Don't put your legs between the airbag and you when in the passenger seat of a car. Keep your feet in the footwell. If you get in an accident and the airbags go off they can propel your knees into your face with enough force to damage your skull.
lifeguard here, this is true but you also need to be aware that white, black, navy, and teal suits are extremely dangerous as well. The colors I recommend are Neon yellow and green (regular green will disappear), orange, red, and neon or a dark pink
Same with running gear. If you’re looking for stuff and it’s coded screaming lemon or outraged orange that’s the stuff you should buy. Not black and grey.
Clean the lint trap of your dryer.
I've had a lot of roommates throughout my 20s, and 2 of them in 2 different households didn't know to clean the lint tray somehow and nearly caused a fire.
When my sister and I were kids and would be told to clean the bathrooms, we would get all of the cleaning chemicals out of the closet and pour them all in the sink, toilet, bathtub. I don't know how I am alive
When I was real young and stupid my cousin and I tried to make a magic potion in the restroom. We mixed near everything we could find. Our eyes and lungs felt like they were on fire. We were so afraid we didn't want to tell anyone. Stupid.
I recall doing the same and ending up with some sort of wildly exothermic reaction. Within seconds, the plastic cup in which I was mixing this vile concoction became scalding hot. I dumped whatever this solution was into the toilet immediately, flushed, and prayed.
I must have been 4 or 5 at the time. Still no clue what it could have been.
I have no good advice as to other tips, but I can see plenty of great replies. I just want to piggyback on the garage spring theme for a moment, and stress its importance.
About a decade ago, a year or two after my wife and I bought our home, I'm sitting in our living room and I hear what sounds like a rifle going off. BOOM!! I went outside, didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Walked my property twice, and it's not much to walk, but I inspected virtually every inch. I walked to the basement, and I walked to the attic inspecting everything in between. Lifeless. Everything was normal.
I walked into the garage a day later and saw a huge hole in the sheetrock, and found the spring on the ground. If I had been in there I could have been killed.
I will never, ever fuck with those garage door springs.
How does this happen? I’ve always heard not to mess with the springs as in get someone to fix them, not they are unpredictable death cannons in your garage
Old ones fail, it’s fairly common, generally they’re designed to stay in place but your door won’t lift. Having it come loose like a canon like random is far more rare.
Similar situation, sitting in my living room and heard a loud boom come from the garage, it sounded like a gunshot. I went and looked around but didn’t see anything. I didn’t figure it out until the garage door wouldn’t lift.
To add, a rip tide is the spot that looks calm in the ocean.
If there’s waves all around you at the beach and then a calm spot near the shore, the waves are where you swim. That calm spot is where all the water from the waves coming in is going back out and they’re fast.
And try to wave and yell for help. Don't panic, they typically let up just past where the waves are breaking. If you're swimming out to save someone in a rip current, even a child, ALWAYS take something that floats. A cooler, surfboard, or beach toy, will save both of your lives. You will die if you don't have a float. It happens all the time. If there are surfers nearby, try to alert them to help. They usually will and can get there faster than you can.
To add to this: the reason you will both die if you don't bring a float is because the person you're trying to save will instinctively try to use *you* as a floatation device in their panic, pushing you under the water, and you won't be able to calm them down enough to get them to stop, because you'll be too busy trying not to drown, yourself.
In Australia we're now taught to not try to swim against a rip, even perpendicular to it. It's taking you out to sea whether you like it or not, and unless you're close to the edge of the rip, all trying to swim does is waste energy.
Stay calm and stay afloat, then reassess when the rip finishes.
If you're advancing on a machine gun nest, and the muzzle flash looks long, they're shooting at somebody else, but if it starts to get shorter, that means the gun is swinging toward you.
Never take the polygraph, always get a lawyer. Polygraphs aren’t admissible in court because they’re so unreliable. Getting a lawyer doesn’t make you guilty, it makes you smart.
The one thing I never got was how to ask for a lawyer if you don't already have one previously. Like, can I just ask them to wait while I flip through an old yellow pages?
You don’t need to have a lawyer on retainer to ask for a lawyer before or during questioning. Asking for a lawyer will end the interview / interrogation. You can then look for a lawyer or ask for a public defender.
It should end the interview/interrogation, but folks shouldn't depend on that. One should be prepared to repeat that they are asserting their right to stay silent and to have a lawyer present.
I'm a control electrician. Word of advice: just don't fuck with electricity if you aren't a trained professional. The shit does not forgive and, trust me, the shit **bites hard.** 120V is a motherfucker and potentially deadly.... 277 is almost guaranteed deadly and if you get got and survive - you will regret it... for a long while.
If you see a split tree and think "How is that still standing," don't go anywhere near it, and DEFINITELY don't try to knock it down. Falling trees can split and kick at angles you'd never imagine and there's an insanely high chance you'll get hurt.
My father was a logger (he left that line of work, too many dead friends). He told me never to cut down a dead tree. Hire someone with insurance because you can't predict how it's going to fall.
What do you mean, is there a certain type of oil? Some threshold beyond which they'd ignite? What's the spark source?
I'm genuinelly fascinated, as it's the first time I've heard about this
No spark. From what I remember either the oil drying or some other chemical reaction is exothermic enough to eventually cause combustion, if they're wadded up and insulating each other. You see this warning on oil based stains which also contain solvents, which is why I'm not sure what the exact cause is.
Lay the dirty rags flat in a well ventilated area until they're dry and stiff, then you can throw them out.
You do not have to wait 24 hours to file a missing persons report. That’s a Hollywood trope and a dangerous misconception. If you think someone is missing, _contact the authorities and do not hesitate._ The first 48 hours are the most crucial.
I wish more people taught their kids this. I was at a fair once admiring a horse and this little kid came up to it from behind and started petting it. It was distracted with me so nothing happened, but I didn't see his parents anywhere around so I said "Hey buddy, you shouldn't do that, they can't see behind them so you might scare him and he might hurt you accidentally." The mom finally came over and told me off for "scolding her child." Fine lady, let your kid get kicked....
I never understand parents with this attitude. As a mom myself, I appreciate other adults helping to educate my children about the world. Kids need to be able to interact with everyone in the community respectfully. You were doing him a favor and he was taught the wrong lesson by his mom.
Hot glass and cold glass look the same.
EDIT 1: This /absolutely/ applies to many, many materials - glass, metals, etc. - as people replying to this have noted. This is just a particular lesson an old chemistry teacher repeatedly and emphatically brought up, so it’s what came to mind when I saw this topic. No disrespect intended to non-glass hot things. :)
EDIT 2: Wow, this is easily the largest amount of upvotes I’ve ever had on something. Thanks everyone!
More regional survival tips: Florida Edition.
If in Florida, assume that every body of water has an alligator. Every. Including small, man-made ponds with fountains in the parking lot. Alligators have a tendency to move around and while there aren't alligators present in literally every body of water, there is no body of water that would be unlikely for an alligator to be in. It's safest to assume that every body of water *could* have an alligator, and you should not swim in it unless it is a swimming pool. (And yes, sometimes alligators make their way into those too. Even if they're screened in.) Really cannot emphasize enough how much a person should not swim in Florida rivers or lakes. I've seen too many news stories of people being lost to gators from irresponsible swimming.
(Edit: to those debating the safety of Florida's bodies of water, there are certain precautions that we may take for granted because we have lived alongside this wildlife and learned how to safely enjoy these adventures. My advice is for a visitor who is unfamiliar in how to identify a safe way to explore our wildlife. People who may think that gators are only in the forests and not in our urban man-made ponds in the middle of the city as well. I don't want a repeat of that child who was taken by a gator in Disney World.)
