
Random bits of knowledge may seem pretty useless most of the time, but you never know when they might be useful.
Reddit user u/clomsyclose asked:
"Reddit, what's an "unknown" fact that could save your life?"
20.
People having seizures cannot swallow their tongue. Do not put anything in their mouth.
Edit: this is my most upvoted comment thanks everyone!!!
19.
A good way to detect if somebody is having a stroke is to have them repeat a sentence back to you. A good sentence that everybody should be able to do is, "Hello, My name is [name] and today is Friday Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to Die." If it's slurred, get some medical attention real quick.
18.
I saw on a popular talk show once, that a guy known for self defense and such-, teaches it- had had an epiphany. After watching a toddler throw a tantrum to get candy, and then he wrapped himself around a pole of some sort. He said he watched the grown ass adult (mom) could not get her child off. And it was very noticing for the public that something strange was going on.
So he says he then taught that you can try to wrap yourself around any convenient 'pole' or similar structure. You can wrap yourself around the legs of a kidnapper, esp on the street. He says you can be forced into a van or vehicle quite quickly, unnoticeable. But this behavior is noticeable. Esp with screaming or fussing. And dayum impossible to get you off. (Even just being deadweight can be useful. Let all of your body go limp.)
17.
Not for people but still. Raisins, grapes and avocados are just as bad if not worse for dogs than chocolate. I did not learn this until 6 months after I got my first puppy.
16.
There is a symptom that is a general feeling of "something is wrong" and "I need help"
If you ever have that feeling without being able to point out the reason (it's not just I have an ache or having a panic attack), listen to it.
I was at work and from one moment to the next decided I had to go home... so I did. It was a 2 hour trip with public transport and about an hour in I decided I had to go to the hospital, not home. So I did.
I had multiple pulmonary thromboses but no symptoms at all except for that one, in the hospital for ten days, on anti coagulants ever since. listening to my weird body signals saved my life.
15.
Don't leave ice packs on wounds or swelling for more than 15 minutes at a time to avoid irreversible nerve damage! Hot packs are no more than 20 minutes at a time to avoid burns. Leave both off for 15-30 minutes, too.
14.
If someone is in a serious motorcycle/bicycle/ etc accident DO NOT remove their helmet. Only a trained professional should do this.
"They probably can't breathe!"
"Yes, they probably can't do a lot of things. Such as support the weight of their head because their spine is broken. Leave the helmet."
Yeah, the first thing people will do during an emergency is panic. If you're first on scene as a bystander, the best thing you can do is NOT panic and delegate tasks...tell an individual to call 911, another one or two to be on crowd control.
Never try to do something you haven't been trained on, but never blame yourself when something goes wrong. If you get to the point where CPR is necessary, know that that person has like 5% chance of making it anyway...
13.
We get cranky about red eye reflex in photos, but seeing that red reflection in a flash photo is good: that's light bouncing off the nice red back of your eye and back out the pupil. If you see the pupil reflecting white in a picture of a human — especially in children — get them to an eye doctor fast. (If no reflection, no worries, that's also normal.)
White reflection (in a human eye) means that either the retina has turned white, say, from loss of blood, or that there is something else in the eye in front of the retina that is reflecting instead. Either is very bad, but if there is "something else in the eye reflecting white" it's unfortunately good odds that it's cancer in the eye. Eye cancer is VERY bad since the eye connects to the brain by the optic nerve; if cancer isn't caught quickly it can go up the optic nerve to the brain, and cancer metastasized to the brain has poor chance of survival.
I had someone send me a pic asking if that was it, and realized I wasn't completely clear: pinpoint reflections off the front of the eye are normal — think of cartoon eyes with that little spot of white reflection in the black pupil. The red or white reflex off the back of the eye generally fills the whole pupil. Wikipedia has a good pic showing all three reflections.
12.
If you get caught in a rip current and dragged out towards sea, don't try to swim against it, swim parallel to the beach til you get out of the current and then make your way to shore.
Or better yet, if you see one narrow section of the water that's unusually still (as in there's a visible break in the middle of a wave) don't swim in it (edit: the reason is that this is how you identify the rip current in the first place)
11.
