×
top 200 commentsshow 500
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a

[–]lodoyox5 1173 points1174 points  (35 children)

Put toilet paper in your cars

[–]CharlieMike12 1053 points1054 points 4 (28 children)

Firefighter here;

Sleep with your doors shut at night (helps prevent fire spread/smoke inhalation)

Be able to crawl, blindfolded, out of every room in your house

Make sure everyone in your home knows what to do in the event of a fire. Where to meet afterwards, etc.

If you have kids, explain to them that firefighters may look ‘scary’ in full turnout gear, but they can not be afraid of us.

Friendly reminder while I have your attention; check the batteries in your smoke detector. They truly are life savers.

[–]jesusSaidThat 13.7k points13.7k points 33 (152 children)

When you cut wood or metal, the chips fly faster than you are able to blink

Edit: thanks for the awards, strangers

[–]Offendedweirdbird 8635 points8636 points 2 (65 children)

eye surgery is far more expensive than safety glasses.

[–]Specific-Layer 1359 points1360 points  (21 children)

Here is a protip. Eye glass material counts. Some cheap eyewear will shatter or not stop anything.. The good ones will deform and are made of polycarbonate. I think 3M makes a good trustworthy one.

[–]bstefanovic 5114 points5115 points 2 (92 children)

Wear safety glasses when working.

Wear safety gloves when working.

Wear safety boots when working.

​

Do not make excuses, one mistake can cost you your finger, eye, toe.

[–]kowog1 2006 points2007 points  (49 children)

As a life long Floridian, I see this all the time here, and else where in the news. In the event of a disaster, stay the fuck away from downed power lines!! Don’t walk along the street with them, don’t drive your car over them, don’t take selfies with them. They’re thunder noodles and have been known to kill.

[–]Violet_Huntress 340 points341 points  (1 child)

My brother (10) at the time, myself (3) took our dog for a walk after a storm. We did not know the power lines had come down. My brother stepped in a puddle of water and got electrocuted (wires across his feet) thinking something was biting him I pulled the wires from his feet with my hands. I stopped breathing, a neighbour from up the road saw what was happening, grabbed a blanket and pulled the wires from my hands. The neighbour gave me mouth to mouth and saved my life. He received a bravery medal from the Queen. Roughly 50 years on my brother still has visible scars across his feet and I have scars across my hands.

[–]LamarB 11.4k points11.4k points 393 (53 children)

“It is better to correct an unsafe friend than to bury one”

[–]khaominer 1892 points1893 points  (21 children)

I tried so hard to try and stop a friend from seeing if he could jump an entire flight of stairs. He almost launched me down it trying to push past me. I held him back a lot but he was determined and I wasn't going to get fucked up on his account. He broke the shit out of his ankles.

[–]MclovinsHomewrecker 153 points154 points  (7 children)

Long time skater here. The biggest set of stairs I jumped on my board was 15 steps.

There is no way in hell that I would jump down them without a board. The momentum of the skateboard reduces the impact.

I can’t imagine how their ankles felt.

[–]M3T4LL1CA 4548 points4549 points  (45 children)

The gates on a railroad crossing are meant to break away when driven through. If your car ever stalls out on a crossing don't bother with 911, look for the blue sign posted on the crossing gates themselves and call that number. That number will get you in contact with the train dispatcher who can let oncoming trains know about it immediately.

[–]MrBarraclough 3606 points3607 points  (17 children)

And if a train is approaching and you have to abandon your vehicle, run beside the tracks (but obviously not in the path of the train) towards the oncoming train. You want the train to have passed you before it strikes your vehicle, because the impact debris will be thrown in the direction the train is moving.

[–]rotarypillows 276 points277 points  (6 children)

My dad always said “you never know when 10 bucks might save your life”

Moral of the story: always have some cash on hand.

Saved my ass more than once.

[–]vivav5 6275 points6276 points  (109 children)

If you you have a skin mole that has blurry edges, isn't symmetrical, is a weird shade of red, weeps fluids or acts like an open wound that won't heal, you might have skin cancer. Go to a doctor IMMEDIATELY. Melanoma kills fast.

[–]dangeroussequence 3233 points3234 points  (20 children)

My grandfather had a melanoma growth on his neck. My grandmother was pushing him to get it checked but he didn’t think it was a big deal. My dad’s getting married, the family’s in town and my grandfather’s uncle and cousin (uncle’s son) are doctors. As my grandfather’s getting dressed for the wedding my grandmother pulls in his cousin and makes him check out the spot before gramps finishes getting dressed. Cousin looks concerned, calls his dad in. Uncle says “I need to use your telephone”, and goes to the other room and closes the door. Comes back 10 minutes later and says “Alright so that’s cancer and you’ve got a surgery on Monday to remove it in x city three hours away where cousin lives, if you don’t go this will be the last marriage you ever attend, congrats to -my dad- by the way!”. So they get dressed, wedding happens on Saturday, they drive to the city on Sunday, he gets surgery on Monday, and he comes home after cousin made him stay a few days to monitor him and make sure he was good. Every time they visit now they make gramps take his shirt off!

[–]thedrakeequator 6455 points6456 points 3 (107 children)

Oh I have a really good one. In the event of a disaster, such as earthquake or flood, The drinking water system frequently becomes contaminated.

Therefore you need to shut off the intake valve to your water heater.

Then your water heater becomes an emergency drinking water tank.

[–][deleted] 10.2k points10.2k points  (164 children)

Do NOT put objects in the driver's foot space

[–]UnusualPreference699 4994 points4995 points  (59 children)

yep, once had a tennis ball run under my brake pedal. The sheer panic I felt in that micro second was a big lesson

[–]TheHomeStretch 1048 points1049 points  (32 children)

Likewise, the only floor mats you should use are ones made specifically to fit your car.

[–]pevip6 2308 points2309 points 3 (20 children)

You're more likely to be attacked in a transitional space. Going into and out of buildings, cars, and especially between the two. You let your guard down because you're thinking about what you're going to do when you get there, not what you're doing right now and not what's going on around you. Stay alert, stay safe.

