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Some Things Only Exist Because People Are Dumb, Here Are 40 Of The Most Accurate Examples
Interview With Expert
No matter how weird it might sound, fear can actually be a positive thing. It helps guide our understanding of the world. It informs us about potentially dangerous situations and protects us from pain and long-lasting harm. However, some people’s metaphorical danger and common sense radars aren’t working like they should. Their survival instincts seem to be malfunctioning and lead to, frankly, reckless behavior.
In a thoroughly entertaining thread, the r/AskReddit community shared the things that exist only “because of people’s stupidity.” Do you know those warnings that you shouldn’t iron your clothes while still wearing them? That’s exactly the kinds of things they mean. We’ve collected some of the most bonkers examples to share with you. Scroll down, check them out, and upvote the most ludicrous ones.
Bored Panda wanted to figure out why some people seem to lack common sense and behave in risky ways, so we reached out to Glenn Geher, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz and a published author. He shed some light on our questions. You’ll find Dr. Geher’s insights as you read on.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Kardashians' Fame
Blyss Blyssylb 2 years ago
Karda-who? And they're famous why? Oh. Famous nobodies who are famous for no reason...
T'Mar of Vulcan 2 years ago
I always think of them as the reality family who are named after a Star Trek race. Gorns? Klingons? Ugly Bags of Mostly Water?
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TiNaBoNiNa 2 years ago
100+ years ago, they would have been known as socialites (women), or playboys (men). Their every move was followed by the press and people would read about the sordid lives of the upper crust. Fashion magazines would display the latest fashions from Europe that so-and-so wore to a Charity Ball. Now we have TV and the internet to feed the masses their every move in real time. Nothing has changed except how it is delivered.
Phillip Shepard 2 years ago
They are interested because they are uneducated and stupid. The Average American watches "reality TV", "professional wrestling", eats fast food, spends hours playing video games, attends a Mega Church, doesn't read books or newspapers, votes for congressmen who are liars, gets information from popular internet search engines and "influencers". P T Barnum was right : "there's one born every minute".
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BabaBizzle 2 years ago
It’s shocking people buy into this talentless family. They have nothing of substance to offer: now they’re ruining the kids because they’re so desperate to stay in the spotlight. Wastes of space.
JelliTate 2 years ago
I don't watch the shows... but..... their mom is a star maker and no matter the court of public opinion, their success can not be denied. Kris K should teach a college course on how to get ahead in their business... shoot, ANY business.
madbakes 2 years ago
Yes! They have may started with Kim's sex tape, but have gone to have successful businesses. Skims and Good American do make great products. Kylie Cosmetics is successful, but really ColourPop is far cheaper and essentially the same product. Kris made all that possible.
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Couragetcd 2 years ago
I only know about "celebrity" stuff that is shoved in my face. As far as I know, Paris Hilton was the first famous for being famous for no reason celeb. So I blame her for the Kardashians.
Six sighs per hour 2 years ago
One of them married the guy from the Wheaties box and made him want to be a woman, or something? Yeah, that's what made them famous?
Jellybean the Jellyfish(they/them) 2 years ago
Who are they? Sorry, I don't keep up with these kinds of things.
“Much of the research in psychology speaks to individual differences in psychological traits. Some people have fantastic long-term memory but cannot find their keys to save their lives—whereas others are just the opposite,” Dr. Geher, from the State University of New York at New Paltz, told Bored Panda via email.
“Some things that seem like ‘common sense’ to one person might seem like trigonometry to the next. This diversity in people’s psychological traits is, to my mind, a beautiful thing. But it also helps to explain why some people just don’t understand certain things that seem obvious to others,” the psychology professor explained to us.
Dr. Geher pointed out to us that people’s survival instincts in the past were related to things that are very different from what we can find in the modern world.
RELATED:
#2
The anti-vax movement
Realistic Optimist 2 years ago
It shouldnt matter if soneone thinks vaccinations are dangerous. Its a public health concern. Them not being vaccinated could literally start another pandemic. What they 'believe' really shouldn't matter.
Star Anäis 2 years ago
Not getting vaccinated because "population control, microchip" utterly ridiculous.
VonBlade 2 years ago
"I believe we're being tracked by microchips in the vaccine, let me quickly post to all my social media about it". /s
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BTDubs 2 years ago
I'm pro vaccine because of the incredible benefit to global health. At the same time, there are people who are allergic, or have a family history of vaccine scarring. My relative isn't allowed to have a covid or flu shot, because they will develop the sever side effect Guillain-Barré syndrome and have paralysis (confirmed by doctors). My sibling was severely damaged by an MMR vaccine when they were a baby and it caused a high fever which led to tooth decay (confirmed by doctors). These are very rare cases. I dislike that people who have a medical reason to refuse vaccines are lumped into the same group as people who think vaccines have microchips in them. Be fair.
BrownTabby 2 years ago
Please tell me you don’t really think that’s what people are referring to when they say “anti vax movement”.
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Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 2 years ago
When I was a baby, one of the vaccinations I got was for the measles. When I was two, I got the measles so badly they caused (temporary) neurological damage. I was paralyzed for several months. I can't imagine I'd have lived if I hadn't had the vaccine.
Juris Macto 2 years ago
You know who doesn't care about what you believe? Biology. Biology WILL kill you. Your opinion is irrelevant.
Cyber Returns 2 years ago
I think anti-vaxxers are useful. For every illness that comes out, we need a control group
Nicole Weymann 2 years ago
I appreciate the sarcasm (or cynicism), but sadly it's not only the anti-vaxxers who pay.
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Ryyde Cade 2 years ago
Among all the conspiracy theories even if all of them are true, I. Eleived that even if there was a trillion in one chance that I could kill someone by not getting vaccinated and not following the safety rules, that trillion in one chance of me killing someone was to great a burden not to vaccinate
WindySwede 2 years ago
also people die of natural causes even when vaccinated. With all the doses that was/is distributed, people will die.
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#3
All those drug commercials that tell you not to take said drug if you’re allergic to it.
Realistic Optimist 2 years ago
This is largely a US thing. A lot of other countries don't allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise products directly to the consumer, which makes sense. The doctor should be the one who tells us we need medication, not television.
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Upstaged75 2 years ago
I just saw a commercial for a drug that helps with hot flashes for women going through menopause. One of the side effects of the drugs is...hot flashes. Say what??
Jeff (He/They) 2 years ago
I saw one for migraines and one of the side effects were headaches-
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Lyrica Melody 2 years ago
I always assumed it was deliberately included to make the rest of the warnings sound less serious. Like, somebody might not understand exactly what "ventricular tachycardia" is, but if it's mentioned right after something so ridiculous as "do not take this drug if you are allergic to it", can it really be that bad? (Yes. The answer is yes)
Robert T 2 years ago
If it didn't kill you last time you took it, you're not allergic. If it did, you probably shouldn't be worrying about it and should go and haunt somebody.
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Blyss Blyssylb 2 years ago
Besides, who wants to take a drug that fixes 1 thing yet creates 30 or 40 new things that you'll need to take 30 - 40 new drugs to fix the new things too?!
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
It really depends on what that drug do and what the side effects are. Things like chemo therapy has some really nasty side effects, which the doctors often have to prescribe a whole cocktail of other drugs to deal with. But it is still the wise thing to do and what many patients choose to go with, as the alternative is even worse. Sometimes all your are left with is a choice between two evils, and the only thing you can do is choosing the lesser one.
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realenancy170 2 years ago
When I see this I always think of someone dying of anaphylaxis and a drug rep standing over them saying "well we did warn you!"
Gabby M 2 years ago
Egggggzackery Its totally CYA warning to avoid lawsuits!!
Load More Replies... Nae Nae BB 2 years ago
I'm always confused by this...like "yeah, I've got anaphylaxis to that medication, but I'm going to take it anyway just to see how bad the reaction can be...."
Skulls.N.Succulents 2 years ago
Asthma meds may cause shortness of breath, vertigo meds may cause dizziness, anti-diarrheal may cause diarrhea... I'm risking wasting my money and making it worse!!
“Furthermore, when it comes to things like reading directions or eating food with the wrapping on, we are partly talking about processes that only exist in the modern world and that did not exist during the lion’s share of human evolutionary history—so there is a mismatch there,” he said.
“I would posit that when it comes to ‘common sense’ for things that matched our ancestral conditions (e.g., staying away from venomous snakes), people, on average tend to do a bit better than when dealing with stimuli from the modern world. In a sense, what helps us to survive now (e.g., strapping in when driving) is very different from what would have helped our ancestors survive under ancestral conditions (e.g., avoiding snakes and cliff edges),” the professor told Bored Panda.
#4
The labels on superman costumes that say 'Wearing this does not enable you to fly'
Ruben Schelstraete 2 years ago
I was actually wondering how he tucked it away. Looks strange. I’let myself out 😄
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Zedrapazia 2 years ago
Reminds me of the ladder whose top step says you can't continue climbing from this point on
Phillip Shepard 2 years ago
Jars of Peanut Butter that say they contain peanuts. Labels on microwave ovens that say food cooked in them may be hot.