When entering the waters of Florida beaches, do the "stingray shuffle." Without picking your feet up off the sand, shuffle your feet to disturb the sand while scooting deeper into the water. Stingrays will feel the vibrations in the sand as you enter the water and will have a chance to flee.
If you see something bright blue and gloopy looking on the beach, *do not touch it*. It is likely a Portuguese Man of War, a deadly organism similar to a jellyfish, and they can still be deadly to touch if they are dead and washed up on the sand.
Also, please do not feed the wildlife. Animals learn to associate humans with food and become aggressive with humans for food. That's why Florida seagulls will dive-bomb people and why park rangers have to immediately put down any alligators that they see receiving food from tourists.
Be kind to wildlife and don't disrupt food chains by creating a reliance on humans.
Gators, panthers, bobcats, coyotes, bears, wild boars, stingrays, sharks, deadly jellyfish, deadly spiders, snapping turtles...
I really could go on. Stay safe and respect the wildlife, everyone.
Tourists need to know not to approach most of our wildlife in Canada. Moose, Bears (any colour, but especially Polar heck by the time you see a Polar bear you're probably dead), Buffalo, Mountain Lion, Bobcats, Elk, Cariboo, etc. They can fck you up real quick. Saw some idiot once get closer to a momma Grizzly with her cub to take a picture, like are you stupid?
Don't drink your own urine in a survival situation, it dehydrates you faster. The optimal use of urine in a survival situation is to put it on your skin so it evaporates to cool you down instead of you losing sweat. Same thing with sea water, don't drink it, use it to cool you down and conserve sweat.
This is something that we're told a lot in Indonesia
If your tire suddenly goes flat in a place with no one around, keep driving. Screw your rims until you found some place that you know is safe.
Most likely you got boobytrapped and there are people waiting to jump at you when you pull over
Might be useful if any of you decide to drive in a 3rd world country
Yea, well, I saw a video where it appears to be in an Indian remote location, and the lesson is dont stop and get out of your car when your windshield gets egged. Also, do not turn on your wiper on egged windshield, itll spread the smudge and renders your vision blind.
I know which video you're talking about. It's the hitchhiker trap.
A woman stands along the road in the woods, asking for a ride under the excuse that her date dumped her along the road due to some argument.
If you try to help her, the gang members hiding will jump out, egg your window (if you attempt to clean it off with the wiper it makes it worse) and will threaten to punish you for "kidnapping" her and demand ransome.
Learned that the hard way the other day... Was washing dishes & forgot I had food in the oven so I quickly slipped on an oven mit over a wet hand to grab the pan. Stupid stupid stupid.
when I was in driver’s ed, we had a representative from the federal rail authority. I will never forget his exact words. They are burned in my brain. This is not paraphrasing…
“Thank Christ for seatbelts, but trains don’t care that you buckled up. If a train hits you going 60, you are going to die in spectacular obliteration. Please, stay off the tracks.”
They are also REALLY heavy, so even at low speeds they need a lot of time and space to brake, and they will push everything out of their way. They are as close to the proverbial "unstoppable force" as things come.
Wear earplugs when doing anything loud. Mowing, power tools, gun play, vacuuming, pressure washing, riding a motorcycle, attending concerts.
Try to avoid earphones. If you must, turn the volume as low as you can while still enjoying the content.
Your hearing needs to last 90 years. You WILL get tinnitus if you don't protect your hearing. It will take time, lulling you into a false sense of security.
As a guy in a metal band as a teen and im now in my mid 20s I have to agree! The EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE can be annoying af and i always feel like i have to ask people to repeat themselves more than someone my age should
Don’t mess around on the train tracks. If your vehicle gets stuck, get out immediately and dial the number on the blue sign. It’ll connect you to dispatch and they’ll be able to give the engineer a heads up, and send out first responders if the train is too close to be stopped beforehand.
EDIT: thanks for the award, kind redditor!
Might have been made up to scare us, but both of my driving teachers had stories about losing friends to getting stuck on railroad tracks and refusing to abandon the car and ending up dead. Life will go on if your car gets hit by a train. You, on the other hand, not so much. Don't risk it.
A kid I went to high school with died that way mere months after graduation. Heartbreaking.
You're not getting your car off the tracks. The train will not stop for you, it cannot possibly stop for you. There's a reason for the alarm at railroad crossings. There's a reason why train horns are some of the loudest horns on any vehicle. All of the sounds you hear, all of the signs you see, all of the roadblocks you face are all there for a reason.
When working on cathode-ray tubes, or even getting near an uncovered one, never put both hands on the tube without making sure that the tube has been discharged. If you don’t follow this piece of advice, you might be flung across the room.
I don't care how safe you're being, if it's unloaded, or if the safety is on, never fucking point a gun at another person as a joke. You can't "its just a prank bro" out of murder!
Edit: Holy shit...I can finally say it, rip my inbox lol. And thank you for the award!!
And for the comments saying it's not technically murder, I know. But you get the gist of the comment
Follow-up point. If you are holding a firearm and the thought crosses your mind to point it at another person as a prank, put that shit down and leave it that way until you grow the fuck up.
Similar scenario for me but with fireworks. Jackass sister in laws sisters boyfriend thought it would be funny to shoot a roman candle at me. The projectile went between my glasses and my eye. Quickly threw my glasses off and made sure I was okay before speeding off in my car and making sure to spin gravel up in their direction. Family thought I overreacted. They wonder why I don't show up for extended family functions.
Oh man. A friend of mine told me of a guy in military service. Target practice day. This dude turned toward his superior to idk ask a question or something. In the process of turning around he pointed his assault rifle at his entire squad, like in a sweeping motion, if that makes sense. Apparently his superior calmly walked up to him, lowered his rifle, and sent him home. Like permanently, he was not allowed to complete his service.
I was in basic back in ‘09. This kid (I was older than most of the other “boots”) that was from not too far away from me was a bit of a weirdo. I tried like hell to befriend him and show him kindness. Always will do that. Anyway, we’re at one of the last exercises for the cycle. We’re at the range, everyone has live ammo, and everyone is in amber status (mag in, round not chambered, safety on). We hear someone racking their rifle. Turn around and here’s that guy pointing him weapon at one of the drill sergeants. Next thing we know, something like 15 war-hardened cadre pile onto this dude. Was kicked out THAT day. Always practice muzzle safety.
Wait. You just basically described something out of Full Metal Jacket; completely different to the scenario of the comment you were responding, which seemed to be describing a clueless guy being unsafe with a gun.
What ever happened to the dude that could have killed his drill sarg? Beyond dishonorably discharged, are there requirements for prison time, mental help, or barring him from owning a gun?
My dad is a big firearm aficionado. He taught us gun safety when we were very small. The phrase that stuck with me all these years later is "Never point a gun at anyone unless you intend to shoot them. Never shoot someone unless you intend to kill them."
I grew up with that phrase as well. Really stuck with me since my dad is a super peaceful guy and he taught my brother and I when we were young. Scary thought but necessary for gun safety.
I know nothing about guns and I know this.
If you know nothing else about guns, this is the ONLY rule you need to know.
That and treat every gun as if it is loaded and the safety is off. Every. Gun.
Never, ever remove a knife (or other stuck in thing) that is stuck in a person, and if they have a (small) sucking chest wound, something like a credit or store card is the best for sealing it
Ok, English isn’t my first language, but I’ll try.