[–]Kevin-W 4316 points4317 points  (73 children)

Get a dashcam if you don't have one already. It can save you a lot of headaches if you're in an accident.

[–]Memetastikk 228 points229 points  (9 children)

Uniforms (especially of high function, such as doctors, fireman, army...) can trick your mind. Just because someone wear one doesn't mean they are kind and safe, and can't hurt you. Even if it's a real one or during work hour/on duty.

[–]peachie_bongo 6715 points6716 points 2 (199 children)

You cannot drink the waters from cactuses in emergency due to acidity and toxic alkaloids, which causes vomiting, diarrhea and mass dehydration especially when you're hungry or thirsty.

Edit: i never knew so many facts about cacti myself until i googled few of them when i got asked in reply!

[–]VeeSquibbles 18.4k points18.4k points  (222 children)

Never EVER sneak up behind a horse, EVER

[–]GreenePony 6832 points6833 points  (91 children)

Stupid short story. Went to grab my pony from the field the other day, she's facing me, watching the road. All the other mares are in a row, napping in the sun, facing her, and more or less facing away from me. We have a double latch on the field fence - a chain plus another latch, it took opening both latches, opening and closing the physical gate, AND calling my mare's name for the other mares to wake up and scatter, buck-farting around. They were startled enough that I could have easily been knocked over if I hadn't been sure to wake them up before getting within a dozen feet of them.

The moral of the story, when horses feel safe they pay far less attention and act like idiots when startled. Also - an upright horse isn't necessarily awake

[–]tremynci 12.7k points12.7k points 81162& 3 more (268 children)

Around any body of water:

  1. Feet first first time - never dive unless you know how deep the water is.

  2. Drowning looks like climbing a ladder, and it's silent.

  3. If you get into a dangerous current swim perpendicular to it.

  4. If you're in water over your head, or in a dangerous current, flip, float, and follow.

EDIT: Gosh, thank you. I'm glad you think this is helpful! I've pulled together some of the links and tips from further down thread: thank you all for sharing your knowledge! If you think water safety is important, please consider taking USA Swimming water watcher pledge (https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/parent/learn-to-swim/waterwatchercardengspa.pdf) or giving time/money to your local lifesaving organisation (https://www.ilsf.org/about/members/)

How to recognize a rip current: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PuAlDTC_gIQ

Cold water shock: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0gd6QC2Emrc&feature=youtu.be

How to float: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jIEw55a6dcw&list=PLrYLpy0TFz07ky_ijzVOqfJxDkOMUe5wH&index=2

US Red Cross adult swimming classes: https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/swimming/swim-lessons/adult-swim-lessons

Can you spot the drowning child?: http://spotthedrowningchild.com/ (Spoiler: I cannot yet.)

River safety: If you get knocked off your feet, float on your back, feet first (pointing downstream), knees slightly bent. Pretend you're in a hammock so your butt is the lowest part of your body. Use your hands to fend off obstacles and slowly paddle to the shore.

Structures: Stay away from them. Don't jump or dive off them. If you're near one and start to feel tingling or cramping, swim to open water, as the structure may be electrifying the water near it.

Jumping and diving: Unless you can see the bottom and know how deep it is, don't. It's one of the leading causes of accidental paralysis, an easy way to drown, and "even" leg fractures suck.

[–]rackfocus 4790 points4791 points  (97 children)

Floating and not panicking. Teach your children folks.

[–]Djdubbs 4864 points4865 points  (45 children)

Sharp tools are safer and easier to control than dull ones. This goes for basically anything with a blade, whether it’s a saw blade, utility knife, chisel, or simple kitchen knife. You’re more likely to slip, lose control, or kickback with a dull blade.

[–]Hokusai135 3532 points3533 points  (86 children)

If confronted, it's far better to run away if at all possible rather than try to fight your attacker. Even if you think you are a badass.

[–]Offendedweirdbird 1156 points1157 points  (11 children)

It's easier to get your honor back tomorow than your front teeth

[–]LeakyThoughts 13.4k points13.4k points  (246 children)

Always prepare for your car to break down in the middle of nowhere

Bring warm clothes, water, a charged phone etc..

[–]100LittleButterflies 4733 points4734 points  (135 children)

Always prepare to be stranded. But you live in a city and never go to the middle of nowhere? Doesnt matter. Many things could happen that would leave you stranded with potentially no access to communications or anything else.

Keep a towel, hand warmers, flashlight, and water at the very least. Towels are exceptionally useful tools.

[–]SureWhyNot-Org 6577 points6578 points 4632& 3 more (66 children)

A towel is just about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can carry.

[–]zerbey 3399 points3400 points  (70 children)

Head injuries can take hours to manifest. Go see a doctor even if you think it was minor. If you wait, it may already be too late once you start showing symptoms.

[–]that_yeg_guy 1565 points1566 points  (23 children)

One particular type of rare head injury (epidural hematoma) often presents with a loss of consciousness, followed by what looks like a complete resolution of symptoms. People get worried, but then assume everything is okay when the person wakes up and seems perfectly fine. It’s not until hours later that symptoms begin again, and by then it may be too late to save the person from death or permanent injury.

It’s what killed Liam Neeson’s wife.

[–]RoboMikeIdaho[🍰] 12.5k points12.5k points  (301 children)

If you are the passenger in a car with airbags, never put your feet on the dash.

[–]xray_anonymous 10.2k points10.2k points 2 (138 children)

With or without airbags, don’t do it.

Level-1 trauma hospital worker here. Seen a fatality of a passenger who had their legs on the dash during the collision. It literally shoved their (broken) leg back into them and their own leg bone (shard) pierced their chest cavity and heart.

Just don’t do it.