Dawnieangel76 2 years ago
Take 'em off. It's called "natural selection" and should be encouraged not prevented.
#5
Influencers
Blyss Blyssylb 2 years ago
You mean the ones that take selfies with Large Wild Animals? Can't really hate those ppl since they're removing themselves from our gene pool
T'Mar of Vulcan 2 years ago
Tourists have been eaten by lions in the Kruger National Park a few times that I can recall. Darwin award winners.
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MakeupMama68 2 years ago
At least a lot of the YouTubers make decent channels. It’s the ones that do nothing that have millions of followers that get to me.
Jared Robinson 2 years ago
just depends on the content you go looking for. Don't look up dumb s**t.
MacintoshID 2 years ago
Influencers - resume code for "never had a real job, but I look good on video."
Michael Wilmer 2 years ago
Do, question.... you see an influencer being mauled by a bear/bison/wolf, do you a) help them, or b) film them and post to social media? Me. My camera is ready! Maybe I'll get on AFV! LOL!
Steve Hall 2 years ago
The problem is not influencers, the problem is those who are influenced.
#6
The tag on the iron that says "Do not iron clothes while wearing them."
WindySwede 2 years ago
How many of this exists because of people did self harm, just because they would sue the company for money?
ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago
Not as many as you would think. Common sense has been a rare commodity for quite a while now
Load More Replies... Hellcaste's Wife 2 years ago
I once knew a lieutenant in the Coast Guard who tested to see if an iron was on BY HOLDING IT UP TO HIS FACE! Yeah. Came in with the little dots from the steam spots on his cheeks and everything.
Six sighs per hour 2 years ago
Or fry bacon. Don't fry bacon with the clothes iron?
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Pheebs 2 years ago
There’s at least one state in the US that still has a law on the books that you can’t use a hairdryer while showering. Think about that one… While ironing your clothes while wearing them is not bright, at least it is rooted in an idea you’re saving time. I can’t imagine trying to dry your hair while in a water source would speed anything up. Many laws/rules/strongly worded suggestions exist for the masses who don’t apply sense to their day.
Susan Bosse 2 years ago
Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz was out on the DL and missed a start because he burned himself trying to iron part of his jersey before a game. Like really??
Mario Strada 2 years ago
Baseball player are famously underrepresented at MENSA meetings.
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Jude Corrigan 2 years ago
I know a taxi driver who ironed his shirt while it was on. Yes he had an iron shaped burn on his ribs!
MacintoshID 2 years ago
I am surprised they don't have a warning to not try and iron out your own skin wrinkles. I can see someone showing up in an ER with 2nd/3rd degree burn on their face, neck and other areas they can reach.
We were also interested to find out how someone might go about cultivating a greater sense of awareness with regard to improving their survival instincts if they’re lacking. Dr. Geher was kind enough to walk us through this.
“On one hand, generally, the human brain can actually be pretty malleable—so some of these things may be learnable. On the other hand, some things are just very difficult for some people to learn,” the psychology expert noted that even if someone might want to master ballroom dancing, that might be next to impossible no matter how hard they try.
“I’d say that people can step back, be cognizant, and learn some basic ways to improve interfacing with—and surviving in—the modern world. But only to an extent,” Dr. Geher said.
“At the end of the day, the story of human psychology is a true mixture of fixed attributes and malleable attributes—we all have both.”
#7
In the user manual for RVs it specifies that the driver must remain in the drivers seat at all times when the RV is in motion because someone thought that cruise control was auto pilot and went to take a shower while on the freeway and crashed.
If I remember right, part of their argument against the company was that the manual did not say he had to remain in the drivers seat when cruise control was being used...
Realistic Optimist 2 years ago
I have to (want to) imagine they were high to think this. Like, that's just next level dumb. They thought the RV would navigate traffic with no indication other than "cruise control". It just seems crazy.
Nichole Harris 2 years ago
Nah.... I've been high.... No amount of weed explains this....
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Jeremy James 2 years ago
Does anyone else have a recurring dream where you're in the back seat of a car going downhill and you realize that there's no one driving and no one else in the car? So you struggle to climb to the front and get into the driver's seat so you can take over the vehicle before you crash?
Matthew Currie 2 years ago
No, but I had a similar recurring dream for many years in which I'm in my old Scout (notorious for its fading brakes), going downhill in reverse, as I frantically push harder and harder on the pedal to no effect. I had that dream for years, long after I'd first fixed the brakes and later sold the vehicle.
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Geoffrey Scott 2 years ago
This has been around since at least late 70's, that's when I first heard it.
Matthew Currie 2 years ago
The Snopes article doesn't mention it, but I first saw this in about 1970, in, of all things, a Popular Science "Shop Talk" column. That may be the first published instance, but I am assuming it was fictitious even then.
Load More Replies... My O My 2 years ago
Just imagine being a first responder and searching for the body of the driver. As you can't find it in the drivers seat you go searching alongside the road expecting he got thrown through the window when the RV smashed. Just when you are giving up hope of finding him alive a guy with a broom yells from somewhere behind: "hey guys look! Here's a naked guy all crumpeld up in the shower!"
Teutonic Disaster 2 years ago (edited)
Because the friggin LAW telling you that an adult with a drivers license has to be in the driver's seat at all times - plus gosh darn common effin sense ain't enough? It really had to be spelled out for that fool?! Btw, this story is old as dirt, so to reiterate for all the younglings on here: modern style autopilot like you get in a Tesla etc was nothing but a fever dream and even with the best of those systems, the driver can't just sleep through the journey, but has to remain awake & alert/in control.
#8
Darwin Awards?
The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheek honor that originated in Usenet newsgroup discussions around 1985. They recognize individuals who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool by dying or becoming sterilized via their own actions.
ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago
This is the epitome of something that exists because of stupid people. Should be at the top
Ronnie Beaton 2 years ago
Or as someone once put it "Disqualifying themselves from the Human Race through the means of their own stupidity."
Phillip Shepard 2 years ago
I always nominate people for a "Darwin" when I read the stories about what really dumb self-destructive things people do. Like the guy that (while drunk) decided to bungee jump off the Tacoma Narrows Bridge using a steel cable instead of bungee cord. Or the one who looked down the barrel of his gun and pulled the trigger trying to find out why it misfired. Drs. Masters and Johnson claimed a couple came to them about infertility and on exam it appeared the woman had never had intercourse. They thought you could get pregnant by "sleeping together".
Kyllein MacKellerann 2 years ago
Ahh yes. "Darwin's Drift Nets" are still screening out the detritus of the human species, giving the rest of us a better shot at survival and reproduction.
#9
Racism.
Justin 2 years ago
In my experience racism and homophobia seems to be less about a lack of knowledge than a lack of exposure and interaction. Sexism is pure stupid tho.
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Sky Render 2 years ago
Pretty much all anti-not-me mentality is pure stupidity. Oddly enough, people are not inherently evil because they're different!
Kyllein MacKellerann 2 years ago
Racism: the fear that someone wearing a different colored bag of skin might be better than you are. Under that skin bag, we're all the same color...as well as drippy and sticky.
Michael Braisher 2 years ago
Just don't bring kids into it and you're sailing.
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keyboardtek 2 years ago
Most hatred and racism comes from being conditioned as a youth to believe that nonsense, then it gets locked into the person's emotions.
Common sense isn’t as common as you might think. It seems absolutely obvious to (hopefully) all of you reading this that you should remove the plastic wrapper before eating something. Or that you shouldn’t use electric appliances in a bath.
However, not everyone is aware of simple things like this. Some individuals might have had very stressful or extremely sheltered upbringings, so they haven’t learned about the risks of doing certain things.
If they had a troubled childhood, they might not have had authority figures in their life teaching them these all-important lessons. Meanwhile, if they were being mollycoddled all the time, they might not have any hands-on experience doing basic chores like ironing, mowing the lawn, cooking, and cleaning. What’s common sense to you and yours truly (hi!) might be rocket science to someone else.
#10
Flat earth theory.
Bored&InSchool 2 years ago
flat earthers aren't actually that bad though because they are a group that is acceptable to make fun of.
Dawnieangel76 2 years ago
Also, unlike most conspiracy theorists, they're not outright harming anyone or anything else.
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ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago
Have y'all seen the video where they keep trying to prove the earth is flat and keep proving that it's round?
Couragetcd 2 years ago
There are dozens of those. My husband went on a kick of watching the flat earth debunkers making fun of the people trying to prove the earth was flat for a few months. Fun times
Load More Replies... rustythorn 2 years ago
i've yet to meet someone who's belief in a flat earth is their only problem
Deborah B 2 years ago
Complete egocentrism? "I cannot see the curvature of the earth from my perspective, therefore it must be flat."
WindySwede 2 years ago
something like that, and can't trust that pesky government...