The best defense against an aggressive bear is to get some sort of large object, like a large tree, or car, and just keep moving around it keeping it between you and the bear until they get bored and leave. Bears are WAY faster than people in straight aways but cannot maneuver around the object as quickly due to how big they are. Do not try and climb the tree, just keep it between you and them. this is known as "the squirrel defense". Now if there are TWO bears....
10.
Probably said already but....bad CPR is better than no, even if you're unskilled. You literally cannot make the person more dead, as being dead is what predicates CPR.
If you have a puncture wound to the chest or abdomen, the first thing you should do is place a non porous(think plastic bag) object over the wound, it will help prevent tension pneumothorax.
A tourniquet is quite simple to put on and can save a life if there is no other option. Place close to the site or near (not on) a joint. NEVER remove a tourniquet once placed, as clots can travel to the brain and lungs. Also mark the time you put it on.
If you're at an accident scene and have no medical training, something you can do is collect information and help calm victims. This is quite helpful as it assists the paramedics with triage and keeps potential injured persons heart rates down. Alternatively, learn how to hold C-spine.
If your car ever gets stuck on the train tracks, look for a sign on the crossing arms, this is the "railway 911" and has a number to call to stop traffic as well as your exact location.
If you've been cut deeply pack gauze into the wound as tightly as possible then hold pressure.
If you are driving in inclement weather pay attention to truckers, they are often warned ahead of time of wrecks and things due to their radios. Also never drive in the rain without headlights!!
9.
This is a New Zealand specific one, but all emergency numbers work here. The official number is 111. But 999,000,911, etc. will all work. This is so that tourists can still reach emergency services easily.
8.
If you smell a fish smell in your house (some people also report a urine like smell) for no reason, 9 times out of 10 it means there's an Electrical Fire.
7.
If you either
a. have a longstanding alcohol problem,
b. show any signs of alcohol withdrawal when you go too long without drinking
Do not attempt to quit drinking without medical assistance. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal.
And if you can't or don't want to use a rehab, ask your doctor to help you. They are more than happy to assist you tapering off and dry up safely. So many people don't know how dangerous alcohol is. My dad nearly died twice because he tried quitting by himself.
6.
If someone is stabbed or punctured by a sharp object, leave it inside.
Do not – absolutely do not – try to pull it out! Leave the object in until help arrives.
Pulling it out will only double the damage: the object can considerably reduce and stop the flow of blood by exerting pressure on the injured area. The moment you pull it out, blood flow is likely to increase.
5.
If you are being followed by someone, the best chance you have at deterring the person pursuing you is to turn around and yell firmly at them "What do you want!" whilst getting the best description of their face. This will help people that are around you know where you are whilst hopefully scaring the creep off as they will most likely realise that you have seen their face and know that they are following you. To make sure someone is following you, take a few random turns (avoid alleyways and dark areas, try to get to populated spots) and if they are still there go for gold.
4.
Rescuing a drowning person can be just as dangerous as drowning. That drowning person is completely panicked and has only one goal: get air down air pipe, and a desperate drownee will do ANYTHING to obtain it: that includes climbing on top of a perfectly able swimmer and submerging them underwater to get their own head above water.
Know your limits. If you yourself are a poor swimmer or the water conditions aren't favourable (strong currents, rough waves, murky water), don't attempt rescue. Immediately contact emergency services and throw something that floats at the drowning person. If you do feel confident to perform rescue AND the water conditions are favourable to your abilities, make sure you take something that floats with you so you can immediately hand it to the drowning person before they latch onto you. If they attempt to make a grab at you, immediately kick away (feet should be pointing towards to the victim), and thrust the flotation aid at them. If they still attempt to grab at you, keep kicking away until they calm down or even pass out. Better only 1 person to rescue than 2.
Trying to punch a drowning person is completely outdated and not only further endangers the person you are trying to rescue, but puts you at risk as well. As current and trained lifeguards have already commented: if a drowning person grabs you, swim down further underwater until they release you. Remember the only goal of a drowning person is to be able to breath and stop water getting in their lungs. If you are pulling them underwater with you that goal can't be achieved and they'll let go of you.
3.
If you get kidnapped try to leave as many traces of yourself behind as you can. For example leave bits of clothing behind or scratch your arms a lot to leave dead skin behind. This way you increase your chances that a search dog could pick up your sent and find you.