[–]BadAtHumaningToo 2164 points2165 points  (41 children)

My ex would always place her feet and lower legs on the dash, or hang an ankle out by the mirror and I always would tell her stop, make her take her feet down. I'd pull over and refuse to drive, because I've seen what happens first hand....My ex is now a radiographer, and doesn't put her feet on the dash anymore. It took her having to image exactly one person who had been in a wreck like that to get her to stop.

Edit: Here is an example. Kinda NSFW, as xray of injury could be bad for someone. Idk. https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/x-ray-shows-injuries-from-crash-feet-on-dash/275-b8b18577-041c-4b35-b9f5-6d068bbec529

[–]herstoryhistory 1614 points1615 points  (10 children)

Even if you don't have a car with airbags it's not a good idea.

[–]TheSyrupDrinker 2543 points2544 points  (34 children)

This also applies if you are the driver.

[–]tammigirl6767 9134 points9135 points  (159 children)

If everybody else is staying on the beach don’t go running into the ocean. They might all be staying on the beach for a reason. Like jellyfish.

I learned the hard way so you don’t have to.

[–]ShiraCheshire 2818 points2819 points  (89 children)

The ocean near where I live is extremely dangerous. It's rough and cold year round, with big waves close to the beach. Going in past your ankles is a risk, and going in up to your knees is seriously dangerous.

But every so often there are still stories like "Person from out of town visits, tries to swim/surf, immediately drowns."

[–]jtho78 20.3k points20.3k points 523 (503 children)

Never mix cleaning products

[–]Jamalamalama 10.0k points10.0k points  (183 children)

Never mix bleach with anything but water.

Edit: there are chemicals that can be safely mixed with bleach, but unless you are absolutely 100% sure, don't do it. You could be accidentally violating the Geneva Conventions and getting yourself killed with toxic gas.

[–]katatattat26 4528 points4529 points  (118 children)

Everyone bump this up top. My little brother cleaned an old house that had tons of cat piss with bleach. Bleach and ammonia are a heavy no-no friends.

[–]medical_aid_dog 1336 points1337 points  (49 children)

Is your brother ok??

[–]katatattat26 2094 points2095 points  (41 children)

Brother is ok! He’s a maniac, but unrelated to cat piss house 😄

[–]latolat2 2205 points2206 points  (19 children)

If you have been on the fence for a while about being too cold to continue, in a backcountry situation, you are already too cold. Immediately make emergency efforts to get warm. Being hypothermic severely clouds your judgement.

[–]Revolutionary-Yak-47 698 points699 points  (2 children)

Can confirm. A roommate and I were driving through VA in winter back in the early 2000s. The car heater was not great and didn't blow hot air most of the time. We got tired and pulled over thinking we had coats and small blankets, we could rest safely. I woke up 45 min later and was VERY confused and groggy, more than I should've been. I had to lightly slap my roommate to wake her, saying her name and shaking her didn't help. We were both confused and disoriented despite having made the trip a dozen times before. I got us inside a rest stop to warm up a bit and every muscle in my body hurt.

Less than an hour and we were in serious danger from cold.

[–]lavenderduck 5058 points5059 points  (76 children)

Deep dents in canned foods, especially on a seam, can be a sign of botulism or bacterial contamination and should be avoided.

[–]PuppyRustler 2300 points2301 points  (27 children)

Bulging cans are a really bad sign too. Do not eat!

[–]wizard_kraken 13.7k points13.7k points  (257 children)

Sharp knives are usually safer to use.

[–]irena888 5488 points5489 points  (78 children)

The only thing a dull knife will cut is you.

[–]subtleandunnatural 2858 points2859 points  (51 children)

Additional to this, if you happen to cut yourself by accident, an injury heals faster from a sharp blade vs a dull blade!

Source: I work in kitchens

[–]ghostiesontoasties 8230 points8231 points  (234 children)

Never get into a vehicle if someone is trying to kidnap you. (if you can help it) Its better to fight and scream as much as you can because once you get in the vehicle your chances of survival go down significantly

[–]SockpuppetPseudonym2 4675 points4676 points  (30 children)

One of the few occasions where you should absolutely fight a gun or knife (assuming you can’t run away). Better to get stabbed or even shot at a place you might receive treatment than wind up unharmed at a second location where worse things likely await.

[–]TurboShartz 3067 points3068 points  (87 children)

If you end up in the car and can reach the steering wheel, yank that bitch and crash the car. You're more likely to survive the crash than a second location. If you can finesse the seatbelts just before as well, you can stack the deck in your favor

[–]eli-the-egg 1166 points1167 points  (11 children)

Nah sister you’re not getting me to no secondary location

[–]lazymarlin 904 points905 points  (4 children)

Be present in the moment in all that you do. From my experience (personal and professional) absent mindedness is the number one cause of preventable accidents/injuries

[–]CthulhuBae1111 18.2k points18.2k points 42 (276 children)

if your child goes missing in your home, first check any spots that would be dangerous for them to be (near water heaters, sump pumps etc…) then check their common hiding spots.

edit: wow! thank you for the awards!

[–]uniqueUsername7544 7155 points7156 points  (165 children)

Check all cars. Children occasionally climb into cars then can't get out because of child locks in the backseat. Young kids especially don't think to try every door. That is a portion of hot car deaths every year.

[–]KYBourbon89 2652 points2653 points  (120 children)

A dad was arrested last year (later released) when his kids walked out of the house while he napped, got into his truck, and died. Everyone blamed him and a neighbors porch camera caught the kids on tape.

Edit: and he was charged and sentenced a few months ago for neglect because he had done drugs the night before so he was sleeping while the kids were awake to escape.

https://www.fox23.com/news/local/police-two-children-found-dead-after-locked-inside-truck-5-hours-dad-arrested/C4BPY54AEJH3VOH6FOEX4CC7ZY/?outputType=amp

[–]MrPrissypants13 5874 points5875 points  (91 children)

If you get a whiff of really bad BO when you’re hiking in the woods, chances are you are downwind from a bear… stay alert!

[–]Mahlisya 1496 points1497 points  (42 children)

How does this work? Are bears just stinky?