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Quarkbeast 2 years ago
If the earth was flat then cats would have pushed everything off it by now.
Lex <3 (they/them) 2 years ago
I don't care that I've heard that joke hundreds of times by now, I still love it haha
Load More Replies... keyboardtek 2 years ago
With everyone owning a smart phone and everything being photographed and videoed, if the earth was flat there would be zillions of photos on the internet of the edge. Kind of like those pics people take from Devil's Hole at the brink of Victoria Falls.
Nicole Weymann 2 years ago
Not to mention the tourist attractions built along the rim, selling fridge magnets and swing rides to the underbelly.
Load More Replies... Couragetcd 2 years ago
I especially love how they call those of us that say the earth is round "globetards." Ok you crazy little flat earther you
Jaybird3939 2 years ago
If the Earth was flat, my cat would have pushed everything off by now (oldie but a goodie)
#11
religion
Gregg Carr 2 years ago
Religion isnt the problem , its the church or what ever your country calls it. You dont need a middle man (person) to have faith
Id row 2 years ago
Religion definitely is the problem. If it went away, the dumb and gullible wouldn't be able to be brainwashed. They'd have to take accountability for their actions instead of being a Jesus card gunslinger every time someone called them on their bad behavior. Sometimes you have to safeguard people from themselves.
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ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago
As a non believer (Full disclosure; used to be a southern Baptist) i don't see anything inherently wrong with religion. The religious leaders and congregation members that interpret text to manipulate and control others is generally where the problem lies. IMHO
Star Anäis 2 years ago
I need religion sorry, it's a lot cheaper than psychiatrists and more effective for me. War in the name of religion, religion supporting war and terrorists, that's the problem.
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
It is not only that. Religion has an effect on how people think, and how people think influence how they act, and how they act has an influence on not just them, but also people around them. Being told things like, everything happens for a reason, God works in mysterious ways, and just trust the lord, can make people stop thinking critically and becomming apathetic. A lot of religion is based on rules that was fit for a world that is no more, and that can stop progress or even worse reverse it. The problem is that relgious people can vote, and there seem to be tendency that you are heading towards a theocracy, when the speaker of the house sugest that the church should be put above the state, which history has proven does not end well.
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Roger9er 2 years ago (edited)
Religion keeps people busy, scared, ignorant, narrow minded and obedient. Downvote if you like. I don't care. It's poison for the mind.
Hi! 2 years ago
Religion keeps a person calm, gives peace of mid, relaxation, and a purpose in life
Load More Replies... Devon Archer 2 years ago
Most religious doctrine and scripture teaches kindness and tolerance and loving your neighbor etc. it’s just people that muddy things up and do terrible things in the name of religion.
Faith Treiss 2 years ago
You are absolutely correct, you should be updated way more
Load More Replies... Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 2 years ago
It's not faith that's the problem. The problem is that religion has always been a route to power. The priest (shaman, holy [wo]man, high frumpalump, chief meatball, or whatever) understands the unseen world. It's not like it used to be. We know what the earth looks like. We know that when maps ended with "here there be dragons" there was just the unknown. The unknown is a terrifying concept. Your cow just died. The old lady down the street with all the cats that doesn't tithe? She's a witch, and killed your cow because she worships
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 2 years ago
the devil. There was a tornado, and your house was destroyed. God is punishing you. Everyone in the village died of plague but you. God saved you! What we don't understand terrifies. Give the people an explanation, and (even if unwittingly) you've become an influence in their lives. Bands of nomads wandering through a lightly populated tundra, that's fine. When those populations run into each other, the holy folks are at the front of the conflict. Whichever tribe wins, their religion is proven, and their holy person is revered. Over and over, and the holy folks are automatically given power by their followers. At this point, there's the old "us versus them" mentality. Why? Did the crazy cat lady really put a spell on your cow? Or is the church unwilling to say they know nothing about animal husbandry or germs? Power is an addiction. A group or an individual who has power is unlikely to give it up. Kill the infidels! This power passes to the masses. When Karen gives a fake tip, she's not concerned about the server's soul. She's killing the infidels, modern version. Religion has nothing to do with faith, and nothing to do with God.
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Nicholas Kelley 2 years ago
Calling everyone with different spiritual beliefs than yourself "stupid" says more about you than it does about religion. I may not agree with certain religious persuasions, but I would never insult someone's intelligence over it. Learning other beliefs and viewpoints encourages empathy and humane treatment of others. Name-callling and belittling, treating people who think differently than you with contempt, that's moving backwards, not forwards.
Lyone Fein 2 years ago
As a former professor of Comparative Religion, I find it interesting how narrow these discussions frequently are. It seems that most if not all of the anti religion voices on here are primarily arguing against a version of Christianity that is something of a red herring or straw dog. Firstly of course, it is a vastly over generalized version of Christianity. Secondly, it seems to be a child's version : man in the sky? Being unaccountable for one's actions? These are adolescent concepts at best. Christian adults that I have interacted with are a bit more mature and morally complex.
Lyone Fein 2 years ago
But the more crucial issue is the Quixotic battle being fought by so many anti religion individuals. Christianity, especially an infantile version of it, is not representative of Religion at large. You are jousting against your own imaginary windmills. Religious adults throughout the world cannot be lumped together as believing one thing for one reason. Religious beliefs and practices are complex. A single person often holds several different understandings of what the Divine is simultaneously. (Just like you know that the person driving the bus is a city employee, but also has a rich inner life, and is also a woman wearing a hijab.)
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dayngerkat 2 years ago
More people have been killed by religion than any other reason since the beginning of man
Tuesday 2 years ago
Yet again, another set of religion-hating comments here. Can y’all let me be a Muslim in peace?? How is it affecting you?
Nicholas Kelley 2 years ago
It's pretty discouraging. People should be able to practice their faith without being belittled and mocked.
Load More Replies... #12
[This sign at the London Luton airport](https://imgur.com/WqYDff0)
TheElderNom 2 years ago
No, at least one of my cats kept eating a plant that cut her mouth and her insides. The plant was sprayed full of "bitenot" spray and in a room with a closed door, she has never opened a door before or since but that plant was apparently worth it
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Bonkers Panda 2 years ago
When I was a little girl, I bit the leaf of a plant whose name I don't know. I've always liked my greens and it somehow resembled the outside (or peel, or whatever it's called) of a watermelon (light green with streaks). It stung my lips, mouth and throat and I cried an awful lot. I was very curious and would usually use myself as a guinea pig to find out "what would happen if I did this..." People would say I was the female version of Dennis the Menace XD
WayoftheStarPrincess 2 years ago
I work in a library. We've had two instances of a teenager eating our plants. Luckily we only have non-lethal plants, but the one they both chose probably made their tongue tingle for a few hours.
On the other hand, some individuals can have warped perceptions of danger and morality. They might not understand how risky it is to touch the spinning blades of a lawn mower, for instance, but they want to see what happens anyway.
Other people might take things far too literally. That means that unless something is expressly prohibited, they might not know to avoid doing it.
Similarly, they may have problems with understanding the consequences of their actions. They might focus only on short-term issues and rewards, completely ignoring the long-term.
#13
Traffic jams. Except for in outlying cases it's literally only bc people are too dumb to be efficient
Realistic Optimist 2 years ago
This is partially true. A lot of this is due to driver density in the US, and I wouldn't call it an outlier. Just poor infrastructure planning and too high population density.
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ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago (edited)
Merging is to be done in a zipper like fashion and don't put on the brakes because the person 2 lanes to your left and four cars ahead of you did. Oh and by the way, on ramps are meat to be used to accelerate to highway speed
Colleen Glim 2 years ago
Merging like that only works if every other vehicle is moving at the same rate of speed with the same distance between them. Sounds great in theory. The reality is a whole other story
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Rilmar 2 years ago
If only there was a more efficient way to transport more people with the use of less vehicles... Totally not typing this while travelling by such a vehicle
BrownTabby 2 years ago
As someone who also uses such vehicles, I still have not forgiven my city for voting against the guy who wanted to make those vehicles free.
Load More Replies... Thrillion 2 years ago (edited)
I disagree, If you look at traffic flow like a river and the river moves slow and serene in the wide parts and there are rapids around obstruction or restriction, its not a dumb river. That's physics.
cugel. 2 years ago
Right, and it's the dumbarse who supplies the obstruction.
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Cjo 2 years ago (edited)
Do you know how many jerks/rude people it takes to mess up zipper merging? 1. In California I would have to say the number is close to 50%. This is why zipper merging in California is impossible. Well, 100% if you don't include doing it at less than 1 mile an hour. Here is something to think about. My brother once had a job counting cars passing under a bridge. He noticed that if one person that wasn't paying attention abruptly braked, that affected traffic for several minutes where the "braking" flowed through cars.
Thatkamloopsguy 2 years ago
People are to stupid to realize that when they a screwing around in the cars and not paying attention to their driving they are actually the cause of the problem.