If someone's trying to kidnap you, your chance of survival drops by 50% once you get in a vehicle and even more once you reach a destination.
2.
Never give an unconscious diabetic insulin. Please. It’s quite likely to kill them
Yes, this. I'm a type 1 diabetic and that's the last thing you'd want to do.
If a diabetic is unconscious and it's due to the diabetes, it's because of low blood glucose. Insulin is used to lower blood glucose as usually that's what the body naturally does, but for diabetics it's not the case.
The right thing to do is search whatever they have with them as they'll likely have a red plastic case which resembles a small pencil box (picture below) Inside will be a syringe and a vial with a white substance in it (picture also seen below). You want to inject the syringe into the vial, empty the contents of the syringe into it, remove the needle and shake the vial violently (but be careful not to drop it), reinsert the needle and draw the contents, and finally inserting it in the back of their arm (the tricep area) or next to the bellybutton on either side, whichever is easier to get to.
(Image of case) https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/_layouts/15/healthwise/media/medical/hw/h9991447_003_pi.jpg
(Image of inside of the case, with instruction pictures) https://i.pinimg.com/originals/26/c9/5c/26c95c05bf1fc6768970c7a0cfc78e86.png
Edit: I was unaware of this, but you can inject the syringe through clothing, so the butt and thighs are also good spots for injection.
2nd edit: Diabetics can be unconscious due to high glucose, but if you're in a situation where you are unsure if they are high or low, it's safer to assume they are low and use the glucagon as the majority of the time it is due to them being low. I just thought I should add this just for information's sake.
1.
That whole waiting 48 hours to report someone missing is total BS. If someone is missing, especially a child, report it asap. Make sure your family knows, and it could save your life.
CW: Domestic violence.
Sometimes family are the ones to avoid most.
That whole blood and water thing is true.
Evil is everywhere.
Even in our blood, our DNA.
It can be daunting to learn that someone you share something so intimate with can be darkness incarnate.
But really, that's probably a statistical truth for all of us.
So how do we cope?
Redditor onlyusemefeets wanted to hear about the worst of everyone's family, so they asked:
"When did you find out that someone in your family is evil?"
The Reddit community rose to the occasion to shed some light on their family skeletons.
Money Issues
"When they ripped apart 3 generations of my family almost immediately after my dad died for a measly $37,000. He's a millionaire. That kinda money is pocket change to him."
Good Lord
"When my 11 year old cousin got cancer."
"Her mom and boyfriend were shooting up her pain medicine. My cousin was in so much pain, she told her Doctors. Thats when the doctors stopped giving her mom a prescription and the nurses dispensed her pain meds at the hospital. Unfortunately they could not keep track of medication while at home so they reported it."
"CPS removed her. She died shortly after in foster care. Parents were never charged."
dead-parrots
Death
"When my dad died of covid my Aunt tried to say she was entitled to some stuff of his since it belonged in the family. She even called a lawyer on us and it was big deal and my mom didn't need to deal with that trying to raise 3 kids on her own so f**k her. She still bothers us about stuff and all it is like plates and some pictures and some other things."
"Sunken Cost Fallacy"
"My brother's addiction has led to him spinning some ridiculous stories. I'm not sure if he is very convincing or if my father chooses to believe him because of some 'sunken cost fallacy,' or he genuinely refuses to give up. But my brother has told lies and stories about me and my siblings to the point that he's the only child who talks to my father anymore. He convinced my father that I forced him to do drugs."
"But I knew my brother was evil when scared away my sister with physical violence. Last month, he went missing for a weeks only to turn up after flipping his car high on pills. My father doesn't know it yet, but my mother is planning on leaving him because my father chooses my brother over her. No one can convince my father that he's enabling. No one can convince my brother to stop. Hard drugs really destroy entire families."
sleepypanda59
A New Family
"When he purposely excluded his 4 year old son (from a previous relationship) from his wedding to his new spouse, deleted all photos of his son from his social media, and legally signed away all parental rights. He has since had 2 more kids with said new spouse."
FeminaCanadiana
How can parents act that way?
Failure...
"I don't know about evil, but my dad got remarried and has a kid and stepson with his new spouse. All of that would be fine if he didn't pretend that none of us (offspring from first marriage) exist so he can pretend this family is the first family and we never happened."
