimum attention", it's called reflexes. If you drive for a long time, especially in a familiar area, you didn't need to pay that close attention to the controls, only other cars
I wonder if people who are part of or believe in the same ideology as PETA drive cars, because cars kill animals ALL THE TIME!
Zero tickets for 25+ years and being awarded a lifetime "Safe Driver" license in AZ helps insurance rates a lot. Driving is NO JOKE and I always am very, very careful ! Click photo to see why ! Heavily forested area here. I love to stop and watch the deer, like in the photo. They look -- then blow me off. That's why I don't go fast. Deer-65f10...63e870.jpg 
Want to talk about the great crumple zones on a Challenger, but it's irrelevant. Bus driver who tried to murder me with a whole-a*s bus definitely uhhh...is relevant though. Challenger crumple zones saved my human a*s, at the cost of the car a*s. eta: censoring "a*s" is fcking stupid. eta2: why...
The idea of having vehicles heading in opposite directions on the same road is crazy. It was inherited from roads for horses and carts. If we were inventing roads from scratch today, we would never do it.
nah, they pay less (and sometimes pay nothing if you catch my drift[see what i did there *wink wink*])
Also the mo*ons using their phones while driving. Darwin award can't come too soon for them.
There are highways in Nevada where the speed limit is 95 mph. It's generally not a good idea to go less than 10 mph under the limit. That means even the old fogies are going 85. Not even talking flat straight away either. Diving and weaving between canyon walls, it's invigorating.
Why is it a bad idea to go less than 10mph under the speed limit if the conditions are not safe? I'm a reasonably fast driver myself, but speed limits are limits, not targets (as I frequently have to remind myself when stuck behind tourists or OAPs going 15mph on little country roads that for some reason are 60mph limit).
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Our governments are trying to control us. Have none of you watched, Ray Bradbury's Theater? A perfect example, the show is about 2 guys who actually sneak out at night, just to go out for a walk. Guess what, they are apprehended for being out of their apartments because NOBODY is ALLOWED OUT of THEIR APARTMENTS!! Shades of things to come, folks! Ray was far ahead of his time...
Not in Europe or Africa or India. I don't have knowledge of other cities but in these places the cities were most definitely built before cars. Try driving in Mumbai or Madagascar. Or parking in Paris or London.
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1939 Sheldon 56" metal lathe. It was built before they invented safety. It will happily rip your arm clean off then slap you in the face repeatedly with your own arm.
Danger may be all around us, but sometimes, we just get very used to it, and it doesn’t seem that bad anymore. For example, many commenters agreed with someone who mentioned a car. It’s quite obvious when you stop and think about it, but how often do we do that? After all, in our daily lives, it is just a mode of transportation that gets us from one place to another.
Then, of course, there are some things that are just on the nose. Think about how rare it is to find a home that doesn’t have any sharp knives in it. Sure, they’re primarily used for cooking, but chances are that if you ever come eye to eye with an intruder, this will be the first tool you’ll think of grabbing.
I am a vet who helps people say goodbye to their pets at home. I work out of my own home, and at any time have enough [medical substances] on hand to kill a half dozen horses. Locked in a safe that's in a safe in a locked cabinet in a locked room.
1927 chainsaw. Not a single safety feature on that thing. It scares people just sitting there, not running.
Mandolin slicer. Everyone I know who has used one has had an accident using one.
I have cutting gloves. I love some low effort julienne veggies.
Stupid thing ate my finger tip. If you ever find a body with 9.2 finger prints:it could be me
So, with that in mind, it’s safe to say that all of us own something that could be called dangerous. Yet, not all of it is equally interesting. “I was thinking everyone in America owns a gun. But what other dangerous items are in the whole world?” said the OP, DreamMighty, sharing what inspired him to ask this question as Bored Panda chatted with him, looking to satisfy our curiosity by asking some additional questions about this thread.
It turned out that the author of this post is a fellow Panda who enjoys reading our content and, with an article about his post being made, was happy to share some additional thoughts.
I have enough pesticides in the truck in my driveway to kill the entire neighborhood.
Jumper Cables.
I'm well aware how to use them, but there are many ways they can be misused; some on purpose.
When we asked him about the most dangerous yet legal thing that he owns, the OP answered, “It’s probably a US Military MRE. Not the food but the FRH (Flameless Ration Heater). It can be used to start a fire and melt a lot of stuff, but it can also be used to create a concussive sound device. Which could rupture an attacker’s eardrums in a closed environment, such as a room or hallway.”
For his favorite contribution, the poster chose the one about the 1927 chainsaw with no safety features whatsoever. “Never knew the chainsaw was invented for childbirth,” said the OP, adding that he made the mistake of sharing this newly learned fact with his pregnant wife. “Hope she forgives me.”
The man revealed that he was very surprised to see his question gain as much popularity as it did, especially since it was posted on the most popular subreddit. “It made me feel great that so many dangerous everyday items exist... Wait, should I feel great about that? Uh oh. Lol,” jokingly summarized the man.
Bleach.
Just by adding 1 other legal thing I can make an explosive, or enact chemical warfare.
Staircase and bathtub.
The leading causes of household deaths are poisonings, and large life insurance policies.