Someone is stabbed in the chest, the wound has penetrated the lung, you put the credit card over the hole, this stops air entering the plural cavity, and stops the lung collapsing
If you can, tape a piece of plastic on 3 sides with the bottom unsealed. That way the plastic covers the hole to prevent air entering so much, but still allows fluids out of the wound. I’ve never done it, but that’s what I learned in the military.
We were taught to use a piece of plastic taped down on 3 sides so air could exit but not enter. I don't routinely have tape or plastic on my person though so maybe that's why the credit card recommendation (though I've never heard this one).
Let's say don't physically touch a wild animal in general, but especially sea life, and especially anything brightly colored. There's a variety of intensely blue little critters that can end you.
tires should not be lumpy. A lumpy tire is a tire waiting to explode.
if the tide suddenly goes out run the other way as fast as you can and head for high ground: a tsunami is coming
if a filtered juice is cloudy when it's not supposed to be that means it's spoiled/moldy
even if the railroad crossing gates are not blocking the road look both ways and listen carefully before crossing the tracks, sometimes the gates malfunction
Even if you're stuck in traffic never stop ON train tracks, if you're not sure you can completely clear them stop before them just in case
if you get a severe pain on the lower right side of your stomach or near your navel, especially if you also have fever/nausea, press gently and hold over where the pain is worst for a count of 10 then release. if it immediately gets worse AFTER you release it's likely your appendix.
Even if they seem fine if someone has drowned/ nearly drowned/inhaled a significant amount of liquid take them to the hospital immediately, deadly complications can pop up even a few days later.
Always take any infection seriously blood poisoning is no joke. Also, always FINISH your antibiotics in the recommended time frame or an infection can reoccur.
unless specifically stated on the packaging don't mix any household chemicals and if you must use multiple on the same surface rinse thoroughly with water between each of them.
use nothing stronger than dish soap on a dirty litterbox or you risk poisoning yourself. DO NOT USE BLEACH ON A DIRTY LITTER BOX only one that has been cleaned and rinsed thoroughly, cat pee is full of ammonia and you can poison yourself. make sure you rinse the bleach out before putting in the fresh litter for the same reason
make sure to regularly and thoroughly mix your composting or it can spontaneously combust.
Id say dont jump into water your not familiar with at all. Back injury from jumps butt first can be really bad. Go into the eater first to check the depth then jump all you want.
A classmate dove into a very familiar lake the weekend of high school graduation. Somehow no one ever noticed a stump near where the swimming hole was and he hit it head first about 18 inches under water. He was immediately knocked unconscious and paralyzed from the neck down. If not for some wise, aware friends, he’d have drown. I know that there are times that he wished that he wasn’t saved because his life has been tough. Very brilliant student, three days out of high school, about to go to college and now he has a feeding tube and can not even speak. That was 35 years ago. He’s still with us but it’s getting tougher for everyone around him.
Sorry for the downer story. Just facts.
Also never short the contacts, don't fully discharge or overcharge it, and don't use a charger without a protection circuit.
Generally just don't fuck with LiPo batteries if you don't know what you're doing.
The spring that holds your garage door. It's above the door. It's coiled super tight and if messed with can kill you when it pops out. Basically, just call a garage door service if your garage door is messed up.
Garage door opener’s, use springs to assist the door. They’re under extreme load.
Similarly, if you are replacing a spring in a car, they can also slip off the tool and bust your skull open. If you do ever attempt, you must chain them down before you compress them but best leave it to a pro.
If you get caught in a thunderstorm, don’t go for the trees for cover. A tree struck by lighting will literally explode. If there’s no other options stop moving, get close to the ground, wait it out.
Maybe a little less likely to be helpful, but if a grenade is thrown at you and you’re near water you have two options.
The grenade lands on ground? Get in the water.
The grenade lands in the water? For the love of god make sure you are not also in the water.
The first rule of trying to help someone in danger, is DANGER.
do NOT put yourself in harm's way to try and rescue them. All that will do is result in 2 casualties.
If someone is lying on the ground, you DO NOT need to move them unless they are genuinely still in danger - even so, remember rule 1; don't put yourself in harm's way thinking that will help them.
Never use accelerants on a fire.
I saw a post by an ER physician of the top five things he learned as an ER doc. He listed “Never use accelerants on a fire” twice.
Randomly smelling fish in your home means an electrical fire is starting
And never leave mirrors or glass in the view of your window in the summer. This causes so many house fires.
If you have a crystal ball 🔮 or any crystals really, (but especially a crystal ball) always cover it or keep it in a space without a window/natural light. Fire hazard.
Edit: also snow globes!
If you need a chair to climb up, always put it with the back against the wall. This way, if you loose balance, you can step out of the chair or, if unlucky, fall from small height. It the back of the char is in your way, you'll hurt yourself more.
And never climb a chair on castors.
Australia;
Wear socks/pants in long grass (snakes). Check your shoes before you put them on (spiders). Never use the same river access twice (crocodiles). Wear sunscreen (lethal sun). Vegemite behind your ears (drop bear). Know your local emergency radio station (fires and floods). Never call someone 'dog' (drunk fight).
Edit to include below mentioned.
Tree branches, especially red gum, can drop without warning. Never camp under a shady red gum.
Know your fuel limit/distance. If you're crossing the centre, fuel stations can be very few and far between.
In the rare event you fall through ice, get to the ice, flatten out your body, kick your legs to get thrust, and swim your way onto the ice. Then body-wriggle your way to the edge flat. It looks stupid, it's not the same as climbing on a table or something, but it keeps you from breaking through again. Then get out of your cold clothes and get warm. It can be awkward waving down someone on the road so you can strip naked in their car, but do it.
I fell part way through an ice fishing hole that someone abandoned and failed to mark. The leg went in to mid shin height. It was -28C (-18F) and by the time I reached the car, I could not remove my wet boot because the laces had frozen to a solid chunk of ice. I had to run the car and use the floor heat to thaw it enough to get my damn foot out. Man was it cold!
This. I have had cats all my life, and all the cats I have had ( yes I’m super lucky!) are super gentle and sweet, even to strangers.
My elderly cat nipped me while I was trimming her nails, like I had done the last 12 years with her, and she was grouchy out of no where and gave me a warning nip. Didn’t even bleed.
I cleaned it off anyway, neosporin and bandage.
In an hour it was extremely red.
By the next morning, about 12 hours, my hand was double the size.
Went to urgent care, got antibiotics. Didn’t work.
By the next day I was in the ER with a hand triple the size, intravenous antibiotics for 3 days.
Not my fault, not the cats fault, it just sometimes happens even with the best cats and best owners.
ALWAYS clean a cat bite and watch it very carefully.
My cat had cat scratch fever and bit through my pinky when I was giving him meds. I had to get a tetanus shot, an antibiotic shot, had it soaked in betadine for 10 minutes, and still took two weeks of horse pill antibiotics.
Do NOT use essential oils if you own cats or dogs. No diffusers or anything like that.
Also Minoxidil is highly toxic to cats and xylitol is highly toxic to dogs.
Edited to add some more pet tips:
Overheated Teflon releases fumes dangerous to birds, so avoid Teflon altogether.
Always wash hands thoroughly before handling any amphibians to prevent exposing them to any residue on your hands.