"Once this realization hit me, I stopped contacting him, and once I stopped putting in the effort, everything else dissipated. We haven't spoken at all. He does not care in the least. I honestly believe that he wishes we never even existed. He is a failure as a father and as a man."
Raindrops_On-Roses
Oh Brother
"When my husband's brother (1 of 5 siblings) said he couldn't make it to our house to plan their mother's funeral because he had to work. Meanwhile we found out he wasn't working because we caught him on ring doorbell entering the moms house to rifle through it while the rest of us were planning the funeral at my house."
Legitimate_Energy257
The End
"When my ex said 'you've been a godsend, I want a divorce.' I had taken time off from work to take care of her parents. She told me this right before her dad died, and she inherited. She found a boyfriend while I was with her parents. She got the house by declaring I had abandoned it. I was with her parents."
rollercoaster_5
Evil
"When my dad tried to throw my 6 month old sister when he was drunk. That man is a monster in disguise"
iinattanii
So many people really need to be screened for their abilities to raise kids.
Friends, especially great friends share a lot in life.
We share secrets, memories, joy, sorrow and in some cases... sex.
Is this a good idea or an unmitigated disaster?
The jury is still out.
It works for some and is a disaster for others.
Plus it can muddle the history of the relationship.
So what do people do?
Let's find out...
Redditor thunderchild10 wanted to discuss everyone's thoughts on the friends with benefits scenario, so they asked:
"What's your opinion of friends with benefits?"
I've never done FWB.
I feel robbed.
After a while...
"Fun, and fine for a while, but less fulfilling than a relationship. Also, you both need to be good at compartmentalization, otherwise one of you will likely end up catching feelings."
Akiram
Be Clear
"My FWB caught feelings even though we were always clearly communicated as FWB. We were both in a big but really close friends group. I got a gf (she had recently had a bf as well) and she got mad. I ended up losing all my friends. It’s been 4 years, and she actually successfully managed to get 20+ ppl to forget I exist."
"Wouldn’t recommend."
sadbudda
The Rule of Three
"I had 3 throughout college. Two ended in us dating and then breaking up. The only one that worked and lasted two years was me and an ex from high school. We never hung out but were cool after our breakup. Didn’t speak for like three years and then when we were in college we saw each other at the bar, hooked up that night, then like two days later she asked if I wanted to meet up and I said sure."
"Then it just continues for two years. We rarely spoke outside of the bedroom other than like ‘pick me up from the bar’. Overall it was cool but I think it’s very rare. You have to find two people who just don’t have any desire for each other other than when horny, which a lot of times is not the case in one side"
InternationalMouse56
Confusion
"I honestly don't understand it at all. Having any sexual relation with a person whom I don't love and who doesn't love me seems pointless and even scary to me. I guess I am over-sensitive or something, because the thought of being so close to somebody without actually having a connection, an exclusivity, without knowing if this will ever happen again, is genuinely horrific to me."
"I don't care what others do in the bed and with whom, but this kind of relationship is just not for me."
ZidanSufuzki
For Life
"If they can provide Medical, Dental, Unemployment, and Retirement benefits then they’re a friend for life."
Stupify_Me
Benefits are benefits. I'm in.
Forever
"It didn't work out. We couldn't keep it just friends once we started the benefits. We will celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary in 2 weeks."
dirtysecretsofmine
Hey Buddy
"Very messy. You gotta either be f"k buddies only, dating, or friends only. Trying to keep feelings out of FWB is too difficult."
MarthaTheTRex
"That's a great point. I agree that it's tough to keep feelings out of the equation. I think it's best to just be honest and open with your friend so that you both know the boundaries of the situation and can stick to them. That way, both parties can be sure that they're getting what they need out of the relationship."
Professional-Help114
Taking Chances
"Seems iffy to me if you want the friendship to lay long term. Doesn't someone usually catch feelings, so after the FWB finds a partner they want to keep, it leaves the other party out. Especially if the new bf/gf doesn't want you to be friends with someone you've had sex with."
"Yes? No? I'm not into casual sex for myself, so am I off base?"
lifehappenedwhatnow
Developments
"A lot of people are saying 'someone always inevitably develops feelings' and that it ends badly, but that's not been my experience. I'm still friends with a few of my FWB's that I'm no longer sleeping with over the last couple of years and I'm genuinely happy for them that they've found relationships that make them happy. And I know of quite a few others similar to me."
playswithf1re
In Sync...
