We tend to expect actually dangerous things to have warnings, labels and perhaps even wavers to sign before they can be approached. Unfortunately, physics and our frail human bodies are a combination that puts at risk considerably more often than we might think.
Someone asked people online to share their best examples of common things that are actually rather dangerous and the internet delivered. So get comfortable as you scroll through, make sure you aren’t near any irate cows, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section down below.
#21
Heating or welding metal parts after cleaning with brake cleaner. Heating the residue creates deadly Phosgene gas.
If "I just got cancer" had a smell it would smell like brake cleaner. People will realize theses risks, but wouldn't guess the heating risk after you thought it all evaporated.
Ok_Necessary820:
As a welder this is genuinely one of the scariest things most people don’t know about. Apparently phosgene gas smells like fresh cut grass so that’s nice I guess.
If "I just got cancer" had a smell it would smell like brake cleaner. People will realize theses risks, but wouldn't guess the heating risk after you thought it all evaporated.
Ok_Necessary820:
As a welder this is genuinely one of the scariest things most people don’t know about. Apparently phosgene gas smells like fresh cut grass so that’s nice I guess.
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27points
#22
A distant train.
800 to 1,000 people are ended by trains in the US every year.
Cicer:
They come out of nowhere on random trajectories.
DirtandPipes:
There’s really no way of predicting where a train will appear next, if only we had some method to track them.
800 to 1,000 people are ended by trains in the US every year.
Cicer:
They come out of nowhere on random trajectories.
DirtandPipes:
There’s really no way of predicting where a train will appear next, if only we had some method to track them.
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27points
#23
Falling down, tripping on a rock in a parking lot for example, hitting your head on something curb parking block etc. just loosing your balance where there are things your head could land on. Loosing your footing on stairs. Etc Falling is my answer.
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26points
#24
Your own immune system. Bacteria take days to end you, viruses take weeks. You immune system can do it in about 3 minutes.
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26points
#25
A single punch to the head.
arantee:
Or getting in a fight while standing on concrete. If the punch doesn't end you, the ground will.
arantee:
Or getting in a fight while standing on concrete. If the punch doesn't end you, the ground will.
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24points
#26
Driving, yet most people don't take it as seriously as they should.
Puzzleheaded_Bed1781:
That’s because people are too busy being speed demons and or on power trips. The human ego grows to about the size of the car they’re driving.
Voldemorts__Mom:
I used to get so annoyed that I can never drive the speed limit (120kph here in SA), because the fast lane always has people driving over the limit, and the next fastest lane always has people driving 100. So it's like a constant moving back and forth between lanes.
Now I just drive 100 in the second lane rather than having to deal with the scary lane.
But my pet peave is people not keeping a safe following distance. Like, rather just flash your lights or hoot at me, but dont get 5cm to my car ffs. And my stepfather does this. And I'm like, if that guy brakes, we will instantly hit him, and you're putting all of our lives in danger.
Puzzleheaded_Bed1781:
That’s because people are too busy being speed demons and or on power trips. The human ego grows to about the size of the car they’re driving.
Voldemorts__Mom:
I used to get so annoyed that I can never drive the speed limit (120kph here in SA), because the fast lane always has people driving over the limit, and the next fastest lane always has people driving 100. So it's like a constant moving back and forth between lanes.
Now I just drive 100 in the second lane rather than having to deal with the scary lane.
But my pet peave is people not keeping a safe following distance. Like, rather just flash your lights or hoot at me, but dont get 5cm to my car ffs. And my stepfather does this. And I'm like, if that guy brakes, we will instantly hit him, and you're putting all of our lives in danger.
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23points
#27
Blood clot.
bangtango:
Ouch, wife passed away at 51 from one. My son was 19 and that's the worst part of it all. He's now 21 and she's not here for that. It would have been epic!
bangtango:
Ouch, wife passed away at 51 from one. My son was 19 and that's the worst part of it all. He's now 21 and she's not here for that. It would have been epic!
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23points
#28
Texting and driving. Stop it.
DamnYouAllIToldYouSo:
Driving is obvious, but I don’t see how texting can end you.
DamnYouAllIToldYouSo:
Driving is obvious, but I don’t see how texting can end you.
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23points
#29
Cold water.
I'm a swift water rescue technician and lifeboat coxswain and have to try and rescue, or recover if unsuccessful, people who think they're a strong swimmer and plunge into cold water. Here in the UK most rivers are above 15 celsius water temperature below which cold water shock becomes a risk for a month or two at most a year.
People jump off bridges in summer, or in winter for that matter, and simply pass away. It matters not how good a swimmer you are if your body has stopped working, you're aspiring water as you gasp and your hands and feet won't swim for you. Some suffer massive cardiac events on impact and it's over even quicker.
I'm a swift water rescue technician and lifeboat coxswain and have to try and rescue, or recover if unsuccessful, people who think they're a strong swimmer and plunge into cold water. Here in the UK most rivers are above 15 celsius water temperature below which cold water shock becomes a risk for a month or two at most a year.
People jump off bridges in summer, or in winter for that matter, and simply pass away. It matters not how good a swimmer you are if your body has stopped working, you're aspiring water as you gasp and your hands and feet won't swim for you. Some suffer massive cardiac events on impact and it's over even quicker.