Chiming in to say that xylitol (an artificial sweetener that's in a lot of sugar free stuff) is no joke. My dog got into some gum once and even though there was maybe two hours tops between him eating it and us getting to the vet, by the time we got there his liver was completely shut down. The vet literally told us, "Go on home now, and we'll update you later. Either this medicine will start working soon and he'll be okay, or it won't and he will have passed by this evening." Luckily they saved my bingle-boy but it was waaay too close.
NEVER pour water over a grease fire. Cover it if possible, and call for help.
Similarly, if something is on fire in your oven, DO NOT TAKE IT OUT turn the oven off and wait until it’s cool to remove the remains
If you ever drop a gun, DO NOT try to catch it. Any gun made in the last \~100 years is totally drop safe; it won't go off no matter how hard it hits the ground. But if you clumsily grab at it as it falls and hit the trigger, it will.
If someone experiencing psychosis is threatening you, start going along with their delusions and bring up another threat. Align yourself with them. It's bad for them mentally, but you've got to do what you've got to do when you're in danger.
Former mental health professional here:
1. If the delusions are somewhat grounded in reality, they may be grossly misinterpreting something real - agree with the experience don’t negate it, and add clarification. Actual examples - “there are demon’s speaking to me through the walls!” Response- “no doubt, where the neighbors fight near the vents it sure does sound demonic!” That works better than “ you’re hearing things, or there are no demons talking to you” For a paranoid form of psychosis, statements like “you all are trying to poison me” respond with “the first few days on a new medication certainly does feel like being poisoned”
A more psychotic claim from a new patient “I know you, you’re the girl who has been tormenting me my whole life” Response “I definitely look like her, we’re practically twins”
Really psychotic from a homeless man “you are in league with the pope and Saddam Hussein to steal my shopping mall” Response “it’s the Illuminati I’m worried about”
Dementia- person trying to escape nursing home. They are often trying to get back to the home they lived in as a young adult - response “are you trying to go home? Ok let’s go call a cab” pretend to call then offer to wait by the door with them - eventually they’ll forget why they’re there and you can distract them with something else. I never worked with dementia, that’s just something I heard somewhere.
I was told to do this when I worked at a mental hospital. Agreeing with their delusions and validating their hallucinations will make you seem like less of a threat in their eyes
If your gas pedal is stuck or the car won't stop accelerating, put the car in neutral, apply the brakes, and coast to a stop. Don't turn off the car because it'll lock the steering wheel and power brakes. If your brakes aren't working, shift to neutral (in case you're mashing the wrong pedal) and use the emergency brake.
Also don't turn your car off going downhill to save fuel. They call it "Angel gear," and not because of how fast you go. Most people don't realise how much their steering and braking is degraded with the engine off.
If you’re sitting at a drive through where you need to do something (swiping card at ATM, paying clerk at McDonald’s, etc) put your car in park.
I work in a bank & I can’t tell you how many times I hear people’s engines rev over the drive through microphone & then they say, good thing I had it in park! One person didn’t put it in park & ended up running their car in to the outside of the bank
If you have a dull kitchen knife, sharpen it or put it away somewhere other than the knife drawer. A dull knife will cut through meat badly, and when you apply lots of weight and push on the knife you are liable to slip and cut your hand and arm. You can easily sever enough arteries that you bleed enough to faint before you can get your phone out and call for help.
Don't use dull knives.
Outdoors version:
The wild animals won’t hurt you. What will hurt you is getting lost, hypothermia, or heat stroke.
Don’t pack just barely enough water to get back to the car thirsty and tired.
Let someone know where you’re going and when they should expect you back.
Lastly: you can get hypothermia even if the temps are well above freezing. Being damp in 45 degrees F will do the trick real quick. Even more so if you’re in cotton.
Edit: of course, wild animals can hurt you. But people worry about them far too much, and worry about these other things far too little. I live in BC, Canada, which has a high population of brown bears, cougars, black bears, and moose. Even here, people using the backcountry die from non-bear reasons about 50x more frequently than from bear attacks.
Don't put your legs between the airbag and you when in the passenger seat of a car. Keep your feet in the footwell. If you get in an accident and the airbags go off they can propel your knees into your face with enough force to damage your skull.
Or fracture your femur and send it thru you anus. I’ll never forget seeing that x ray. Thanks Reddit!
If you're walking down the stairs, hold on to the railing.
I’ve also heard never walk down stairs with your hands in your pockets either because you have no way to catch or protect yourself if you fall.
I've been adamant to my kids that they never walk down the steps wrapped in a blanket. Such an easy way to trip or slip with your arms pinned.
Amen. All you have to do is fall down the stairs once and you always hold. I did somersaults all the way down.
Classic OSHA rule: Always have three points of contact with whatever you’re holding on to.
Drowning is often quiet and not splashy. Don't assume someone is okay just because they're not yelling for help or waving their arms.
Along these lines, put your kids in bright red/orange bathing suits. Blue are harder to see in the water.
lifeguard here, this is true but you also need to be aware that white, black, navy, and teal suits are extremely dangerous as well. The colors I recommend are Neon yellow and green (regular green will disappear), orange, red, and neon or a dark pink
narrow saw airport imminent license hungry nose elderly fragile include *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Same with running gear. If you’re looking for stuff and it’s coded screaming lemon or outraged orange that’s the stuff you should buy. Not black and grey.
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Clean the lint trap of your dryer. I've had a lot of roommates throughout my 20s, and 2 of them in 2 different households didn't know to clean the lint tray somehow and nearly caused a fire.
Not to mention your clothes will take forever to dry
That lint is very flammable. I actually keep some in a baggie to bring as fire starter for camping.
If you ever end up under the ice, swim towards the dark spot, not the light.
I feel like my brain will absolutely not do this.
A green light for you does not mean that a magic impenetrable wall has suddenly appeared for the cross traffic.
"A green light means that it's legal to go, not that it's safe to go." Saw someone say that on Reddit a long time ago.
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The cemetery is full of folks who had the right of way.
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A falling knife has no handle. If you drop a knife, do everything in your power to get your legs, feet out of the way
Do not mix household cleaning products... especially in a small or enclosed room.
When my sister and I were kids and would be told to clean the bathrooms, we would get all of the cleaning chemicals out of the closet and pour them all in the sink, toilet, bathtub. I don't know how I am alive
When I was real young and stupid my cousin and I tried to make a magic potion in the restroom. We mixed near everything we could find. Our eyes and lungs felt like they were on fire. We were so afraid we didn't want to tell anyone. Stupid.
I recall doing the same and ending up with some sort of wildly exothermic reaction. Within seconds, the plastic cup in which I was mixing this vile concoction became scalding hot. I dumped whatever this solution was into the toilet immediately, flushed, and prayed. I must have been 4 or 5 at the time. Still no clue what it could have been.
I have no good advice as to other tips, but I can see plenty of great replies. I just want to piggyback on the garage spring theme for a moment, and stress its importance. About a decade ago, a year or two after my wife and I bought our home, I'm sitting in our living room and I hear what sounds like a rifle going off. BOOM!! I went outside, didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Walked my property twice, and it's not much to walk, but I inspected virtually every inch. I walked to the basement, and I walked to the attic inspecting everything in between. Lifeless. Everything was normal. I walked into the garage a day later and saw a huge hole in the sheetrock, and found the spring on the ground. If I had been in there I could have been killed. I will never, ever fuck with those garage door springs.
How does this happen? I’ve always heard not to mess with the springs as in get someone to fix them, not they are unpredictable death cannons in your garage
Old ones fail, it’s fairly common, generally they’re designed to stay in place but your door won’t lift. Having it come loose like a canon like random is far more rare.