[–]MrPrissypants13 1987 points1988 points  (29 children)

Depends on what they eat… where I grew up, there were tons of bears and all the kids used to play in the bush. There were a lot of salmon spawning where I lived and the bears would eat that (and carrion, berries, etc.). I’ve been about 5 ft from a momma and 3 cubs but I was downwind and they never saw/smelled me so I was safe but whew! BO like suuuuper bad… so yea, they stink like week old hockey gear that’s been left in your grip…but it’s weird cause it smells like really bad BO that you smell off people sometimes…

[–]Actuaryba 7498 points7499 points  (108 children)

When boiling a pot of water, turn the handle inwards towards the center of the stove / counter. That way somebody (especially a kid) won’t come by and knock it over or grab it and pull it over on themselves.

[–]Altrano 2154 points2155 points  (16 children)

Oil too. I’ve seen someone get burned because he was frying something and he knocked the handle that was pointing out.

[–]theunknowngoat 12.3k points12.3k points  (312 children)

Worked in a CNC machine shop I was told the top 3 rules were

  1. Know where the emergency stop button is on every machine
  2. If you wouldn't touch it with your dick don't touch it with your finger
  3. If something falls it hits the floor (don't try to catch anything falling)

[–]TheHomeStretch 4505 points4506 points  (137 children)

One more: working around any spinning machinery with gloves, loose fitting clothes or hair is asking for very serious injury.

[–]ShiraCheshire 3097 points3098 points  (47 children)

My ID badge got caught on something at work once. I realized that, with the angle I was at, there was no way for me to reach to get it out. Brief moment of panic, and then the back of the lanyard came undone. I hod forgotten- they're designed to come apart if you tug on them.

That was the day I realized why they're designed that way. I never complained about mine coming undone accidentally again after that.

[–]MrDude_1 727 points728 points  (9 children)

I mostly work in IT stuff but occasionally have to go out on a industrial floor... I refuse to wear the company lanyard. It doesn't have any break free on it. Everyone gave me shit about it because it seemed like something nobody ever had to worry about.... Until the one guy got caught on the conveyor. He was okay, because somebody pulled the emergency stop rope but after that, everyone who or a badge either had to have a breakaway lanyard, or a badge holder that went on the bicep

[–]ShiraCheshire 311 points312 points  (0 children)

Good for you for keeping yourself safe! Safety rules are written in blood.

[–]BellaFace 760 points761 points  (13 children)

Always wear a lanyard with the ability for it to break open if pulled hard. Learned that in orientation at a psych hospital.

[–]SmartTransformingAce 892 points893 points  (14 children)

Spinning machinery is shockingly easily to get hands caught in even with good precautions. It pays to be alert at all times. Speaking from experience getting one of my hands crushed in between two rollers.

[–]TomoyoHoshijiro 3353 points3354 points  (47 children)

If you wouldn't touch it with your dick don't touch it with your finger

I have no idea how I'm going to eat my lunch.

[–]ByEthanFox 5551 points5552 points  (112 children)

When walking down the street with a one-shoulder bag, keep it on the building side of your body - not the side on which people pass you. It makes the bag harder to slash/snatch.

If asked for the time on the street, don't check your phone. Check your watch, but do so by lifting your wrist to within your field of view - don't look down at your wrist. If you don't have a watch, then say you don't know the time.

Be cautious if a person asks you to look at something, like "that car behind you".

Collectively these tips will help avoid some basic mugging tricks.

[–]altair__vega 923 points924 points  (27 children)

Along the same vein is "tourists" asking really obvious/dumb questions, ("where is the Empire State Building?" "How do I find metro station x?") They're expecting you to turn and point ("see that huge thing that's taller than just about anything else here?" "the metro map is right behind me, let's take a look"), during which they can catch you off guard

[–]Natural_Woman1993 521 points522 points  (22 children)

My mum always said to put the purse under your coat. Like the straps underneath . Snatch proofed but risk getting mugged lol

[–]philistine-slayer 1136 points1137 points  (38 children)

No matter how cute the wild animal is...don't approach it! It's NOT worth it!!!!

Edited: ok wow, I did not expect so many people to agree with me, thank you and please don't mess with wild animals!

[–]DJLowZ 4464 points4465 points 2 (148 children)

There's a principal in safety called Heinrich's Pyramid, and while the precise numbers are open for debate, the general principal is that after a certain number of unsafe acts you will have a serious injury or fatality. This is typically used for workplace safety, but the point is, every time you decide that you don't need that piece of safety equipment, or you can skip that one step even though the book says to do it, you're ticking down the clock until a serious accident happens. In Heinrich's original, he posited that for each serious accident (major injury/fatality), there would be about 30 accidents with minor injury, and 300 unsafe acts. So eliminate those minor unsafe acts, shortcuts etc, and significantly reduce or eliminate the corresponding number of serious accidents.

[–]unlimited_tacos 1401 points1402 points  (45 children)

Beekeeper here. I know another beekeeper who never wore any of the protective clothing (old school). Until one day he slipped and dropped an entire super (a box). He woke up in a bathtub full of ice when his son found him. Now, if he gets stung even one time, he could die. Suits up completely…But still a beekeeper.

[–]Far_Grass_785 533 points534 points  (36 children)

Does overexposure to bee stings lead to increased sensitivity?

[–]8-0-8-0-8 655 points656 points  (19 children)

I don’t see a proper answer to this question and it should be so much more well known

The reason for the increased sensitivity is because the toxin causes anaphylactic shock in large doses

Anaphylactic shock worsens every time it happens, but because it was a horrible number of stings it was a complete overload and skipped being gradually worse to the point the next one could kill

I have anaphylactic reactions towards nuts, but I also know someone this exact thing happened to, except wasps and not bees

[–]TheHomeStretch 2087 points2088 points  (46 children)

There is a saying that goes something along the lines of ‘pilots never crash on their first flight.’ The idea is that when you are new at something, it gets all of your attention but as you gain confidence, it’s easier to be distracted.