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22points
#30
Two sets of train tracks.
With one set, it’s easy to see and hear if there’s a train or not. You look, you listen: No train, no problem.
With two sets, if there’s a train going by on the near track, you see it and it makes a ton of noise. No, problem- you wait.
When it passes, you will be tempted to go. BUT- the noise from the train on the closer track masks the noise from the train on the second track going in the opposite direction. And, it also blocks it visually.
So, the first train passes, you say, “Finally…”, and go. Boom! You get smoked by the locomotive of the second train.
Forsaken_Conflict_96:
Yup... I saw a video of this exact thing happening. Horn was blasting. People thought it was from the train not moving and one person walked across the tracks at the wrong time. A second train came and plowed into the unsuspecting woman. Gone in Seconds.
With one set, it’s easy to see and hear if there’s a train or not. You look, you listen: No train, no problem.
With two sets, if there’s a train going by on the near track, you see it and it makes a ton of noise. No, problem- you wait.
When it passes, you will be tempted to go. BUT- the noise from the train on the closer track masks the noise from the train on the second track going in the opposite direction. And, it also blocks it visually.
So, the first train passes, you say, “Finally…”, and go. Boom! You get smoked by the locomotive of the second train.
Forsaken_Conflict_96:
Yup... I saw a video of this exact thing happening. Horn was blasting. People thought it was from the train not moving and one person walked across the tracks at the wrong time. A second train came and plowed into the unsuspecting woman. Gone in Seconds.
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22points
#31
My aunt walked into the hospital thinking she had the flu
She died 2 days later.
Not all cancers show symptoms. 3 masses and lungs started filling with fluid.
Not knowing you have cancer is harrowing. Get screenings pls.
She died 2 days later.
Not all cancers show symptoms. 3 masses and lungs started filling with fluid.
Not knowing you have cancer is harrowing. Get screenings pls.
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22points
#32
Potassium.
Too much or too little in your system can imbalance the electrical current in your heart and send you into sudden cardiac arrest.
Too much or too little in your system can imbalance the electrical current in your heart and send you into sudden cardiac arrest.
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19points
#33
Snails.
Specifically cone snails. There is no anti-venom.
The death takes 1-5 hours but the sting takes less than a second and then you just gotta pray while you struggle to breathe.
Specifically cone snails. There is no anti-venom.
The death takes 1-5 hours but the sting takes less than a second and then you just gotta pray while you struggle to breathe.
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18points
#35
Working under your car. Jacks are far less stable than people think. You wouldn't believe how many people die from having a car fall on them.
qualityerections:
Yeah i dont get people happy to crawl under a car on just a jack, i wont even change oil without putting the car on 4 jackstands only thing im happy to do off a jack is change tires.
qualityerections:
Yeah i dont get people happy to crawl under a car on just a jack, i wont even change oil without putting the car on 4 jackstands only thing im happy to do off a jack is change tires.
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17points
#36
Electricity. Only 0.1 to 0.2 Amps will end you. Most Circuit breakers in a house are rated for 15 AMPS. They are there to prevent fires.
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16points
#37
Anything. A random bullet from a gun in your neighbor,'s apartment. A car crashing through your bedroom wall. A slip in the bathroom. A sign or decoration falling from the ceiling in a mall. A random rabid animal. Plugging into the wrong plug that you didn't know has been damaged. Hell, being hit by falling space-debris. A million things completely outside your control or even your awareness can shut you off like a lightbulb from one moment to the next. There's nothing to be done about it and well most likely never see it coming.
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16points
#38
Fumes from burning plastic.
Dude with a tv. Tv starts smelling funny. Like something electrical is getting burnt. Dude takes a look and dies. No smoke but toxic fumes.
Dude with a tv. Tv starts smelling funny. Like something electrical is getting burnt. Dude takes a look and dies. No smoke but toxic fumes.
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15points
#39
Ice sheets on metal roofs like to slide down, more or less in tact, dumping a ton or so of ice on a concentrated area in a matter of seconds.
Celac242:
This almost happened to me in Vermont. I took my dog out for a walk and not 5 seconds after I walked out the door a gigantic block of ice fell off the roof intact and landed right where I had been standing seconds before. I knew in that moment I would have passed. Moved to California after that lol
Ducky_Slate:
I think this was what happened in Norway one time. A man walking on a city pavement was hit in the head by falling ice, leaving him paralysed and/or with some kind of brain damage. I think the house owner was convinced for not removing snow from his roof and had to pay some compensation for the victim's future expenses.
Celac242:
This almost happened to me in Vermont. I took my dog out for a walk and not 5 seconds after I walked out the door a gigantic block of ice fell off the roof intact and landed right where I had been standing seconds before. I knew in that moment I would have passed. Moved to California after that lol
Ducky_Slate:
I think this was what happened in Norway one time. A man walking on a city pavement was hit in the head by falling ice, leaving him paralysed and/or with some kind of brain damage. I think the house owner was convinced for not removing snow from his roof and had to pay some compensation for the victim's future expenses.
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14points