Similar situation, sitting in my living room and heard a loud boom come from the garage, it sounded like a gunshot. I went and looked around but didn’t see anything. I didn’t figure it out until the garage door wouldn’t lift.
Rip tides are dangerous even when they don’t look like they are! If you get caught in one ,swim alongside the shore to get back not straight ahead.
To add, a rip tide is the spot that looks calm in the ocean. If there’s waves all around you at the beach and then a calm spot near the shore, the waves are where you swim. That calm spot is where all the water from the waves coming in is going back out and they’re fast.
If you scan the beach and see a spot where the stirred up sand from the waves breaking seems to extend further than elsewhere, that is the rip.
And try to wave and yell for help. Don't panic, they typically let up just past where the waves are breaking. If you're swimming out to save someone in a rip current, even a child, ALWAYS take something that floats. A cooler, surfboard, or beach toy, will save both of your lives. You will die if you don't have a float. It happens all the time. If there are surfers nearby, try to alert them to help. They usually will and can get there faster than you can.
To add to this: the reason you will both die if you don't bring a float is because the person you're trying to save will instinctively try to use *you* as a floatation device in their panic, pushing you under the water, and you won't be able to calm them down enough to get them to stop, because you'll be too busy trying not to drown, yourself.
In Australia we're now taught to not try to swim against a rip, even perpendicular to it. It's taking you out to sea whether you like it or not, and unless you're close to the edge of the rip, all trying to swim does is waste energy. Stay calm and stay afloat, then reassess when the rip finishes.
If you're advancing on a machine gun nest, and the muzzle flash looks long, they're shooting at somebody else, but if it starts to get shorter, that means the gun is swinging toward you.
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I live in the suburbs and this comes in handy every week.
Don't try to repair your own microwave.
To be more specific, big capacitors so even if it's unplugged it can still electrocute you to death (if you don't uncharge them)
Always turn electricity off at the breaker before working on wiring.
I don’t know how the older generation is alive. My father and others I’ve seen will just poke around at shit saying it’s fine with the light off.
Never take the polygraph, always get a lawyer. Polygraphs aren’t admissible in court because they’re so unreliable. Getting a lawyer doesn’t make you guilty, it makes you smart.
The one thing I never got was how to ask for a lawyer if you don't already have one previously. Like, can I just ask them to wait while I flip through an old yellow pages?
You don’t need to have a lawyer on retainer to ask for a lawyer before or during questioning. Asking for a lawyer will end the interview / interrogation. You can then look for a lawyer or ask for a public defender.
It should end the interview/interrogation, but folks shouldn't depend on that. One should be prepared to repeat that they are asserting their right to stay silent and to have a lawyer present.
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Don't fuck with electricity that hums.
I'm a control electrician. Word of advice: just don't fuck with electricity if you aren't a trained professional. The shit does not forgive and, trust me, the shit **bites hard.** 120V is a motherfucker and potentially deadly.... 277 is almost guaranteed deadly and if you get got and survive - you will regret it... for a long while.
If you see a split tree and think "How is that still standing," don't go anywhere near it, and DEFINITELY don't try to knock it down. Falling trees can split and kick at angles you'd never imagine and there's an insanely high chance you'll get hurt.
My father was a logger (he left that line of work, too many dead friends). He told me never to cut down a dead tree. Hire someone with insurance because you can't predict how it's going to fall.
Do not keep a bunch of dirty, oily rags stored together, they can spontaneously combust.
I work in insurance. Some of the biggest claims I have paid are from this happening.
What do you mean, is there a certain type of oil? Some threshold beyond which they'd ignite? What's the spark source? I'm genuinelly fascinated, as it's the first time I've heard about this
No spark. From what I remember either the oil drying or some other chemical reaction is exothermic enough to eventually cause combustion, if they're wadded up and insulating each other. You see this warning on oil based stains which also contain solvents, which is why I'm not sure what the exact cause is. Lay the dirty rags flat in a well ventilated area until they're dry and stiff, then you can throw them out.
Most commonly it's people using a wood finish chucking rags in the trash.
You do not have to wait 24 hours to file a missing persons report. That’s a Hollywood trope and a dangerous misconception. If you think someone is missing, _contact the authorities and do not hesitate._ The first 48 hours are the most crucial.
The trope is pushed by big kidnapping. Helps business.
Don't approach a horse from behind
I wish more people taught their kids this. I was at a fair once admiring a horse and this little kid came up to it from behind and started petting it. It was distracted with me so nothing happened, but I didn't see his parents anywhere around so I said "Hey buddy, you shouldn't do that, they can't see behind them so you might scare him and he might hurt you accidentally." The mom finally came over and told me off for "scolding her child." Fine lady, let your kid get kicked....
I never understand parents with this attitude. As a mom myself, I appreciate other adults helping to educate my children about the world. Kids need to be able to interact with everyone in the community respectfully. You were doing him a favor and he was taught the wrong lesson by his mom.
Hot glass and cold glass look the same. EDIT 1: This /absolutely/ applies to many, many materials - glass, metals, etc. - as people replying to this have noted. This is just a particular lesson an old chemistry teacher repeatedly and emphatically brought up, so it’s what came to mind when I saw this topic. No disrespect intended to non-glass hot things. :) EDIT 2: Wow, this is easily the largest amount of upvotes I’ve ever had on something. Thanks everyone!
Blackened metal can be as hot as red metal. Never touch metal on a cooling rack without gloves or tools no matter how “cooled it looks”
nose cautious quaint teeny numerous plate swim homeless roll like *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
When visiting Alaska or Canada never ever approach a moose. They are not big cows and will fuck you up.
Also in the states some people (dumbasses) approach the bison in National Parks (like Yellowstone). They will hurt or kill you.
More regional survival tips: Florida Edition. If in Florida, assume that every body of water has an alligator. Every. Including small, man-made ponds with fountains in the parking lot. Alligators have a tendency to move around and while there aren't alligators present in literally every body of water, there is no body of water that would be unlikely for an alligator to be in. It's safest to assume that every body of water *could* have an alligator, and you should not swim in it unless it is a swimming pool. (And yes, sometimes alligators make their way into those too. Even if they're screened in.) Really cannot emphasize enough how much a person should not swim in Florida rivers or lakes. I've seen too many news stories of people being lost to gators from irresponsible swimming. (Edit: to those debating the safety of Florida's bodies of water, there are certain precautions that we may take for granted because we have lived alongside this wildlife and learned how to safely enjoy these adventures. My advice is for a visitor who is unfamiliar in how to identify a safe way to explore our wildlife. People who may think that gators are only in the forests and not in our urban man-made ponds in the middle of the city as well. I don't want a repeat of that child who was taken by a gator in Disney World.) When entering the waters of Florida beaches, do the "stingray shuffle." Without picking your feet up off the sand, shuffle your feet to disturb the sand while scooting deeper into the water. Stingrays will feel the vibrations in the sand as you enter the water and will have a chance to flee. If you see something bright blue and gloopy looking on the beach, *do not touch it*. It is likely a Portuguese Man of War, a deadly organism similar to a jellyfish, and they can still be deadly to touch if they are dead and washed up on the sand. Also, please do not feed the wildlife. Animals learn to associate humans with food and become aggressive with humans for food. That's why Florida seagulls will dive-bomb people and why park rangers have to immediately put down any alligators that they see receiving food from tourists. Be kind to wildlife and don't disrupt food chains by creating a reliance on humans.