Bookworm 2 years ago
One of the goals of autonomous vehicles is to have all the vehicles communicating with each other to move in sync, so that this doesn't happen.
My O My 2 years ago
I'm a snob. I don't want my car to communicate with a car of Elon. That's bad company.
Load More Replies... Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 2 years ago
Cats are the only overlords.
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Dawnieangel76 2 years ago
Those matherfackers who speed up to where a lane ends & try to get in before everyone waiting their turn patiently...it should be legal to push them off the road.
#14
The ban on Kinder eggs in the US.
Are people really stupid enough to swallow those eggs whole? Even if they didn't know about the toy, you can't possibly want to deepthroat a f*****g egg, can you?
Jake Banana 2 years ago
It's not about people being stupid. It's about a regulation set out by the Food and Drug Administration in 1938. Essentially, the law dictates that any food with a ‘non-nutritive object embedded’ – including toys embedded inside confectionery items – is not allowed, ostensibly to prevent choking hazards, so it's actually a reasonably law. A special exception would need to be carved out for Kinder, and it's yet to happen.
Deborah B 2 years ago
What about popsicles? Corndogs? Lollypops? kebobs? Anything served with a toothpick?
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Mark Schutz 2 years ago
America... where Kinder Eggs are banned for being dangerous, but they'll give you an assault rifle for opening a new bank account.
Vidas Zlioba 2 years ago
Thank God that the Founders anticipated that our government would try to ban candy eggs with toys inside.
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Id row 2 years ago
Never underestimate the power of stupidity. You're talking about the nation that eagerly ate laundry detergent pods. Swallowing a chocolate egg whole is nothing compared to that.
CD Mills 2 years ago
People, in general, aren't that stupid but these are made specifically for children, it's candy with a toy in it after all. A two-year-old is going to just stuff a chocolate candy in their mouth. They can't read and they are notoriously averse to the words, "What have you got in your mouth?!".
Sheena Leversedge Wood 2 years ago
a two year old can't fit a kinder egg in their mouth. you break them open and eat the pieces, like you do an easter egg.
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Verena 2 years ago
The legal eggs in US are not the original eggs. The original (Kinder Überraschung/Surprise) are a hollow, doeble-layered egg-shape form, white chocolate on the inside and brown chocolate on the outside (the yellow capsule is supposed to be the yolk). The US version, which is sold in Europe (Kinder Joy) alongside the original, is creamy stuff with a spoon in one half and the toy in the other. https://www.kinder.com/nl/nl/kinder-surprise and https://www.kinder.com/nl/nl/kinder-joy
Maria 2 years ago
In Europe, there's also a similar ban, not for kinder eggs, but, for instance, in France, la galette des rois now comes with the little toy on the side, in Portugal, the same thing happens with bolo rei, and the reason is the same, to prevent people from choking with those little things
MadameMalfoy 2 years ago
these are so good. whenever i go to europe i always eat so much. the kinder joys that are here are just not the same.
Sheena Leversedge Wood 2 years ago
no, I don't like Kinder Joy. too sickly for me. my husband used to get me kinder eggs as random treats. and on one occasion, my kinder egg had an engagement ring in it. :)
Load More Replies... #15
Do not open door in flight
Edit: Neat, an award stating how helpful my comment is. Thank you, glad to help
Nae Nae BB 2 years ago
Oh look there's my house, you can let me out here. I'll just see myself out😆
still tired 2 years ago (edited)
As far as I am aware, this isn't possible due to the two vastly different pressures.................... Edit to add results from a quick Google search:..... "Opening an aircraft door is impossible while the plane is at cruising altitude or above 10,000 feet due to air pressure. Inside the cabin, 8 pounds of pressure push against every square inch of surface area. The typical passenger door is about 6 feet tall by 3 1/2 feet wide. So we're looking at more than 24,000 pounds of pressure bearing down on that exit. The strongest man alive can deadlift only 1,102 pounds."
Tams21 2 years ago (edited)
You're absolutely right but of course, the pressure difference doesn't stop people opening the door when the aircraft is closer to the ground. Unfortunately, this has actually happened... https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/east-asia/south-korea-airplane-door-open-b2348905.html
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WindySwede 2 years ago
Several people mid flight.. think there have been mental breakdowns and tiktok??? Just what I remember, I don't have a source.
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Mini grizzly 2 years ago
Yet there was one guy not too long ago who opened the door ! Mid Flight!!!
However, at other times, fear dominates people’s lives. Instead of being a reaction to real threats, it rises up as a response to imagined dangers. If left unchecked, it can go out of control and cause a lot of unneeded stress.
If you’re feeling excessive, irrational fear and it’s disrupting your daily life, you may need to talk to a health professional. They’ll be able to figure out what’s going on. You might be dealing with some sort of anxiety disorder, have a serious medical condition, or may be dealing with a phobia. In the latter case, you may want to seek a mental health specialist’s help. They can help reframe your fears so that they’re no longer disrupting your day-to-day routine.
The important thing to remember is that these people are professionals. They've got plenty of experience. They won't judge you. It's not a weakness to ask for a helping hand or some advice when you need it.
#16
Televangelists.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
Ironically, televangelists are the only people who make me hope there is a God. Because when He gets a hold of them He is going to mess with them big time.
Ashley Harrold 2 years ago
There was a televangelist who said a storm was hitting new orleans because of gay people. Storm skipped biggest area that had gay people and hit the televangelist house.
Load More Replies... Geoffrey Scott 2 years ago
My contention is they exist because people who seek "the word" have been traumatized by the churches they have attended and parishioners they have known.
Kyllein MacKellerann 2 years ago
Actually, Televangelists do bring benefits: they make Used Car Salesmen seem honest and even saintly.
#17
Multi-Level-Marketing (aka pyramid schemes)
Roxy222uk 2 years ago
This is evidence not of stupidity but of how enthusiastically some people would exploit others when they are vulnerable and down on their luck.
MakeupMama68 2 years ago
My single mom cousin got sucked into this world… she was a perfect target for them. Watching Anti-MLM content on YouTube blew my mind at just how shady those groups are.
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ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago
They exist because of con artists. They continue to exist and propagate because of greed and people that are either desperate or gullible
C.O. Shea 2 years ago
I got invited to an event by an acquaintance... literally got circled by four of her friends as they all moved in for the shock & awe fast talking pitch. I guess thinking to keep me off balance? Noped right on outta there.
Dawnieangel76 2 years ago
I feel like anyone who falls for the MLMs probably would have joined ANY cult, so let them suffer for their idiotic choices. Those of us smart enough to not join are smart enough to ignore the cultists.
MacintoshID 2 years ago
Everyone wants to get rich by doing nothing. Just like the fact we all go out and buy lottery tickets when the jackpot is close to record highs. Not wasting my money anymore. Can't afford even a simple ticket anymore due to the cost of food and utilities.
Vicki Perizzolo 2 years ago
People love a get rich quick scheme and are too stupid &/or lazy to actually pay attention... suckered by stupid.
#18
Label on Swiss chainsaw, do not attempt to stop chain with hands and genitals
Psycho Princess 2 years ago
Hands is stupid, but you can basically figure that out. I want to know the story on who tried to stop a chainsaw with their genitals.
wordsupfool 2 years ago
I'm just gonna flip this 22" whirring saw and stop it flat with my labia. Thought no one, ever. Or, did they?...
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CaptainSlapNTickle 2 years ago
What about "hands OR genitals"? Are feet still the preferred way?
Sue Denham 2 years ago
If you need a warning for the latter I say go ahead. Better if you're not able to reproduce.
Iron Penguin 2 years ago
Got trained on some machinery once by a guy who said that when deciding whether handling a given part was safe, "don't put your hand there if you wouldn't put your [deleted] there". Evidently opinions on such matters differ.
#19
Panic buying
Celia McReynolds Tinsley 2 years ago
Groceries because a light dusting of snow is predicted for over night.
ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago
In North Carolina a mere mention of snow will cause the milk and bread to disappear from the stores
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Brian Droste 2 years ago
If everyone would used common sense and only buy what they need for the emergency instead of being greedy and buy like 3 months of stuff there would be plenty for everyone. Where I live we don't get that much snow anymore and if the weather person predicts a little bit of snow. people panic and go out and buy like a month worth of groceries when the storm will last only a day or two. It's crazy.
kansasmagic 2 years ago
That looks like my cart, with the layer of beer at the bottom. Only, we do not call that "panic buying," just "Tuesday".
CaptainSlapNTickle 2 years ago
No need to worry about toilet paper shortages when you have a bidet. You're also better than most people.
Seadog 2 years ago
Where I live we very rarely get weather that will keep you in your home more than a day or two. But just mention the word snow in the winter and they close the schools and people clear the grocery store shelves. Keep in mind there's no forecast for weather, not a cloud in sight and often, not even temps below 32
April Pickett 2 years ago
You'll notice all of the essential foodstuffs that are in that cart.