In the end, we’re quite fragile creatures living in a dangerous world. However, whether this is a good or a bad thing depends only on our perspective. Where some find frights and horrors, others will find their curiosity kindled and feel excited.
Even the most harmless things, like books, can sometimes turn against you, and even the most threatening stuff, like the chainsaw with no safety features, can become a nice home decoration. The most important thing to remember is that whatever you do, you should try and put safety first.
What did you think about these things that the people listed? Is there anything you could add of your own? Let us know in the comments below!
The break quit working on my miter saw so I took the guard and everything off is now just a spinning 14” wheel of death.
Never try to cut a liquor bottle with one of these saws because the gin is miter than the board.
Descending order: Ladder, motorcycle, chain saw, tree stand, various firearms, whisky, cars, bacon, bathtub, couch.
My gas stove. If I left it on without the spark and filled the apartment and spark was lit then the whole apartment complex goes down.
My mind.
"What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is." Vice President Dan Quayle.
My Belgian Malinois.
They're not the breed you have to watch out for. They CAN be aggressive if poorly socialized/poorly trained, and obviously yes, they can be trained to do bitework/schutzhund. But they're herding/shepherd dogs at their core (similar to GSDs.) They're not the breed with the highest fatal bite/attack rate out there. I have a Malinois, and yes, he's 50 lbs of pure muscle. But with good socialization and training, I'd trust him around a child. There are other breeds that I wouldn't.
Free access to the internet, probably.
Isn't the Internet already free because what I pay AT&T for is the use and maintenance of their equipment?
I have multiple guns and multiple motorcycles. As I like to remind people, neither are inherently dangerous until someone does something stupid with them. Unfortunately, no shortage of stupidity, so I posit that it is stupidity which is the most dangerous thing.
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Nobody mentioned shoelaces. Or piano wires. Or apple seeds. Or a shovel. Or lose bricks plus a storm. Trampolines in a storm. Danes with chainsaws near trees next to roads that ppl actually drive on (it's a current thing in Denmark... ppl have died). A whole lot of plants in a regular garden are toxic. (But then again.... I'm watching way too many whodunnit-shows)
If this list taught me anything, it’s that a bunch of users on this site are all for book censorship which is slightly terrifying
I often wonder how many people take things on this website seriously.
A 3,437 lb/1500 kg vehicle that could theoretically go 100 mph/160 kmph. 42,939 people were killed in US car accidents in 2021 and almost all of those were accidental.
I could think of a lot better things. But we got the usual suspects.
It's legal to own a horse, too. They can be pretty dangerous. But I agree on the old lathe being number one.
Everything is dangerous when idiots are involved and we have an abundance of idiots on earth.
I have 2 propane cylinders around the back of the house for my gas hob (we don't have mains gas in my village (despite living only 16 miles away from a major gas terminal!). Apparently, that could be quite dangerous.
Blame it all on Ralph Nader - who promulgated the idea that "stuff must be safe." While it's probably a good idea not to make cars that are dangerouser than usual - the idea that "the world CAN be safe" - is a complete illusion. THE WORLD IS DANGEROUS. Always has been- always will be. You have to learn to - dodge. Or it will bite you.
My life was saved by a seat-belt and airbag (I was rear-ended by an 18 wheeler semi-truck on a highway when the driver fell asleep.) No, the world cannot be made completely safe. HOWEVER, just because the world cannot be made safe does not mean that it is pointless to make the world safer.
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I have multiple guns and multiple motorcycles. As I like to remind people, neither are inherently dangerous until someone does something stupid with them. Unfortunately, no shortage of stupidity, so I posit that it is stupidity which is the most dangerous thing.
Load More Replies... Nobody mentioned shoelaces. Or piano wires. Or apple seeds. Or a shovel. Or lose bricks plus a storm. Trampolines in a storm. Danes with chainsaws near trees next to roads that ppl actually drive on (it's a current thing in Denmark... ppl have died). A whole lot of plants in a regular garden are toxic. (But then again.... I'm watching way too many whodunnit-shows)
If this list taught me anything, it’s that a bunch of users on this site are all for book censorship which is slightly terrifying
I often wonder how many people take things on this website seriously.
A 3,437 lb/1500 kg vehicle that could theoretically go 100 mph/160 kmph. 42,939 people were killed in US car accidents in 2021 and almost all of those were accidental.
I could think of a lot better things. But we got the usual suspects.
It's legal to own a horse, too. They can be pretty dangerous. But I agree on the old lathe being number one.
Everything is dangerous when idiots are involved and we have an abundance of idiots on earth.
I have 2 propane cylinders around the back of the house for my gas hob (we don't have mains gas in my village (despite living only 16 miles away from a major gas terminal!). Apparently, that could be quite dangerous.
Blame it all on Ralph Nader - who promulgated the idea that "stuff must be safe." While it's probably a good idea not to make cars that are dangerouser than usual - the idea that "the world CAN be safe" - is a complete illusion. THE WORLD IS DANGEROUS. Always has been- always will be. You have to learn to - dodge. Or it will bite you.
My life was saved by a seat-belt and airbag (I was rear-ended by an 18 wheeler semi-truck on a highway when the driver fell asleep.) No, the world cannot be made completely safe. HOWEVER, just because the world cannot be made safe does not mean that it is pointless to make the world safer.
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