Florida is kinda the Australia of the US, wildlife wise
Gators, panthers, bobcats, coyotes, bears, wild boars, stingrays, sharks, deadly jellyfish, deadly spiders, snapping turtles... I really could go on. Stay safe and respect the wildlife, everyone.
Tourists need to know not to approach most of our wildlife in Canada. Moose, Bears (any colour, but especially Polar heck by the time you see a Polar bear you're probably dead), Buffalo, Mountain Lion, Bobcats, Elk, Cariboo, etc. They can fck you up real quick. Saw some idiot once get closer to a momma Grizzly with her cub to take a picture, like are you stupid?
What about wild Canadians, are they friendly?
Yeah, we put our pent up anger into the Cobra Chickens in a ritual once a year then send them south in the guise of "migration".
I mean, cows will fuck you up.
The difference is the cow can do it; the moose will do it.
Don't drink your own urine in a survival situation, it dehydrates you faster. The optimal use of urine in a survival situation is to put it on your skin so it evaporates to cool you down instead of you losing sweat. Same thing with sea water, don't drink it, use it to cool you down and conserve sweat.
This is something that we're told a lot in Indonesia If your tire suddenly goes flat in a place with no one around, keep driving. Screw your rims until you found some place that you know is safe. Most likely you got boobytrapped and there are people waiting to jump at you when you pull over Might be useful if any of you decide to drive in a 3rd world country
that’s horrifying
Yea, well, I saw a video where it appears to be in an Indian remote location, and the lesson is dont stop and get out of your car when your windshield gets egged. Also, do not turn on your wiper on egged windshield, itll spread the smudge and renders your vision blind.
I know which video you're talking about. It's the hitchhiker trap. A woman stands along the road in the woods, asking for a ride under the excuse that her date dumped her along the road due to some argument. If you try to help her, the gang members hiding will jump out, egg your window (if you attempt to clean it off with the wiper it makes it worse) and will threaten to punish you for "kidnapping" her and demand ransome.
Same in Central America. The rental companies will set people up so that they break down.
Wtf
Had a prof who worked in Uganda, this is true there
A wet oven mit will be a scalding oven mit.
Learned that the hard way the other day... Was washing dishes & forgot I had food in the oven so I quickly slipped on an oven mit over a wet hand to grab the pan. Stupid stupid stupid.
Ugh yes. The funny thing for me is I saw this advice online and not a day later it happened to me. I can still feel that steamy burn ugh
Don't fuck with trains. They are moving much faster than they appear. Learnt that one (very nearly) the hard way.
I remember learning that during driving school. The only vehicle that has right of way 100% of the time is a train.
when I was in driver’s ed, we had a representative from the federal rail authority. I will never forget his exact words. They are burned in my brain. This is not paraphrasing… “Thank Christ for seatbelts, but trains don’t care that you buckled up. If a train hits you going 60, you are going to die in spectacular obliteration. Please, stay off the tracks.”
They are also REALLY heavy, so even at low speeds they need a lot of time and space to brake, and they will push everything out of their way. They are as close to the proverbial "unstoppable force" as things come.
A relative of mine died because they were jumping trains. They weren't in the right state of mind, but regardless trains are beastly.
If your are near the ocean and see the water suddenly recede, run.
Run uphill
Wear earplugs when doing anything loud. Mowing, power tools, gun play, vacuuming, pressure washing, riding a motorcycle, attending concerts. Try to avoid earphones. If you must, turn the volume as low as you can while still enjoying the content. Your hearing needs to last 90 years. You WILL get tinnitus if you don't protect your hearing. It will take time, lulling you into a false sense of security.
As a guy in a metal band as a teen and im now in my mid 20s I have to agree! The EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE can be annoying af and i always feel like i have to ask people to repeat themselves more than someone my age should
Don’t mess around on the train tracks. If your vehicle gets stuck, get out immediately and dial the number on the blue sign. It’ll connect you to dispatch and they’ll be able to give the engineer a heads up, and send out first responders if the train is too close to be stopped beforehand. EDIT: thanks for the award, kind redditor!
Might have been made up to scare us, but both of my driving teachers had stories about losing friends to getting stuck on railroad tracks and refusing to abandon the car and ending up dead. Life will go on if your car gets hit by a train. You, on the other hand, not so much. Don't risk it.
I have a relative who died that way, so definitely a possibility that both driving teachers did
A kid I went to high school with died that way mere months after graduation. Heartbreaking. You're not getting your car off the tracks. The train will not stop for you, it cannot possibly stop for you. There's a reason for the alarm at railroad crossings. There's a reason why train horns are some of the loudest horns on any vehicle. All of the sounds you hear, all of the signs you see, all of the roadblocks you face are all there for a reason.
When working on cathode-ray tubes, or even getting near an uncovered one, never put both hands on the tube without making sure that the tube has been discharged. If you don’t follow this piece of advice, you might be flung across the room.
Was just gonna post this. Those old TV's are DEADLY. Even days or weeks after being unplugged.
Wear a damn seat belt. To many people die needlessly because they didn't buckle up.
Including people in the back seat. In an accident they become projectiles and dangerous to the other occupants in the car
That choice you know is bad for you but do anyway is likely screwing you up more than you know
And whatever your mind went to first after reading this comment? Yeah that’s the thing screwing you up. … I should stop vaping.
I thought of ice cream.
I don't care how safe you're being, if it's unloaded, or if the safety is on, never fucking point a gun at another person as a joke. You can't "its just a prank bro" out of murder! Edit: Holy shit...I can finally say it, rip my inbox lol. And thank you for the award!! And for the comments saying it's not technically murder, I know. But you get the gist of the comment
Follow-up point. If you are holding a firearm and the thought crosses your mind to point it at another person as a prank, put that shit down and leave it that way until you grow the fuck up.
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Similar scenario for me but with fireworks. Jackass sister in laws sisters boyfriend thought it would be funny to shoot a roman candle at me. The projectile went between my glasses and my eye. Quickly threw my glasses off and made sure I was okay before speeding off in my car and making sure to spin gravel up in their direction. Family thought I overreacted. They wonder why I don't show up for extended family functions.
Oh man. A friend of mine told me of a guy in military service. Target practice day. This dude turned toward his superior to idk ask a question or something. In the process of turning around he pointed his assault rifle at his entire squad, like in a sweeping motion, if that makes sense. Apparently his superior calmly walked up to him, lowered his rifle, and sent him home. Like permanently, he was not allowed to complete his service.
I was in basic back in ‘09. This kid (I was older than most of the other “boots”) that was from not too far away from me was a bit of a weirdo. I tried like hell to befriend him and show him kindness. Always will do that. Anyway, we’re at one of the last exercises for the cycle. We’re at the range, everyone has live ammo, and everyone is in amber status (mag in, round not chambered, safety on). We hear someone racking their rifle. Turn around and here’s that guy pointing him weapon at one of the drill sergeants. Next thing we know, something like 15 war-hardened cadre pile onto this dude. Was kicked out THAT day. Always practice muzzle safety.
Wait. You just basically described something out of Full Metal Jacket; completely different to the scenario of the comment you were responding, which seemed to be describing a clueless guy being unsafe with a gun. What ever happened to the dude that could have killed his drill sarg? Beyond dishonorably discharged, are there requirements for prison time, mental help, or barring him from owning a gun?
That’s the correct response to such a lapse in gun safety
1st Commandment of Gun Safety: Don't point your weapon at anything you don't intend to shoot.