Tameeza Joyce Lightowler 2 years ago (edited)
I have a t-shirt that says - "I survived the loo roll crisis 2020" 😜 But the shortages of food etc during the Pandemic in our city was no joke. I kept saying "If we all keep calm, don't panic? There'll be enough to go around."... I do wonder though if those who hoarded? Have they finally used up all that loo roll? Were they able to get out of their home due to the amount of things they hoarded?
#20
Meetings that could have been emails
BookFanatic 2 years ago
I've been put in charge of a committee for the first time, and so far I've cancelled 3 meetings because we did everything in an email. Drives my supervisor nuts. They think I'm awful at leading meetings. The committee likes me, though.
FaceTime Audio 2 years ago
And its corollary: Zoom meeting hosts who don't understand how Zoom works after 3+ years of using it, causing the meeting to run late because of giving the wrong link, setting a password but not sharing the password, not starting the meeting, not understanding how waiting rooms work, etc.
FABULOUS1 2 years ago
Our entire company has one every quarter. They literally read off what it says on a PowerPoint, no extra information just word for word. I work in the customer service department, the least valued department in the company. I have to listen to someone read for two hours just for calls to get backed up, and it screws up my entire day for nothing.
Debby Keir 2 years ago
Where I worked, we were all independent practitioner with our own case load, and only 'met' once a month - so it was good to network and get updated in our field.
#21
The law in Pennsylvania that *specifically* states that you can not barter infant children
Jared Robinson 2 years ago
It doesn't exist because of stupid people. It exists because of desperate people. When times were so bad you had to sell one child so you could afford to feed the others.
TiNaBoNiNa 2 years ago
Thank goodness for birth control becoming acceptable!
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PandaGoPanda 2 years ago
So it's OK to foist my teenagers onto someone else in exchange for, say, a bottle of wine?
TiNaBoNiNa 2 years ago
Nobody wants teenagers. Just lock them in a cage in the basement until they turn 20.
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Isaac Harvey 2 years ago
What about infant adults? I can think of a few prominent political figures who might or might not fall into that category.
Breadcrumb. 2 years ago
A white baby who is born to a sober mother is worth almost a million dollars on the black market.
Mermeow Overlord (they/them) 2 years ago
But it is easier for someone to use adult organs, they can sell for a lot more. /s
Load More Replies... Penny Hernandez 2 years ago
And what about the five boys in my household who were all in their teens at the same time?
Blyss Blyssylb 2 years ago
Super Mom! How did you handle all of that! Lol
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#22
California's Prop 65.
It says everything sold in California must have a label warning consumers that the product is made with ingredients/components known by the state of California to cause birth defects or cancer. Unless the seller can prove that the item does not contain such components. However, nobody can actually say if anything causes cancer or not. So if you sell something in California, you must either pay a laboratory to test everything in your product, then provide reports stating that each element does not cause cancer. OR you can buy a 1 cent sticker and slap it on your packaging. As a result everything sold in California, EVERYTHING, has that sticker on it. Because why wouldn't you just slap the sticker on?
We voted for this.
Wood Carver 2 years ago
Also I believe the warning sticker stickers will need to be tested or may also need a sticker. Recursion is fun
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Emotional Support Velociraptor 2 years ago
I had always wondered why everything in california contains stuff that causes cancer...
Sand Ers 2 years ago
The problem with prop 65 is that it was badly written. But the context is that companies were selling products in California that absolutely were dangerous, containing known carcinogens and toxic substances. Since the regulators weren't doing their jobs and either prohibiting the practice or requiring reasonable notification to the end users about the risks involved, people took it into their own hands and put it on the ballot. Prop 65 is a nuisance. If you want real malfeasance, look at prop 13. A continuing gift to corporate real estate holders, sold to a gullible public as a way to protect retirees from being forced out of their homes by property taxes.
Awesome At Being Autistic 2 years ago
You are so right about Prop 13. And didn't Prop 65 just start out as labels for pottery products, warning people not to use them with food/drink as the paint may contain lead? It's been ages since I've lived in California, I'm out of date.
Load More Replies... Mario Strada 2 years ago
The sticker itself also may be carcinogenic, so they get increasingly smaller stickers affixed to them.
Laura Mortensen 2 years ago
I didn't know about this. Someone returned some Halloween costume stuff because of this lalbeling at my work this year.
Steve Hall 2 years ago
One solution is to add a label to everything that states; "something here probably pisses off someone in California".
#23
The warning sticker on lawn mowers telling you not to touch the blades while they are in motion.
Richard Rice 2 years ago
The pictures seem to tell me not to let small people ride on your lap, instead run them over with the mower.
Robert T 2 years ago
Best way. They make excellent fertiliser for your lawn. ;-)
Load More Replies... Damsel In Red Dress 2 years ago
Years ago I worked in an ER. A man came in with the tips of his fingers cut off. He had cleaned the mower blade while it was running.
Son of Philosoraptor 2 years ago
Well... Thought I'd tap the clogged output with my boot, got the tip of a blade against my big toe. Thank God for work boots, didn't cut all the way through. Felt like getting shot in the toe. Wife laughed at me while I was rolling around on the lawn yelling.
Keith Lancaster 2 years ago
Things like this have arisen due to the blame/sue culture in the states.
Lyone Fein 2 years ago
The picture on this label looks like it is saying, "Instead of holding your kid on your lap, mow them down." Am I wrong?
#24
The Tide Pod challenge
Hans Georg 2 years ago
Forrest Gump? He does himself so many stupid things, but gets away with it. Here we say: "God protects the stupid."
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Nenya 2 years ago
Had to google, in case there is one more person like me out there: Tide pods are laundry detergent
Catharina Geerts 2 years ago
But what's the challenge? On the picture it looks like somebody is going to eat it! Are they really THAT stupid?
Load More Replies... Emotional Support Velociraptor 2 years ago
Also that one where you bite the fluffy part of a cattail.
Lex <3 (they/them) 2 years ago (edited)
I have no idea what the tide pod challenge is but... do I even want to know?
Mermeow Overlord (they/them) 2 years ago
Eating laundry detergent, humans are stupid.
Load More Replies... Steve Hall 2 years ago
If anyone is that dumb maybe it is for the best...we always need to thin the herd.
Fable Weaver 2 years ago
I'm pretty sure there were very few cases of anyone actually doing it. For the most part it was a meme that got misinterpreted by news orgs as being more literal than it was
#25
“Warning may contain nuts” warnings on packets of nuts
Roxy222uk 2 years ago
The law requires this for all products that may contain nuts (to protect people from dying) so it would seem a bit odd for the law to state "unless it's obvious, then you don't need to state it may contain nuts". I think it's amusing but not evidence that people are stupid.
Seadog 2 years ago
It's puzzled me for years how I never met anyone or even heard of anyone, never met anyone who's heard of anyone, allergic to any food item until the mid-80's.Now people are allergic to all kinds of things. My bet is it's something in the processing that's the real problem. People from other countries often talk about how many times, food in America makes them sick
Load More Replies... Hans Georg 2 years ago
Viewed botanically, peanuts are not nuts but legumes, like peas. In a factory where they process peanuts they most likely process other nuts. And things can happen. Therefor in Germany it says: "May contain traces of nuts."
Laura Mortensen 2 years ago
Since this package clearly contains peanuts, it could be worse. As someone who is allergic to peanuts, I found it annoying that a package of ice cream said "may contain nuts." Peanutrs were not listed in the ingredients, and neither were any tree nuts. People who are allergic to peanuts are not necessarily allergic to tree nuts and vice versa. So the label was totally unhelpful for me.
ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago
Generally done as a precaution because it may be processed in the same facility where peanuts or tree nuts are and cross contamination is a possibility
Load More Replies... Jared Robinson 2 years ago
I remember thirty years ago we just let people with peanut allergies die.
Tameeza Joyce Lightowler 2 years ago
I've always thought that that "May contain nuts" warning label would look great on the front of a pair of mens boxer shorts as a novelty item...
Nika Strokappe 2 years ago
I think this also means it could contain any nuts, (peanuts are technically not nuts). So not that you go, ow just peanuts and swell up because of almonds...
#26
I worked at Cabela's for years and they carry a product called "The Butt Out" and its a tool a hunter would use to remove the a**s from a deer. On the back of the packaging in the bottom corner is a warning stating "Not for sexual use"
Spiritastray 2 years ago
Please someone tell me why you need to rip the a*****e out of a deer in the first place?!?!
Becky Samuel 2 years ago
Before you gut the animal you want to seal off the rear end of the intestines to prevent 'spillage' and contamination of the meat.
Load More Replies... Jeff (He/They) 2 years ago
I hate Cabela's. My dad really liked shopping there, so I ended up there a lot. They had a real, stuffed lion on display, as well as cougars. It made me physically ill being in there. Just a place full of trophy hunters
Olivia Mansfield 2 years ago
Worthless Christian cowards. Most just do it cause of the redneck inbreeding seems like these types are so useless they need to kill to feel like a worthless maggot
Load More Replies... Mario Strada 2 years ago
"Do not jerk while pulling butt-out of a**l canal": what kind of monsters are these people?