"A great plan when both participants are on the same page. Whether that is 'stay FWB' or 'hey we caught feelings, let's give a relationship a try'. A mess when only one participant catches feelings."
Gwywnnydd
Don't get hurt...
"Terrible idea, someone always inevitably develops feelings and gets hurt."
"It can work sure, but in general, unless you're both 100% sure (which, how can you ever really be?) beforehand that you won't develop feelings for each other, I generally have seen it not work."
"In my personal experience, someone always had to break it off just as feelings were starting to arise. So yeah, be careful I guess."
PodcastingPodcastGuy
What have we learned?
Communication is key.
Do you have any WTF FWB experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.
Former Disney Park Actors Describe The Weirdest Experiences They Ever Had While In Character
An undeniable part of the magic that guests experience at many of the Disney parks around the world is the interactions with characters.
Those who post photos of their Disney vacations will almost always include a photo with Mickey and/or Donald Duck, Goofy, Minnie, and their human friends like Snow White, Belle, Moana, or villains like Gaston.
It's not that difficult to suspend your disbelief during an encounter with a Disney character.
But spoiler alert, the beloved icons you're putting your arms around and giving hugs are with total strangers who are paid to make you feel special.
Redditors got a chance to discover what it's like for those costumed Disney cast members giving hugs and signing autographs to kids of all ages that they've never met before.
Redditor nvoltage1017 asked:
"Former actors at Disney parks, what’s the weirdest thing that happened to you while you were in character?"
Fluffy Disney characters are appealing to a niche interest in the kink community.
Sexy Furry
"I was one of the performers for Nick Wilde from Zootopia a few years ago, And if you’re not aware; a large number of people in the furry community find him highly attractive."
"You can just imagine the number of people in that community who flirted with me and/or Judy and whispered some pretty sexual things to us. I think I also had a guy grab Nick’s tie like in that flirty way, we had to get him escorted out of the park."
"The moral of the story is: don’t be inappropriate with the characters, we are real people underneath, and there are legitimate consequences for that kind of behaviour."
– ExtremePikachu75
Just Plain Goofy
"I was playing Goofy inside a restaurant and I got swarmed Aliens-style by a hoard of <10 kids. Unfortunately while I was playing around with them the inner hood below the mask slipped over my eyes and I was completely blinded. We had assistants around whom we could signal for help by flapping our arms, but the kids had made it a game of attaching themselves Tarzan-like to both my arms and to raise them I would have had to lift 3-4 kids per arm (dangerous even if I'd been strong enough to do that)."
"I found myself blind and completely rooted to the spot, unable to ask for help and with nobody realizing that I was in trouble. I spent like a solid 10-15 minutes in that sort of limbo reflecting on the life decisions that had taken me there until the assistant came over and whispered 'set is over dude' and I finally managed to signal something was wrong."
– Judge_T
Things get out of control.
Why They Do It
"I was a 'mouse height' performer at Disney World around 2013. Can unfortunately confirm groping happened from time to time and it was incredibly uncomfortable. We were trained to move away if we could and signal to the character attendants to escort the guest away if it happened. One time some guy thought it appropriate to pick me up completely off the ground in a bear hug. The head pushed back and, because the inside is connected to us with head gear and a chin strap, my neck bent back with it and it hurt like hell."
"Not a weird story, but one of my most memorable guest experiences was meeting a little blind boy as Mickey in Epcot. I gently guided his hands to the soft ears, then the nose, and bow tie and he was laughing and his smile lit up the whole room. I still get emotional thinking about it! Interactions like that made it all worth it to me at the time."
– raybirdie
Tinkerbell's Drama
"I dated a girl that played one of the fairies for the Tinkerbell place. Beyond the pretty much daily occurrence of old dads hitting on her (she was 19 at the time) the weirdest thing to happen to her was a woman with a 4yr old little girl was all excited to get a picture with Tinkerbell, who was busy, so my ex volunteered to do pictures and entertain the little girl while they waited."