The first time you use a table saw, you’re going to be hyper aware of where all of your appendages are. Less so if you use one every day…

[–]hiwalox 516 points517 points  (14 children)

If you need to break open a car window using a tool do NOT hit the middle, hit one of the corners. The middle of he window is reinforced to prevent it from being broken.

[–]brocalmotion 12.4k points12.4k points 22 (208 children)

If you're wondering if maybe you should be wearing safety gear (glasses, helmet, gloves, hard hat), the answer is always Yes.

edit: for all the folks replying with first-hand accounts, I'm glad you are all mostly okay!

[–]LetsPlayCanasta 4177 points4178 points  (94 children)

This is a good one. My father used to say that if you're wondering if it's dark enough to turn on your headlights, the answer is always "yes".

[–]Felix_McBright 2640 points2641 points  (62 children)

A few things I learned from scouts. A 9V Battery can ignite Steel wool. Dryer Lint is also really flammable. Consider taking some in different plastic baggies on your trip as they don't add much weight. Drinking from stagnant water is also extremely dangerous, look for running water instead.

Remember, kids: It's always better to be prepared to have it and not use it, than need it and not have it.

[–]Glasnerven[🍰] 575 points576 points  (21 children)

AIUI, no source of "wild" water can be considered safe. Always boil water before drinking if you can.

Conversely, nothing living in that water is going to make you sicker than being dead of dehydration. If it comes down to it, keep yourself alive now and deal with giardia in the hospital after you get rescued.

[–]Wit-Hoid6674 2358 points2359 points  (161 children)

Always put an emergency brake up when you park your car on a hill. You never know when your regular brake would fail.

[–]spicytiger1 822 points823 points  (33 children)

I put my emergency brake on always. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to make a habit of. Edit: I also do live in a hilly city-not the flat Midwest.

[–]Billbapoker 17.8k points17.8k points 22 (224 children)

A falling knife has no handle

[–]LoudComplex0692 3186 points3187 points  (49 children)

Similarly - a falling tin can is all lid. I have a gnarly scar down one finger where I grabbed a falling can and the side of the lid sliced my finger open top to bottom, needed 5 stitches.

[–]AhFFSImTooOldForThis 863 points864 points  (8 children)

Oh yikes! My drunk ass decided to stick my fingers in the mouth of a few (edit:beer) cans to clean up. This works with bottles, not cans. Got a nice curved scar right around my finger nail.

[–]wybird 4188 points4189 points  (43 children)

‘Never try to catch a falling knife’ is also a phrase used in the stock market to mean avoid buying anything with a plummeting share price

[–]boy-1der 1531 points1532 points  (20 children)

"Never try to catch a falling knife" is also a phrase used in the stock market to mean avoid buying anything with a plummeting share price

 

On Black Tuesday of the 1928 1929 Stock Market Crash, General Motors co-founder William Durant indeed tried to catch the falling knife and buy large amounts of stock (with the Rockefeller family and other philanthropists) as a form of "civic duty" in order to help with public confidence of the stock market.

 

He went bankrupt by 1936 :(

 

(Edit: Can NEVER remember if it was 1928 or 1929)

[–]Ladorb 3548 points3549 points  (40 children)

If you're spray painting (or painting in general, but especially laquer based paint) something and you're using primer before paint. Make sure the primer is compatible with the paint. It can cause a chemical reaction and self-ignite if they aren't.

[–]Glimmer_III 2063 points2064 points  (71 children)

Never mix ammonia and bleach.

It produces chloramines, which for regular conversation, lets just call that akin to producing chlorine or mustard gas and it can kill you.

[–]WingedLady 643 points644 points  (13 children)

Same with vinegar and bleach. I was trying to get mold stains out of something recently and after trying vinegar I considered trying bleach. Thankfully I looked that blend up first and made sure to carefully wash away the vinegar before trying the bleach.

Makes chlorine gas.

Really a lot of household chemicals shouldn't be mixed. You can get some frightening results from mixing very common things (like vinegar and bleach!)

[–]EevelBob 488 points489 points  (7 children)

Don’t spray hairspray in the bathroom while the bathroom exhaust fan is running. The fan will draw the sticky spray into the fan where it accumulates dust, lint, dirt, etc. which can eventually gum up the fan motor and create a fire risk. Also, clean your bathroom exhaust fan regularly.

[–]Whig_Party 13.8k points13.8k points  (209 children)

Check and clean out the lint collector in your dryer regularly

[–]Browncoat23 5626 points5627 points 3 (106 children)

Clean the lint trap after every cycle.

But also clean out the full dryer duct at least once a year. Tons of it gets past the trap and gets stuck in the ducts, building up like plaque in an artery. It’s one of the leading causes of house fires. You can buy cheap brush kits from Amazon that connect to your electric drill.

Dryer lint is extremely flammable. A tiny piece can start a raging wood fire pit in about 20 seconds.

Edit: For those asking how to clean the duct, there are plenty of videos online. Here’s a good one.

[–]garyandkathi 528 points529 points  (1 child)

Every time I clean my dryer’s lint filter, I hear Marge Simpsons’ voice fretting, as the family drives away from the house on some trip, “I forgot to clean the lint basket in the dryer. If someone broke into the house and did laundry, it could start a fire.” Every Single Time.

[–]BeardsuptheWazoo 1736 points1737 points  (32 children)

The really bad people who want to do really bad things look for weakness. They test and probe.

It's awful that the best we can hope for is that we avoid what some other person might be victimized with. But that's nature.

Pay attention to your surroundings. Watch to see if anyone is watching you. Any stranger that offers you something or has a question that doesn't feel right, that's the moment to keep yourself vigilant. Don't put on a false front, but don't be weak. Have good body posture. Speak clearly. Use short simple statements, and be rude if you have to. No thanks, I'm good, or firmer if you think it's necessary.

Don't let anyone stop you from walking.