#27
Warning labels telling you not to eat things that are not food.
Tobias Reaper 2 years ago
fun fact silica is not poisonous it tells you not to eat it as you could choke on it
Emotional Support Velociraptor 2 years ago
I would have thought that because it is a desiccant it would be bad to eat because it dries out your insides, but that's interesting.
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ॐBoyGanesh 2 years ago
I live in a jungle in one of the wettest places (#8 - https://www.thetravel.com/cities-with-the-highest-rains-in-the-world/#hilo-hawaii-united-states) and things mold & mildew quickly. Textiles are always damp. Cotton sheets in a drawer will mildew within a couple days. Curtains and throws in a week. Silica is something we buy in 5-gallon buckets and place everywhere. Normal linens closet items are in tight plastic containers. It’s really expensive on its own, but you can buy bulk cat litter that’s 100% silica. It’s a lifesaver!
#28
"Do not place child in shopping bag"
JoNo 2 years ago
"Do not place baby in backpack" was the warning on the tag of a brand-name baby backpack. The baby I bought it for is 18 yet I still remember the tag.
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
what is the alternative, waiting for the baby to crawl into the backpack by itself?
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#29
The phrase, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.
Jared Robinson 2 years ago
No this one I think is necessary. A lot of professionals can make sketchy s**t seem like it's safe and totally no big deal, because they are being safe, if you don't know you need to be safe it becomes much easier to blow pieces off yourself.
David Paterson 2 years ago
50% of the time the warning is genuine. 50% of the time it's completely safe and the lawyers are just waving their d**ks. Which makes the warning completely useless.
Load More Replies... Jon Steensen 2 years ago
yep, always go to somebody else's place when you do something that has the potential to do a lot of damage.
#30
The sticker on curling irons that say “for external use only”
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
well there was this girl who wrote kind of a bad review on her "new vibrating toy" that it was getting awfully hot when used, to the point where it burned her. Seemed kind of fair thing to complain about ...until you spotted the picture of said product and realised that it was a curling iron.
smugdruggler 2 years ago
I knew a paramedic that had a patient once that had a vibrator stuck in his @ss. Everyone was trying really hard not to laugh at this guy lying there buzzing in the ambulance, but apparently it's quite serious because the motor is cooled by the air around it so it can cause burns in the intestine. Of course he just rolled over in in bed and it "accidentally" slipped in there.
Load More Replies... Panda Pandemic 2 years ago
I would think if someone would use a curling iron in a sexual way. They would not turn it on, right? :/
#31
Bullying
Sky Render 2 years ago
Engaging in acts of hatred and violence against others for being different is a hallmark of low intelligence.
MacintoshID 2 years ago
Hate when parents don't see the bullying being done by their sweet child.
Sheena Leversedge Wood 2 years ago
I mean, seeing as we're GOING to have people making out that the bullies are the real victims here, can we stop pretending that? the real victims are the people they ENJOY causing suffering to. the REAL victims are the ones that cry when they wake up in the morning because they lived through the night and have to go to school again and face being bullied again. the bullies are the aggressors. the perpetrators. the people they bully are the real victims here, but people are all too keen to make out that the bullies are the ones really suffering. if they are. GOOD. they deserve it.
Pitbull Dad 2 years ago
I was a big kid growing up in the late 80s. I hated seeing "smaller, nerdy, ugly " kids being picked on. My little brother's friends have thanked me that they weren't picked on because they knew me. Also in high school I stopped a very small kid being beaten up by 6 other a-holes. He and I were friends for the rest of high school.
#32
https://imgur.com/gallery/F3apENt This was in front of a catholic school I did some work on. This is not the only tree in the area, it's not even the only tree in front of a parking space. How did this sign come to be? The world may never know
Wood Carver 2 years ago
I'm going to go out on a limb here (lol) and guess that the school was held liable after some incident. Based on those 2 huge closely spaced missing limbs I'm going to go with a car parked under it and the limb came off. Judge determined failure to inform users of the risk made them liable. So now they warn people.... and this looks like a case of malicious compliance rather than say a small sign near the entrance that said something equally ridiculous but in legalese.... like vehicles parked in this lot are not the responsibility of the school or board. Loss, theft or damage to vehicle or objects in vehicle are the lone responsibility of the vehicle owner.
Michael Largey 2 years ago (edited)
I had a student, Eddie, who ran into a tree while running a cross-country race. When I asked him about it, he explained "It jumped right out in front of me!”
AnkleByter 2 years ago
I did that when I was 3, broke my nose and everything. But the tree did sort of jump out at me. I had looked back while racing with some other kids and looked forward with the wrong eye (my nonfunctional eye) just in time to hit the tree head on. It wasn't a very big tree, but I also wasn't a very big, or sometimes smart, 3 year old.
Load More Replies... Vicki Perizzolo 2 years ago
I'm guessing it's because too many people have hit it driving... OR someone put it on there as a joke
Michael Wilmer 2 years ago
How did the whomping willow from Harry Potter get to be on the grounds of a catholic scool?
Leigh 2 years ago
Talk about overstating the obvious.Reminds me of the time my friend finished setting up his tent. I saw the warning label and cracked up. Do not barbecue in tent. Don't exit tent except through door. Oh really? DO manufactures think I was going to cut a hole in the side and exit that way?
DeoManus Argentem 2 years ago
The sign is reflective so it's easier to see the tree against headlights at night?
#33
Warning labels on electric appliances warning you not to use them in a bathtub.
François Bouzigues 2 years ago
In France, a huge popstar from the 60´s who had OTC adjusted a lamp which was slightly tilted from his bathtub => we have strict rules for electrical safety in bathrooms.
Michaelann Dahlman 2 years ago
A lamp in a bathroom? WTF?! Most bathrooms in Canada do not have any outlets. Those rare ones that do, are somehow designed to only be used with razors.
Load More Replies... Nitka Tsar 2 years ago
Incidentally, do US households have the safety thingies we have, where the electricity is shut down automatically when it detects a power spike or something? I forgot what it is called in Germany, but basically, you could not unalive yourself, because bathrooms/ wet spaces especially have these safeguards. I think they made them mandatory too
Nichole Harris 2 years ago
Yup but the weren't required for a long time.... Like late 80s and only in the kitchen or bathroom.... My house was built in '48 so I've none..... And they are called GFI....(ground fault interrupt)
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Mechanician 2 years ago
Was reading about an Amish girl who left her community at 19 and has had to learn about the world all at once. If you don't grow up with electrical power in the house, maybe these warning stickers can be very useful.
Boop the Snoot. Pound the Paw. 2 years ago
I like that unplug it has quotation marks. “unplug it”
Jon Steensen 2 years ago (edited)
So it is a dryer that should be kept away from wet things? ok then, I guess I will only put dry things in it so they can get dry... or something. But the good thing is that it probably won't need that electricity stuff then, which will increase the safety of using it tremendously.
#34
Most people
Jared Robinson 2 years ago
Everyone is stupid at some point or another. Human brain is a miracle of nature, that we are all lucky can keep us standing upright, not s******g our pants, and still dealing with Karens and Kevins daily.
Thomas Ewing 2 years ago
I think we can ALL admit to having a "how could I be so dumb?" moment.
Vicki Perizzolo 2 years ago
human overpopulation - we've become a parasite on this planet. ALL of Mother Nature's problems are 100% human overpopulation driven
Michael Braisher 2 years ago
Thank you for being superior. Incidentally, do you write for the Guardian?
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
It think that they hint at how making of many people happened by accident, e.g. because someone did not listen during sex-ed, wasn't taught it properly, or did something really stupid without thinking of the longterm consequenses, as their minds was preoccupied by mating lust.
Load More Replies... #35
The f*****g message on my in dash display on my Honda Fit.
YES I KNOW I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OF THIS MOTOR VEHICLE.
Imagine the car not telling me that every time I start it, me getting in an accident, and suing Honda for NOT telling me that I'm responsible for the car I'm driving?
Superb Owl 2 years ago
""Possible ice on the road". My brother in christ, it's -15 Celsius and there's more than a meter of snow on the ground, I can see the ice on the road.
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
well there is this type of clear ice, which can be really hard to spot, especially in the dark. Has had me surpriced more than once with how slippery the road actually was. I remember one time in particular as I was on my bike.... until I, suddently, a moment later was on the ground.
Load More Replies... Historyharlot93 2 years ago
My car has this warning that taking yours eyes off the road can result in accidents. This is on the display screen and you have the I Understand button. While taking your eyes off the roads
Sand Ers 2 years ago
The speed that touch screens in cars went from "DON'T TOUCH WHEN DRIVING OR YOU'LL DIE!!!", to "we're just going to put all the controls here now" was impressive. One of several reasons I'll never own a car newer than about 2010.