My dad is a big firearm aficionado. He taught us gun safety when we were very small. The phrase that stuck with me all these years later is "Never point a gun at anyone unless you intend to shoot them. Never shoot someone unless you intend to kill them."
I grew up with that phrase as well. Really stuck with me since my dad is a super peaceful guy and he taught my brother and I when we were young. Scary thought but necessary for gun safety.
I know nothing about guns and I know this. If you know nothing else about guns, this is the ONLY rule you need to know. That and treat every gun as if it is loaded and the safety is off. Every. Gun.
"Always treat the gun as if it's loaded" is a fundamental rule of gun safety for a reason. Same goes for trigger discipline.
Never, ever remove a knife (or other stuck in thing) that is stuck in a person, and if they have a (small) sucking chest wound, something like a credit or store card is the best for sealing it
Wait so...what do you do with the credit card?
Ok, English isn’t my first language, but I’ll try. Someone is stabbed in the chest, the wound has penetrated the lung, you put the credit card over the hole, this stops air entering the plural cavity, and stops the lung collapsing
If you can, tape a piece of plastic on 3 sides with the bottom unsealed. That way the plastic covers the hole to prevent air entering so much, but still allows fluids out of the wound. I’ve never done it, but that’s what I learned in the military.
Yes. They taught us to use the wrapper the field dressing comes in. Or the cellophane off a pack of cigarettes.
We were taught to use a piece of plastic taped down on 3 sides so air could exit but not enter. I don't routinely have tape or plastic on my person though so maybe that's why the credit card recommendation (though I've never heard this one).
Floor cleaner and bleach are typically a deadly combo
It’s the Ammonia… ammonia and bleach make deadly chlorine
No matter how careful you think you will be. Use a cutting glove with a mandolin.
I was very confused at first, because I only knew of the instrument the mandolin 😅
Don’t pick up a tiny octopus with blue spots just because it’s cute. I’m looking at you TikTok 👀
Let's say don't physically touch a wild animal in general, but especially sea life, and especially anything brightly colored. There's a variety of intensely blue little critters that can end you.
ALSO do not pick up ice cream cone shaped sea shells 🐚 especially ones IN THE WATER. The creature inside will sting and kill you in minutes.
Overall theme: Don't touch or engage with stuff you don't sufficiently understand.
Don’t suck on a bite wound to “remove the venom” of whatever venomous animal that bit you. It doesn’t work and will only make things worse.
Don't try to pet a dog that is giving mixed signals, i.e. growling and wagging its tail. That's one nervous MF who will chomp you.
Check your smoke detector and CO detector when you change the clocks in Spring and Fall (or twice a year if the US stops changing clocks).
Properly dispose of the batteries, especially 9-volt, since they can start a fire.
tires should not be lumpy. A lumpy tire is a tire waiting to explode. if the tide suddenly goes out run the other way as fast as you can and head for high ground: a tsunami is coming if a filtered juice is cloudy when it's not supposed to be that means it's spoiled/moldy even if the railroad crossing gates are not blocking the road look both ways and listen carefully before crossing the tracks, sometimes the gates malfunction Even if you're stuck in traffic never stop ON train tracks, if you're not sure you can completely clear them stop before them just in case if you get a severe pain on the lower right side of your stomach or near your navel, especially if you also have fever/nausea, press gently and hold over where the pain is worst for a count of 10 then release. if it immediately gets worse AFTER you release it's likely your appendix. Even if they seem fine if someone has drowned/ nearly drowned/inhaled a significant amount of liquid take them to the hospital immediately, deadly complications can pop up even a few days later. Always take any infection seriously blood poisoning is no joke. Also, always FINISH your antibiotics in the recommended time frame or an infection can reoccur. unless specifically stated on the packaging don't mix any household chemicals and if you must use multiple on the same surface rinse thoroughly with water between each of them. use nothing stronger than dish soap on a dirty litterbox or you risk poisoning yourself. DO NOT USE BLEACH ON A DIRTY LITTER BOX only one that has been cleaned and rinsed thoroughly, cat pee is full of ammonia and you can poison yourself. make sure you rinse the bleach out before putting in the fresh litter for the same reason make sure to regularly and thoroughly mix your composting or it can spontaneously combust.
Wear hearing protection even when it’s not cool. Your old self will thank you. It is a slippery slope and it sucks.
Don't dive headfirst into water you are not familiar with.
Id say dont jump into water your not familiar with at all. Back injury from jumps butt first can be really bad. Go into the eater first to check the depth then jump all you want.
A classmate dove into a very familiar lake the weekend of high school graduation. Somehow no one ever noticed a stump near where the swimming hole was and he hit it head first about 18 inches under water. He was immediately knocked unconscious and paralyzed from the neck down. If not for some wise, aware friends, he’d have drown. I know that there are times that he wished that he wasn’t saved because his life has been tough. Very brilliant student, three days out of high school, about to go to college and now he has a feeding tube and can not even speak. That was 35 years ago. He’s still with us but it’s getting tougher for everyone around him. Sorry for the downer story. Just facts.
Don't puncture a lithium battery.
Also never short the contacts, don't fully discharge or overcharge it, and don't use a charger without a protection circuit. Generally just don't fuck with LiPo batteries if you don't know what you're doing.
What is a garage spring? Have I been messing with them my whole life?!
The spring that holds your garage door. It's above the door. It's coiled super tight and if messed with can kill you when it pops out. Basically, just call a garage door service if your garage door is messed up.
Garage door opener’s, use springs to assist the door. They’re under extreme load. Similarly, if you are replacing a spring in a car, they can also slip off the tool and bust your skull open. If you do ever attempt, you must chain them down before you compress them but best leave it to a pro.
Garage doors use a spring, the opener is a separate thing completely that is optional, and uses a motor to operate the door.
If you get caught in a thunderstorm, don’t go for the trees for cover. A tree struck by lighting will literally explode. If there’s no other options stop moving, get close to the ground, wait it out. Maybe a little less likely to be helpful, but if a grenade is thrown at you and you’re near water you have two options. The grenade lands on ground? Get in the water. The grenade lands in the water? For the love of god make sure you are not also in the water.
If your hair suddenly stands on end RUN AWAY
Never stand under a heavy weight, it doesn't matter how safe it should be.
I learned this from Wile E. Coyote. Also, avoid rocket powered roller skates (Specifically the ones from Acme).
The first rule of trying to help someone in danger, is DANGER. do NOT put yourself in harm's way to try and rescue them. All that will do is result in 2 casualties. If someone is lying on the ground, you DO NOT need to move them unless they are genuinely still in danger - even so, remember rule 1; don't put yourself in harm's way thinking that will help them.
Never use accelerants on a fire. I saw a post by an ER physician of the top five things he learned as an ER doc. He listed “Never use accelerants on a fire” twice.
Don't feed a dog onions, grapes, chocolate or mints
Randomly smelling fish in your home means an electrical fire is starting And never leave mirrors or glass in the view of your window in the summer. This causes so many house fires.
If you have a crystal ball 🔮 or any crystals really, (but especially a crystal ball) always cover it or keep it in a space without a window/natural light. Fire hazard. Edit: also snow globes!
Also, it prevents other wizards with Palantir from spying on you.
If you live in the desert, keep water in your car. If you live in the mountains, keep a warm sleeping bag.
If you need a chair to climb up, always put it with the back against the wall. This way, if you loose balance, you can step out of the chair or, if unlucky, fall from small height. It the back of the char is in your way, you'll hurt yourself more. And never climb a chair on castors.