"The woman was a b*tch about that idea, rudely saying she was here to see Tinkerbell and not 'off-brand' fairies. So just shrugging it off, my ex moved on. A bit later, she hears a commotion and Tinkerbell is obviously upset, and security shows up. Apparently, this woman was Tinkerbell's bio mom and had taken her granddaughter to Disney, just to violate the restraining order against her."
"Disney Jail is a real place."
– EarlSandwich0045
Trapped In Sick
"I used to work at a different amusement park that featured similar costumed characters. The worst thing I ever heard was the time one of the characters was overcome by heat in 95 degree weather, and vomited inside the suit, splattering the inside of the suit's head with their half-digested lunch."
"They had to walk a long distance back to the dressing rooms breathing the super-heated vomit air the entire way."
– SpaceLaserPilot
Things get violent
That's Just Nuts
"Never was an actor, but when I was a kid at Disney World in the 70s, I watched Chip get into a fist fight with a young 20 something guy. The guys girlfriend wanted him to do a picture with Chip & Dale, but he didn't want to. Chip grabbed him in a head lock and his girlfriend snapped the photo. When Chip let go, the guy came up swinging. Dale had to jump in and break them up, as Chip started swinging back. For a kid of 12, it was awesome!"
– EddyBuddard
Shifts To Avoid
"My ex wife was in the character department at Disney World years ago. She was always getting injured by guests. From macho men wanting to see how strong of a grip Mickey had, to grabbing hold of Donald's bill and yanking really hard. Pulling noses, beaks, ears, etc., can really hurt people."
"Another person was dressed as Daisy duck and got tackled by a guest and knocked out cold. When she recovered, she pressed charges."
"The worst nights for the characters were high school senior nights and the religious group nights. Bunch of unruly teens with little to no supervision. No one wanted to work those shifts. Ever."
– artistandattorney
Some situations were a bit on the laughable side.
Meltdown
"I was part of the Disney college program and I have my own stories but not as a character. My mom on the other hand, she was a character actor back in the day (60’s or 70’s). They were testing a new headpiece for the seven dwarf costumes in Disneyland and my mom wore one of them out on a march with Snow White. As a Dwarf, your head is inside their hat, their face on their stomach, etc. Being Anaheim, it was really hot that summer day and as they were going around following Snow White a little kid saw my mom “Doc” he ran up to give him/her a hug. As he was hugging Doc, the plastic that made up the face started melting inwards and the child started screaming 'I killed Doc! I killed Doc!' In hysterics. Character handlers rushed my mom/Doc off through one of the secret passages by Pirates and got her out of the costume before the plastic could melt onto her."
"Always thought it was a fun story and curious how much it screwed up that kid."
– The_Woman_S
The Gas Leak
"Not a cast member but either Mickey or Minnie cut a very audible fart while posing with my wife and me. It must've been awful inside that dutch oven of a costume."
– Jeffclaterbaugh
Never Assume
"I knew a friend(a guy) who wore Minnie Mouse costume. He told me almost all guys would put their hands around his waist. He wouldn’t dare to talk or else they will hear his manly voice and that might pisses them off."
"Edit: this blows up quickly. I feel I need to let people know that it’s not okay to grope the Disney characters. My friend had introduced me to the people who play them and they are just normal people. All I can tell you is that they will make a disgusting face under the mask and talk sh*t about you later after work."
– reloadfreak
Disney cast members must've been relieved to some extent when the parks reopened with pandemic measures.
Not only did the Disney park institute mask mandates, but any character also interactions–if there were any at all–were at a safe distance from guests, preventing physical contact.
With normal character interactive procedures now back in place at most Disney parks, always remember to be on your best behavior.
People Break Down Which Practices The United States Needs To Adopt From Other Countries
We can all agree that there is something to appreciate about every country in the world, but there are arguably some countries that appear to have their ducks more consistently and happily in a row than others.
While it would be easy to let pride get in the way and continue to do things the same way, the more productive thing would be to learn from the countries who have figured out a better way to do certain things, whether it's healthcare, food banks, or other services.
Reflecting on the United States, Redditor Blinds**thead asked:
"What is one thing the USA should adopt from some other country?"
Introductions to Alcohol
"Swedish drinking laws. If I remember correctly, you can purchase alcohol below 5% at age 18, and be served liquor in bars (so the bartender can control the amount being served)."