Load More Replies... Scott Rackley 2 years ago
Can Am Spyders have a safety screen between power on and start. You have to press a button to dismiss it and there's no way to get around it, I've looked. "Yes, Can Am I am aware that 3 wheels are different than 2."
Robert T 2 years ago
I'm more worried about the dash displaying "BOB HomeCounties". Who is Bob? And what is he doing in the Home Counties? (It is probably a radio station, though it could be a phone).
WindySwede 2 years ago (edited)
It's like you are responsible for your own actions! Who would have known! 😏
Philly Bob Squires 2 years ago
Samsung phones automatically lowring the volume on your device as it "may cause hearing loss." I worked in music. I'm alrady half deaf. I have an alarm on my glucose monitor that I need LOUD! but noooooo! We know whats good for you!
Seadog 2 years ago
Is this one of many now with touch screen controls? It's illegal for me to even hold my phone while driving but it's okay to have to take my eyes off the road for way too long to operate a stupid touch screen that controls EVERYTHING on the car? Wonder what people will do when the law extends to include those? "Oh, I have to pull over, I have to change the radio, turn on the heat, AC, defroster etc." My radio which has actual buttons, I can operate without even looking. Same with the environment controls.
Vicki Perizzolo 2 years ago
my new Prius Prime grades my driving... not only on Eco mode yes/no but also on what I consider the optimal temp... Right now I'm still laughing about it... right now... we'll see in a year
Carole Strawn 2 years ago
Yeah, we have to tap "OK" every time we start our Honda to confirm that we know we are responsible.
#36
The warning on strollers, "Do not collapse while infant is seated"
Psycho Princess 2 years ago
The informal version should be "Do Not turn infant into a human pretzel" or "Your infant does not have the ability to become a rubber band ball."
PFD 2 years ago
I'm not sure about that. I used to have a couple, they bent and bounced pretty well.
Load More Replies... Debby Keir 2 years ago
I remember back in the 70's having a secondhand folding stroller (think the old stripey Maclaren one) The fold mechanism was loose and it frequently folded mid stroll. Well, the kids survived.....
Panda Pandemic 2 years ago
I've seen the label say make sure stroller is locked before placing infant in it. Because it could fold up once you place your child in it. Or fold up while they're in it. Or maybe I'm reading the label wrong.
WayoftheStarPrincess 2 years ago
My former choir leader did collapse her stroller, with her infant son in, and put it in the trunk. They noticed he was gone and looked everywhere. He was happily asleep in the back when they found him half an hour later. She was lucky the actual bassinet wasn't foldable. And that her son was a sleepy head.
shankShaw deReemer 2 years ago
The warning on mattresses and pillows: something about only the owner may remove this UNDER PENALTY OF LAW!
#37
The belief that brown cows give chocolate milk
#38
Fruit roll boxes that warn "Remove plastic wrap before eating"
Ali H M Salehuddin 2 years ago
I never seen this before. If one is given to me, I might attempt to eat that rolled wrappers too. They look edible. Especially since there is already an outer wrapper protecting them.
Milady Blue 2 years ago
There is a candy you can get in Asian grocery stores and novelty shops that DOES have an edible inner wrapping made of rice. It looks, for all the world, like cellophane.
Load More Replies... kansasmagic 2 years ago
The OG fruit roll ups came on really thin plastic wrap that was nigh-impossible to remove. Any kid who could peel their fruit rollup off intact was instantly elevated to godhood.
David Shaw 2 years ago
I used to own a restaurant. One night, we were serving beef olives, held together with cocktail sticks. We got a complaint from a customer who tried to eat the cocktail sticks. Never assume *anything* is obvious.
Mac 2 years ago
I think it's because you can't tell the difference between the texture of the two.
Becky Samuel 2 years ago
Or the nutritional content. I guess the plastic has lower sugar levels so might actually be better for you.
Load More Replies... 
Jane Dorothy Warner 2 years ago
I can't be bothered to remove the paper so I just chew up the whole roll and, in the end, all the 'jelly' has gone and only the paper's left in my mouth. Yes, I know I'm weird, but I'm an old lady so I am allowed to be weird.
Michael Wilmer 2 years ago
My friend cooked a frozen pizza with the cardboard still under it. The instructions never said "remove cardboard before cooking". Stupid is as stupid...
#39
There was a washing machine I saw in Thailand and it said please do not put children in here
Pheebs 2 years ago
As someone who had a cat climb in the dryer unknowingly, sometimes people need the reminder. Cat was fine, thankfully. (No, I was not the one to start a dryer with the cat in it. I was the child who heard the cat in the dryer after my sitter accidentally decided to dry the cat).
Load More Replies... Stephanie Did It 2 years ago
I have an old friend whose beloved cat, Winky, passed horribly in the dryer. My friend not only had to deal with extreme grief and guilt, she had to contend with the mess. I think about Winky every time Henri and Loverboy are helping me do laundry.
Captain Awesome 2 years ago
But that's just efficient washing. 2 birds one stone kind of thing
Tameeza Joyce Lightowler 2 years ago
This isn't necessarily just for adults. Where I grew up as a child there were often large washing machines/dryers outside on porches so if you're a kid playing hide and seek? We were repeatedly told to never go into the machines.
#40
Tabloid newspapers
martymcmatrix 2 years ago
Is this meant to be regarded as a contradiction? Like, how can a digital newspaper still be called a »paper«???
Nonna_SoF 2 years ago
Tabloid, as in a paper that prints sensational trash. Nothing to do with electronics.
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Catharina Geerts 2 years ago
For years, there was a free tabloid sized newspaper in our region with only regional news and ads, nothing sensational, no trash. Tabloid was just the name of the size and I liked it a lot, because it was by far easier to handle than regular sized papers, especially for a not so tall person, like myself (1.60 m)
Harah Suckerbee-Wankers 2 years ago
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Load More Replies... #41
The debate of whether or not video games cause violence
Sky Render 2 years ago
Video games don't cause violence on their own. In some situations they can prevent real-life violence because they give an outlet for expressing that anger and rage in a controlled environment!
JK 2 years ago
It's one of my favourite things about gaming is that you can take out your stresses in a safe controlled environment, they don't fuel anger/rage, people who claim they do are the same people that use excuses for poor behaviour/decisions rather than accepting culpability of their own actions
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Khall Khall 2 years ago
Anti-controller violence I think it might. Or maybe that's just sucking at video games. :)
martymcmatrix 2 years ago
...as well as housing shortages, inflation and a non-stop turnover of teachers...
Nicola Roberts 2 years ago
It always reminds me of the fact the most child abuser were abused. But, not all abused children will grow up to become abusers. So whoever voted down Star Anais, stop, just because you're not going on a mass shoot out it doesn't mean the person that does didn't also play COD.
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#42
Measles
Sheena Leversedge Wood 2 years ago
oh nooooooooooo, not Autism! how will I ever cope with more autism! does this mean I need to add another special interest into the mix?
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Debby Keir 2 years ago
There is nothing stupid about measles - it's a very canny virus, that needs to be outwitted by science.
Becky Samuel 2 years ago
The title is "things that only exist because of human stupidity". If humans were rational and got themselves and their children vaccinated then measles would now be extinct like smallpox.
Load More Replies... #43
Loot boxes (for purchase) in video games, especially games that required initial purchase just to play them.
#44
Easily preventable diseases.
TiNaBoNiNa 2 years ago
Try not sneezing in your hand and then using that hand to open doors or touch other things in public places. A person absolutely has control over whether they spread their viruses and infections with others.
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David Paterson 2 years ago (edited)
Like AIDS. Like diseases with effective vaccines.
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#45
"Do not eat" label on silica gel packets. Like does it actually look like food to anyone?
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
my guess is that it could look like candy to small children, lets hope that they can read.
Debby Keir 2 years ago
It's a warning to parents to put it out of the way of small children. You don't get very ill from chomping on a cardboard box, but they'll get extremely ill if they chomp on silica gel.
#46
July and August having 31 days back to back like that extra day would've ended with February But some people just want to watch the world burn
Wingsofwrath 2 years ago
Blame Julius Caesar and his grandson Augustus. They each wanted "their" month to have 31 days ..
Igor914624 2 years ago
How about we make every month have 30 days, and the one left over day is new years day.
Rusty 2 years ago
... and New Years day will encompass 5 to 6 normal days?
Load More Replies... #47
The lottery
David Paterson 2 years ago
Finally! Gambling wouldn't exist if people weren't stupid. All forms of gambling. If the odds are against you, and you know they're against you, only a fool would be sucked in.
Robert T 2 years ago
Depends which one, but the UK National Lottery raises a huge amount for charity each year. One of the reasons I play. I may have a very small chance of winning a life changing sum, but even if I don't win, I am still giving to charity.
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#48
Toilet roll and hand sanitiser shortages.
Donald 2 years ago (edited)
I'm going 50/50 on this, stupid people panic buy because they just follow what the rest of the heard does. Knobs bought up excess to sell back at an inflated rate.