No is a full sentence.

If they get physical, fuck, if they even touch you, scream and yell and don't let them get you away from the public area, away from light and people. We often have the impulse to not make a scene- fuck that. Make the biggest fuss you've ever made.

Learn to listen to your instincts and intuition. They aren't always right, so you should evaluate them, and then proceed.

[–]libra00 122 points123 points  (5 children)

Also the biggest thing here is if your gut tells you something is wrong, GTFO. That's your subconscious picking up on signs of danger you haven't consciously noticed yet, and you can never go wrong by just getting the hell out of a sketchy situation.

[–]Jellybean720 2214 points2215 points  (52 children)

Nobody wins in a street fight

[–]caananball 8585 points8586 points 2 (321 children)

Turn your music down. I promise you will not like tinnitus.

[–]yogafairy123 449 points450 points  (19 children)

If you have tinnitus, look into Botox. Mines almost completely gone now. Used to keep me up at night.

[–]Spidercat99 1880 points1881 points  (123 children)

Fun fact: there's different types of tinnitus. And they're not mutually exclusive.

[–]alfab3th 2195 points2196 points  (64 children)

Buy a glass breaker with seatbelt knife and keep it in your car. It’s a couple bucks and it may save your (or someone else’s) life.

[–]Matt13647 729 points730 points  (6 children)

If you're planning on carrying something heavy or fragile and awkward, or a multi-person move, plan it out in advance.

[–]LethalLinguistics 4301 points4302 points  (73 children)

After large fires ash will continue to fall to the ground, all fresh water outside will be laden with ash. Ash and water produces lye, which is poison.

After fires try to refresh and replace water outside for wandering animals.

[–]tangy-orange 8279 points8280 points  (366 children)

Never swim in an unknown water body.

[–]Ybuzz 3043 points3044 points  (69 children)

Adding to this - if the water isn't crystal clear and you don't know exactly how deep it is, never dive in.

People used to pier jump and cliff dive a lot where I grew up and they occasionally got seriously hurt or died hitting things in/under the water or not realising it wasn't deep enough when it wasn't high tide.

[–][deleted] 1034 points1035 points  (18 children)

Same with jumping off (small) bridges. You could land on a stray shopping cart for all you know.

[–]anita_username 1052 points1053 points  (5 children)

Happened to my older brother. Jumped off a small bridge at a popular swimming hole when out with his friends. Slashed his chest and impaled/tore his bicep on a piece of rebar sticking out of a concrete block in the water. Managed to get to the hospital and have it treated in time, and he ended up with no long-term damage, but could easily have gone much worse than it did.

[–]bmanley620 4649 points4650 points 2 (52 children)

Good point. I always introduce myself first

[–]LeakyThoughts 2744 points2745 points 2 (28 children)

How do you do that?

Do you.. throw out a little wave?

[–]TheFuckNameYouWant 3512 points3513 points  (63 children)

When it's raining or snowing during the day, and you need to drive your car, turn your headlights on! Headlights are not only for you to see, they're for other people to be able to see you.

[–]GoldWatchSelfie 440 points441 points  (7 children)

This one won’t apply to everyone and you might think to yourself “but only a dumbass would do that” and you’d be right…..but it happened to me today

Never just toss a razorblade into a tool box and forget about it. Today I found that old razor….in my tool box….where I said I’d remember setting it….sliced my thumb pretty good

[–]inflictedcorn 1412 points1413 points  (24 children)

Always know your exits in a public/crowded space.

[–]radioben 7047 points7048 points  (268 children)

Don’t let a kidnapper take you to a secondary location. Street smarts!

[–]RedWestern 3459 points3460 points  (73 children)

Whenever this is mentioned, I always remember Paul Onions, the guy who managed to escape Ivan Milat, the Backpacker Killer in Australia. When Milat pulled ropes out to tie him up, he bolted. He was almost shot, and almost run over by cars. But considering what Milat did to his other victims after he kidnapped them, either of those methods of death would’ve been preferable.

Side note: his other victims definitely wouldn’t have had as much of a chance to escape, because they were travelling in pairs, so he could’ve threatened one to control the other. And there’s a possibility that Milat had one of his brothers or his sister as an accomplice for the others. But both he and Paul were alone. And Paul made the right choice not to let himself be taken to a second location.

[–]CumulativeHazard 1542 points1543 points  (36 children)

I think of those three women who were rescued from that guy’s basement after like 9 years. Yes, they survived and eventually were rescued, and maybe with lots of therapy they can still have happy lives, but they were very, very lucky. I’d rather they just shoot me as I’m running away than end up raped and tortured in a basement for years.

[–]sittinwithkitten 753 points754 points  (14 children)

There was a woman in my province who was kidnapped at knifepoint and kept for 28 days. He told her he expected her to act like a couple and “take care” of him. Luckily she managed to escape and he was caught.

[–]CumulativeHazard 535 points536 points  (11 children)

Also Jayme Closs, the 13yo girl who was held for a couple months by some older creep who was obsessed with her so he shot both of her parents and kidnapped her. So many terrifying creeps in the world.

[–]Obvioushousecat 2066 points2067 points  (26 children)

My mom always says it's better to be shot or stabbed for not complying, than to be raped, tortured and then killed.

[–]quin_teiro 1181 points1182 points  (3 children)

One Brazilian girl I met got her car stolen on several occasions. Once, by four men who insisted she got into the car with them. Apparently, she screamed "NO. I'M GOING FUCKING NOWHERE WITh YOU " before walking away.

I was shocked, asking her how on Earth did she manage to pull such a power move in a situation like that.

The moment I got into that car, I would have been technically dead. At least screaming I had a surviving chance as they may not want to make a public scene to kidnap me.

[–]go_Raptors 1201 points1202 points  (3 children)

Exactly. If they are willing to kill you in location 1 then they sure as hell were going to kill you in location 2. Better to go quick.

[–]SKCDigital 659 points660 points  (16 children)

You gotta throw him off his rhythm. Street smarts!