"Seems like a smarter way to introduce kids to alcohol rather than opening the floodgates at 21."
- underhandfranky
Taxes to Approve
"Automated taxes."
"I've never done them but they seem complicated and stress my parents out, so I just know I'll f**k mine up and end up in stupid jail, lol (laughing out loud)."
"Just send me something to sign, please!"
- teenage-nightmare
Societal Improvement
"A prison system that focuses on rehabilitation instead of punishment. Many countries have been successful with this saving literally billions of dollars and cutting down on crime."
- LtRecore
Universal School Lunches
"Universal school lunches. It is embarrassing that we do not have folks cooking lunches for students from scratch and that it is not provided for free to all students."
"Do you want to bring your own lunch? Great, but you can also have the free hot lunch that looks homemade, not pizza squares, canned veggies, a slice of fruit, and 3 oz of milk."
"Kids shouldn't be going into debt for lunch. We're probably wealthy enough that our food waste alone would be sufficient, if captured magically, to feed every kid in the United States three proper meals per day."
"Also walkable cities and above-ground monorail systems."
- radiantpenguin991
Relieving Homelessness
"Finland has recently ended homelessness by just allowing people to live in small apartments without any preconditions, and four out of five of them make their way back to a stable life."
"It's also cheaper than allowing people to be homeless."
- littleMAHER1
Period.
"Universal healthcare."
- fastal_12147
Foster Care Assistance
"It would be nice to also eliminate the fees foster parents pay for general registration, classes, and social services related to fostering or adoption."
"And also eliminate trying to recoup costs by billing parents whose children have been placed in foster care."
- hawtpahtadah
Longer Paid Family Leave
"I was SUPER blessed to get 12 weeks fully pay. But that’s not enough time. Putting the emotional aspect aside, I’ve returned to work functioning on four to five hours of sleep a night, and my productivity and cognitive abilities are greatly handicapped."
"My three-month-old son can’t even hold his head up or sit, let alone talk to tell me if anything’s wrong, and he’s placed in the care of someone else from 7:15 am to 5:15 pm. Doesn’t seem healthy for mother or child."
- tealpineapple456
Bathroom Upgrades
"The fact that our toilets don't have bidets and that at public restrooms the gap between the doors is massive, are both disgusting. Our whole bathroom situation is messed up."
- darksix
Having a Siesta
"According to Dr. Andrew Huberman, whether you eat lunch or not, everyone requires a rest midday."
- Justhere_2468
Tax Included in the Price
"Man, I had such a hard time with this when I visited America. Maths in my head is not my forte and I’m so used to looking at prices and expecting that to just be the price."
"I don’t get why you wouldn’t just add in the tax to the price. No one wants to do math unnecessarily. I mean, we don’t even tip in Australia so I don’t even need to work that out."
- Cookie_Wife
Raising Multilingual Children
"Teaching a foreign language to young students in public schools (ie 5yrs, k-5) when the propensity to learn the language quickly is maximum."
- zenjen22
Clean Public Restrooms
"The clean restrooms in Japan were amazing. I never had to clean a toilet seat to put my young kids on it. In the states? Near every time. People here just don’t care about the ‘we’ when it comes to restrooms."
- NoodlesAreAmazing
Separate Work and Healthcare
"Decent healthcare that isn't tied to your job. Other countries all over the world have figured out different ways to do this, so why can't we? (I know, corporations own politicians.)"
"I'm not an expert, but I'm guessing it would destabilize a bunch of industries in the near term. But I wonder if long-term, it would create so much new innovation since people would be unafraid to lose their health benefits to leave their stable but s**tty corporate jobs to start new ventures."
- michiman
Designated Drivers on the Go
"In Japan, there is a service that you can call 24 hours per day that will come with two drivers and one car. One driver drives you and your car home, and the other follows in their car to pick up the driver that took you home with your car. No DUI, etc."
"It's actually really affordable there. No need to get an uber home that night and then an uber back the next day when you are hungover only to find out you have a million parking tickets or your car got towed."
- Visual_Sport_950
Though there are positives to every country, it would be so cool to see each country be more open-minded about adopting the positives of other countries.
If a country is doing something better than another, the best thing for the citizens would be to take some notes, rather than let their pride do the talking.