Load More Replies... #49
My birth certificate.
JoNo 2 years ago
Some babies unfortunately are stillborn. Perhaps in some countries or states those parents are issued with a different birth certificate, though I'm not sure I would want one that states the opposite of "live birth".
setsuriseikou 2 years ago
I think some people might want it in case the law of their country makes submitting it to funeral houses mandatory. Imagine not being able to properly say goodbye to your little one
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Amy Dunaway 2 years ago
That's also to prevent fraud. It used to be really easy to get a birth certificate of a dead kid and make a fake ID.
Sky Render 2 years ago
My birth certificate has a state-sanctioned stupidity on it: a sex marker ticked on it besides Intersex. Indeed, there IS no Intersex option on birth certificates...
#50
Penicillin, because someone didn't bother to clean the culture dish.
David Paterson 2 years ago
Contamination happens all the time in biological research. It's just a case of identifying it early and disposing of it.
Becky Samuel 2 years ago
There is an immortal line of human cells called 'HeLa' that is used for research purposes worldwide. A few years agomit was discovered that almost all in vitro human cell experiments were not the cells the researchers thought they were working on, but had been taken over by HeLa cells. They are so resilient and grow so rapidly that once they have been in a lab it is incredibly difficult to eliminate them. Henrietta Lacks, who was the original source of the cells, never recieved any compensation or recognition for her contributions to science, and her permission was never sought for the use of her tissues.
Load More Replies... 
WindySwede 2 years ago
Yay for that! Though please repeat with some new antibiotics to overcome resistance 👍
Esist Nosrep 2 years ago
Or maby not feed livestock with antibiotics so much and make their living conditions better so they don't get so sick, and then there will be lees antibiotic resistance and antibiotic polution in the water?
Load More Replies... #51
OSHA
Jake Banana 2 years ago
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is about people being dumb. It's about corporations cutting corners such that it makes working conditions dangerous for their employees. Trust me, you want OSHA.
Jared Robinson 2 years ago
yeah but also stupid people, ever seen a pallet jenga tower? I have.
Load More Replies... Robert T 2 years ago
To be fair, pretty much any national Health and Safety board. They have some idiotic rules that have to be complied with because someone at some point in history got hurt. For example, on my development, we have just had to install a handrail (at a cost of almost £1,000) on a set of 3 (yes, three) steps outside because H&S says we have to have one if there are more than 2 steps. Now if these steps were the only way in and out, I would happily install one. There is an alternate route that can be taken by anyone who has trouble with steps. In 27 years, no-one, and I mean no-one, has ever had a problem with this. H&S comes along and we HAVE to install one, with deadlines, at ridiculous cost. Yours, p***ed off of Cheshire.
LizAnn 2 years ago
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They check business for safety and health violations. Like Jake said, you want OSHA.
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
WildHoneyPie 2 years ago
I liked the one on the box of a little trampoline I bought " Do not use in rooms with low ceilings"!
Mart Se 2 years ago
Recently i came across Jeep's owner's manual made for USA market. The sheer amount of warning labels on every page was astonishing - "open key fob away from your body, especially your eyes" , "an unlocked vehicle is an invitation to thieves" , "do not run engine in closed garage" , "do not leave keys in reach of children" , "cruise control cannot take street, traffic and weather conditions into account" - have people totally lost their ability to think?
Sand Ers 2 years ago (edited)
Years ago I was looking for some piece of information in the manual for my Suzuki. It took me the longest time to find it, because it was in one of those bold black bordered WARNING! boxes that I long ago became conditioned to ignore because they always say things like "don't drink the battery acid" or "don't try to change the belts while the motor is running".
Load More Replies... Lesley Christie 2 years ago
I like the little allergy message on bags of nuts which say may contain nuts. Always makes me laugh.
wowbagger 2 years ago
The thing is, plenty of people ARE stupid. As in, have a low IQ or no common sense. And all of us are stupid under the right circumstances. Should people be electrocuted or mutilated just because they're stupid? Of course, warning labels may not be that helpful, but surely stupid people deserve some kind of protection?
David Paterson 2 years ago
Warning labels aren't protection. Warning labels are legal a**e-covering, like the "I have read the terms and conditions" check box. And the miniature disclaimer text on the bottom of TV advertisements.
Load More Replies...
Rob Chapman 2 years ago
On a bottle of soda I bought from Japan..."Do not insert p-e-n-i-s in bottle opening". Yes, the warning was in English.
Greg Le Goire 2 years ago
I’m just curious; have ANY of those examples been seen or of the US? Not (only) being willing to mock them, I understand that there are laws down there requesting (thanks to stupid people) such precise messages, but has it been needed in other places? Writing from Switzerland here; if you are not mentally disabled, a court would state that this all is common sense, I think…
James Doe 2 years ago
TL;DR Watch "hot coffee" on youtube! The law in the US seems very funny, but its actually made with good intentions. (Speaking as a German with loads of overlap with product conpliance in my job). US companies can get sued to an amount appropriate to make them change their behavior (e.g. make them redesign an unsafe product) whereas in the EU there is much more upfront regulation, but tiny punishments (In Germany there used to be something called "Knochentabelle" that stated something like: lost finger, left hand = 800€. In the US the damage would be calculated in relation to the profit the product makes. Really: Watch a 10minute "hot coffee" documentary on youtube! Here is the catch: big corporations have jumped on the PR concept of ridiculing these laws to undermine them. Making it seem like they are made for greedy idiots who want to get rich by intentionally hurting themselves. Undermining the public outcry there should be for more responsibility of corporations.
James Doe 2 years ago
Times: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkL9UlmCOE&pp=ygUSeW91dHViZSBob3QgY29mZmVl Or more "entertaining": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KNWh6Kw3ejQ
Load More Replies... shankShaw deReemer 2 years ago
Anyone ever noticed the "Do not insert into ear canal" warning on birthday candles?
WildHoneyPie 2 years ago
I liked the one on the box of a little trampoline I bought " Do not use in rooms with low ceilings"!
Mart Se 2 years ago
Recently i came across Jeep's owner's manual made for USA market. The sheer amount of warning labels on every page was astonishing - "open key fob away from your body, especially your eyes" , "an unlocked vehicle is an invitation to thieves" , "do not run engine in closed garage" , "do not leave keys in reach of children" , "cruise control cannot take street, traffic and weather conditions into account" - have people totally lost their ability to think?
Sand Ers 2 years ago (edited)
Years ago I was looking for some piece of information in the manual for my Suzuki. It took me the longest time to find it, because it was in one of those bold black bordered WARNING! boxes that I long ago became conditioned to ignore because they always say things like "don't drink the battery acid" or "don't try to change the belts while the motor is running".
Load More Replies... Lesley Christie 2 years ago
I like the little allergy message on bags of nuts which say may contain nuts. Always makes me laugh.
wowbagger 2 years ago
The thing is, plenty of people ARE stupid. As in, have a low IQ or no common sense. And all of us are stupid under the right circumstances. Should people be electrocuted or mutilated just because they're stupid? Of course, warning labels may not be that helpful, but surely stupid people deserve some kind of protection?
David Paterson 2 years ago
Warning labels aren't protection. Warning labels are legal a**e-covering, like the "I have read the terms and conditions" check box. And the miniature disclaimer text on the bottom of TV advertisements.
Load More Replies... Rob Chapman 2 years ago
On a bottle of soda I bought from Japan..."Do not insert p-e-n-i-s in bottle opening". Yes, the warning was in English.
Greg Le Goire 2 years ago
I’m just curious; have ANY of those examples been seen or of the US? Not (only) being willing to mock them, I understand that there are laws down there requesting (thanks to stupid people) such precise messages, but has it been needed in other places? Writing from Switzerland here; if you are not mentally disabled, a court would state that this all is common sense, I think…
James Doe 2 years ago
TL;DR Watch "hot coffee" on youtube! The law in the US seems very funny, but its actually made with good intentions. (Speaking as a German with loads of overlap with product conpliance in my job). US companies can get sued to an amount appropriate to make them change their behavior (e.g. make them redesign an unsafe product) whereas in the EU there is much more upfront regulation, but tiny punishments (In Germany there used to be something called "Knochentabelle" that stated something like: lost finger, left hand = 800€. In the US the damage would be calculated in relation to the profit the product makes. Really: Watch a 10minute "hot coffee" documentary on youtube! Here is the catch: big corporations have jumped on the PR concept of ridiculing these laws to undermine them. Making it seem like they are made for greedy idiots who want to get rich by intentionally hurting themselves. Undermining the public outcry there should be for more responsibility of corporations.
James Doe 2 years ago
Times: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkL9UlmCOE&pp=ygUSeW91dHViZSBob3QgY29mZmVl Or more "entertaining": https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KNWh6Kw3ejQ
Load More Replies... shankShaw deReemer 2 years ago
Anyone ever noticed the "Do not insert into ear canal" warning on birthday candles?
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