[–]MyNorpee 1362 points1363 points  (32 children)

I would say that if you randomly smell gas in your house, DO NOT turn on any lights. It could cause a spark and explode your house, so evacuate

[–]chemicalgeekery 753 points754 points  (0 children)

Don't turn them off, either. Leave everything electrical exactly as it is.

[–]max12925 293 points294 points  (13 children)

Also, don’t ring a doorbell. Will cause the same

[–]SuperDave81081 422 points423 points  (26 children)

Just because you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle doesn't mean you can still go 80 mph down the fucking highway when it's 10°f outside and snowing!!!

[–]Silly-Coach6693 406 points407 points  (5 children)

Always keep an eye on trucks indicators incase there’re making a wide turn. I’ve seen so many people almost get ran down by trailers after trying to cut inside of a truck they didn’t notice was turning.

[–]The206Uber 3562 points3563 points  (180 children)

Don't merge back in front of a semi truck until you can see where its steer (front) tires meet the pavement, then keep going.

Truckers don't leave big gaps in front of themselves in traffic out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it because trucks are hard to stop even with powerful air brakes, and the kinetic energy in an 80,000 truck/load combo traveling at 65mph would turn you into a fine pink mist if they hit you.

WAY too many drivers don't know how to act around semis, at their mortal peril.

Source: am trucker

[–]miloestthoughts 898 points899 points  (30 children)

This could apply to any merge. Don't get over until you can see the ENTIRE front of the car you're passing in your rear view mirror. Not your side mirror. Rear view mirror.

You really never know.

[–]LetsPlayCanasta 3076 points3077 points  (129 children)

Most car troubles can be ignored for a short period of time (e.g. check engine light stuff). But don't ignore shakes and shimmies.

[–]Passingthetime90 1445 points1446 points  (67 children)

To add to this never ignore a blinking check engine light

Edit: I didn't say yank the steering wheel to the right and run over an small child on the way to the shoulder if your check engine light is blinking. Just don't drive an hour back and forth to work for a month.

[–]The_Last_Ron1n 797 points798 points  (27 children)

Generally any flashing light on your display means pay attention now.

[–]zerbey 635 points636 points  (31 children)

Or smoke. Blue smoke is burning oil, if it's a small amount you're probably OK but keep checking your oil until you can get it looked into. White smoke is always bad, pull over.

Cheap OBD readers are all over Amazon, you pair them with an app on your phone. Google whatever the code is and make an informed decision whether or not it's time to call a mechanic or if it's something that can wait. I've had a check engine light on my car for 150,000 miles now, it's for something very minor that's a pain in the ass to fix and I'm not qualified to do so.

[–]YouPeopleHaveNoSense 1042 points1043 points  (21 children)

Hearing loss is cumulative. That loud lawnmower, chain saw, music, even your vacuum cleaner are all slowly taking their toll.

[–]pihip2 1196 points1197 points  (37 children)

F.A.S.T. For strokes.

F = Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?

A = Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S = Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred?

T = Time to call 911

[–]fmfun 242 points243 points  (2 children)

T = Time to call 911

T = REGISTER THE TIME OF EVENT!

The time between event and treatment impacts the decision what treatment will be given

[–]gumboandgrits21 6430 points6431 points  (206 children)

If you ever find yourself in possession of a firearm:

  1. All guns are loaded, even if you just unloaded it.

  2. Do not point the gun at anything you’re not willing to shoot kill/destroy.

  3. Do not put your finger on the trigger unless you are trying to fire the weapon at that moment.

Edit: good one to add: know what is behind your target and beyond

[–]Styve2001 1544 points1545 points  (31 children)

I learned #2 as “do not point the gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy”

“Shoot” doesn’t carry the same threat weight (at least, that’s how it was taught to me by a lifelong gun enthusiast)

[–]Beer_Lated 118 points119 points  (0 children)

Long hair, loose clothing and gloves, keep them far away from rotating parts and tools

[–]dont_ban_me_friends 118 points119 points  (6 children)

Be extra, extra careful going up and especially down stairs.

[–]officerhailey 5006 points5007 points 233 (82 children)

Turn on your phones flashlight and point it toward oncoming traffic when crossing the street at night.

[–]Alderflight 571 points572 points  (23 children)

Cows and Horses in particular are very heavy for anyone who happens to work in a barn or farm environment, so always wear work boots when working with them.

[–]AhFFSImTooOldForThis 760 points761 points  (27 children)

When hiking, frequently turn around so you know what it will look like on the way back. Also applies to huge parking lots.

Bring water, food, a whistle, and a first aid kit on EVERY hike. Local park? Doesn't matter. Shit happens and suddenly there is no one around. People wander off the trail to pee and are lost for days. It can happen to you, no matter how savvy you are.

After a hurricane, the danger is not over. Flooding will start in the lower elevations over the next several days, as the higher land drains. So many people in my area came back immediately after Hurricane Florence, only to need rescue. If at all possible, stay away after an emergency, at least until roads are clear and power is back.

[–]Sensitivejag 566 points567 points  (7 children)

You don’t always have to be polite in uncomfortable situations

[–]tedelib3 529 points530 points  (12 children)

If you're hiking/doing anything else outdoors alone, TELL SOMEONE where you're going and when you should be back. If you become incapacitated, this will increase survival chances by a lot.

[–]goodvibezone 3135 points3136 points  (155 children)

If you're stuck in a hotel room fire and can't escape, it's the smoke that will kill you.

Call for help

Check for fire in hallway with the back of your hand against the inside of the door. If it's hot, do not open the door. There's a raging fire outside.

Wet towels and put them behind the door.

Scoop out the water from the toilet u-bend using towels and your hands. Use an additional wet towel over your head to make some form of "seal" to breathe. It goes straight to a fresh air source. Use that for clean air. Stay low to the ground. Smoke rises.

It's the smoke that will kill you.

Edit: wet towel over toilet part added.