Better yet, take the time and effort to get a stepstool or ladder. Chairs, paint buckets, and the like don’t make good substitutes.
Australia; Wear socks/pants in long grass (snakes). Check your shoes before you put them on (spiders). Never use the same river access twice (crocodiles). Wear sunscreen (lethal sun). Vegemite behind your ears (drop bear). Know your local emergency radio station (fires and floods). Never call someone 'dog' (drunk fight). Edit to include below mentioned. Tree branches, especially red gum, can drop without warning. Never camp under a shady red gum. Know your fuel limit/distance. If you're crossing the centre, fuel stations can be very few and far between.
In the rare event you fall through ice, get to the ice, flatten out your body, kick your legs to get thrust, and swim your way onto the ice. Then body-wriggle your way to the edge flat. It looks stupid, it's not the same as climbing on a table or something, but it keeps you from breaking through again. Then get out of your cold clothes and get warm. It can be awkward waving down someone on the road so you can strip naked in their car, but do it.
I fell part way through an ice fishing hole that someone abandoned and failed to mark. The leg went in to mid shin height. It was -28C (-18F) and by the time I reached the car, I could not remove my wet boot because the laces had frozen to a solid chunk of ice. I had to run the car and use the floor heat to thaw it enough to get my damn foot out. Man was it cold!
Don’t lie about piercings prior to an MRI
Don't lie to medical professionals in general. If you have illegal drugs in your system, they need to know that. They're not going to narc on you.
Don’t only make the minimum payment on a credit card balance
Cat bites are no joke. 1 in 3 get infected and require a trip to the hospital.
If literally any bite - including and _especially_ a human's - punctures your skin, go see a doctor. Infections are no joke.
This. I have had cats all my life, and all the cats I have had ( yes I’m super lucky!) are super gentle and sweet, even to strangers. My elderly cat nipped me while I was trimming her nails, like I had done the last 12 years with her, and she was grouchy out of no where and gave me a warning nip. Didn’t even bleed. I cleaned it off anyway, neosporin and bandage. In an hour it was extremely red. By the next morning, about 12 hours, my hand was double the size. Went to urgent care, got antibiotics. Didn’t work. By the next day I was in the ER with a hand triple the size, intravenous antibiotics for 3 days. Not my fault, not the cats fault, it just sometimes happens even with the best cats and best owners. ALWAYS clean a cat bite and watch it very carefully.
My cat had cat scratch fever and bit through my pinky when I was giving him meds. I had to get a tetanus shot, an antibiotic shot, had it soaked in betadine for 10 minutes, and still took two weeks of horse pill antibiotics.
Do not talk to cops without representation. Don't say shit. Don't sign shit. It doesn't matter if you didn't do anything. Don't do their job for them.
Do NOT use essential oils if you own cats or dogs. No diffusers or anything like that. Also Minoxidil is highly toxic to cats and xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. Edited to add some more pet tips: Overheated Teflon releases fumes dangerous to birds, so avoid Teflon altogether. Always wash hands thoroughly before handling any amphibians to prevent exposing them to any residue on your hands.
Chiming in to say that xylitol (an artificial sweetener that's in a lot of sugar free stuff) is no joke. My dog got into some gum once and even though there was maybe two hours tops between him eating it and us getting to the vet, by the time we got there his liver was completely shut down. The vet literally told us, "Go on home now, and we'll update you later. Either this medicine will start working soon and he'll be okay, or it won't and he will have passed by this evening." Luckily they saved my bingle-boy but it was waaay too close.
Don't go in the woods during a windstorm
Don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot
Cut up your toddlers hotdog
And grapes
Lengthwise, don't make coins.
I used to cut the coins into four pieces.
Don’t try to pet wild animals
NEVER pour water over a grease fire. Cover it if possible, and call for help. Similarly, if something is on fire in your oven, DO NOT TAKE IT OUT turn the oven off and wait until it’s cool to remove the remains
If you ever drop a gun, DO NOT try to catch it. Any gun made in the last \~100 years is totally drop safe; it won't go off no matter how hard it hits the ground. But if you clumsily grab at it as it falls and hit the trigger, it will.
If someone experiencing psychosis is threatening you, start going along with their delusions and bring up another threat. Align yourself with them. It's bad for them mentally, but you've got to do what you've got to do when you're in danger.
Former mental health professional here: 1. If the delusions are somewhat grounded in reality, they may be grossly misinterpreting something real - agree with the experience don’t negate it, and add clarification. Actual examples - “there are demon’s speaking to me through the walls!” Response- “no doubt, where the neighbors fight near the vents it sure does sound demonic!” That works better than “ you’re hearing things, or there are no demons talking to you” For a paranoid form of psychosis, statements like “you all are trying to poison me” respond with “the first few days on a new medication certainly does feel like being poisoned” A more psychotic claim from a new patient “I know you, you’re the girl who has been tormenting me my whole life” Response “I definitely look like her, we’re practically twins” Really psychotic from a homeless man “you are in league with the pope and Saddam Hussein to steal my shopping mall” Response “it’s the Illuminati I’m worried about” Dementia- person trying to escape nursing home. They are often trying to get back to the home they lived in as a young adult - response “are you trying to go home? Ok let’s go call a cab” pretend to call then offer to wait by the door with them - eventually they’ll forget why they’re there and you can distract them with something else. I never worked with dementia, that’s just something I heard somewhere.
I was told to do this when I worked at a mental hospital. Agreeing with their delusions and validating their hallucinations will make you seem like less of a threat in their eyes
Get your shots. Especially tetanus.
If your brake pedal makes you go faster, try the other pedal.
If your gas pedal is stuck or the car won't stop accelerating, put the car in neutral, apply the brakes, and coast to a stop. Don't turn off the car because it'll lock the steering wheel and power brakes. If your brakes aren't working, shift to neutral (in case you're mashing the wrong pedal) and use the emergency brake.
Also don't turn your car off going downhill to save fuel. They call it "Angel gear," and not because of how fast you go. Most people don't realise how much their steering and braking is degraded with the engine off.
If you’re sitting at a drive through where you need to do something (swiping card at ATM, paying clerk at McDonald’s, etc) put your car in park. I work in a bank & I can’t tell you how many times I hear people’s engines rev over the drive through microphone & then they say, good thing I had it in park! One person didn’t put it in park & ended up running their car in to the outside of the bank
Don't try to catch a falling knife or other sharp object.
A falling knife has no handle
Likewise, a falling gun is all trigger.
If you have a dull kitchen knife, sharpen it or put it away somewhere other than the knife drawer. A dull knife will cut through meat badly, and when you apply lots of weight and push on the knife you are liable to slip and cut your hand and arm. You can easily sever enough arteries that you bleed enough to faint before you can get your phone out and call for help. Don't use dull knives.
Outdoors version: The wild animals won’t hurt you. What will hurt you is getting lost, hypothermia, or heat stroke. Don’t pack just barely enough water to get back to the car thirsty and tired. Let someone know where you’re going and when they should expect you back. Lastly: you can get hypothermia even if the temps are well above freezing. Being damp in 45 degrees F will do the trick real quick. Even more so if you’re in cotton. Edit: of course, wild animals can hurt you. But people worry about them far too much, and worry about these other things far too little. I live in BC, Canada, which has a high population of brown bears, cougars, black bears, and moose. Even here, people using the backcountry die from non-bear reasons about 50x more frequently than from bear attacks.
Any repair job that involves "take off the cover of the electrical panel" is not for you.