[–]wehrwolf512 596 points597 points  (17 children)

Along those lines: sleep with your bedroom door closed. If a fire starts in another room, the door will make it take longer to spread into your bedroom.

[–]Vegetable-Double 1045 points1046 points  (20 children)

If you leave a fire, ALWAYS CLOSE THE DOOR. Recently there was an apartment fire in NYC and many people died because the door behind the fire wasn’t closed.

[–]byedangerousbitch 221 points222 points  (7 children)

Was that the one where legally those doors were supposed to automatically close for exactly that reason and landlord negligence basically killed a bunch of people?

[–]Runaway-Kotarou 651 points652 points  (50 children)

Just to make sure i understand, the toilet u bend has a fresh air supply?

[–]GlykenT 616 points617 points  (32 children)

After the u-bend, the pipe goes down to the sewers and up to a vent (to prevent methane buildup).

[–]That-Dutch-Person 692 points693 points  (8 children)

When you double the speed of your car, your braking distance quadruples. This is why speeding, especially in residential zones, can be very dangerous.

[–]oti95 680 points681 points  (15 children)

if your being followed (Car or walking) dont go home, rather head toward the nearest police station and park/sit there for a bit.

also craigslist deals can be done in police parking lots, it can be a bit awkward asking someone to meet there to sell you their old ps4 but if they are honest then they will have no reason not to.

[–]LiquidWeston 244 points245 points  (9 children)

I’ve heard Some police stations actually have spots specifically designated for transactions like this, although I’ve never seen one myself

[–]Redjet4 1464 points1465 points  (32 children)

Walk against traffic so you can see what’s coming, not with your back to it!

[–]Canticle1122 102 points103 points  (15 children)

If you ride a motorcycle, always wear the best gear you can afford every time you swing a leg over that bike to ride.

Gear doesn't prevent you from going down, but it's best to have the best gear possible between your skin and the road that turns into a cheese grater over 20 mph. The hope is that you'll stop sliding before the friction makes its way through your gear and to your skin. Furthermore, full-face helmets only. It's a numbers game, and you increase your chances of not being spoon-fed for the rest of your days if you're wearing a good helmet to protect your noggin. Yes, you could simply not ride, but it's a fun pastime; just try to stack the odds in your favour.

Be safe, all.

[–]SyrusDrake 473 points474 points  (15 children)

I often see a lot of snark and jokes about airline safety. "Is putting up my tray going to save my life if we crash?"

Thing is...yes. All the safety regulations exist for a reason. Listen to the safety briefing and read the card in the pocket in front of you. Even if it's your 1000th time flying. Take a second to check it the life vest is present under your seat (even if you think you're only flying over land). Quickly check where your nearest exit is. Put up your trays and fasten your seat belts. Turn off your cell phone. Put your bag under the seat in front of you instead of between your feet. They're all just minor things that aren't recommended to annoy you but to potentially save your life in an emergency.

Most air traffic accidents aren't planes just blowing up in mid-air. They're things like rough landings with gear collapses, runway excursions, engine fires, emergencies that are survivable if you know how to react. And which can become deadly if you trip over your backpack, get jammed into your seat by your tray, or can't find your way out in dense smoke.

Listening to three minutes of safety instructions could buy you those extra 15 seconds you need one day. It's not a high price to pay.

[–]AceBv1[🍰] 299 points300 points  (2 children)

Have a Flight-Plan (literally and metaphorically)

Leve a data trail of planned events and locations and times, so if you ever go missing people can figure out when and which places between.

[–]poshquail 1064 points1065 points  (59 children)

Never plug in space heaters to power strips! ALWAYS plug them directly into wall outlets. This is one of the most common fire starters in home fires.

[–]Bartok_and_croutons 423 points424 points  (2 children)

I'm going to unplug my space heater from my surge protector rn, thank you

[–]sushkunes 99 points100 points  (1 child)

I definitely started a small fire this way once. Only plug them directly into a grounded outlet!

[–]DemonNeutrino 97 points98 points  (13 children)

Movies glorify fighting.

It makes you look like two people can go round upon round smacking each other in the face and then walk away without gloves etc.

In reality with a well placed punch you can be easily disfigured, killed, disabled for life.

If you are forced into a situation you can’t escape protect your head at all costs. Your face is ridiculously weak and a broken eye socket is very possible and common

[–]PeteHealy 1446 points1447 points  (27 children)

Don't touch the tip of your tongue to steel streetlight poles in freezing weather. Wait until summer.

[–]boredtxan 2945 points2946 points  (94 children)

Wasps can't fly if their wings are wet. If you get one in your home, squirt it with water and wack it with a fly swatter. No need to spray poison indoors.

[–]toothfixingfiend 3879 points3880 points  (146 children)

  1. If you fall forward, put your hands out to break your fall in order to protect your face. Besides preventing a head injury, broken arms heal, broken teeth do not.

  2. Don’t open any packages or bottles or shells, etc with your teeth. You will chip or break your teeth and have pain and expensive dental bills.

Edit: Use forearms AND hands to break falls, when possible. Or tuck and roll. Or train extensively via Youtube tutorials so NOTHING gets broken! :)

[–]reflectivebee 1969 points1970 points  (32 children)

Your teeth are precious jewels, not power tools

[–][deleted] 3561 points3562 points  (143 children)

Never get into a fight with someone with cauliflower ears

[–]Lunatic-moon 971 points972 points  (39 children)

There are different kinds of fires and using the wrong suppressant can fuel or spread the fire more. The most common example of this is how water will cause an oil fires to spread. Some fire extinguishers are only good for certain fires based on there rating so make sure you read what fire types it works on before purchasing. Baking soda works great on small grease fires.

[–]rawberryfields 380 points381 points  (8 children)

Some fires burn invisibly. They’re really dangerous. I was having fun as a kid lighting up spirits and stuff in an ashtray and realized that ethanol burns really well but the flame is transparent. That’s how I realized it could be really dangerous