
Workplace accidents are no joke, especially when you live in a country where universal health care isn't a thing and most people are scrambling for benefits! (That's another, bothersome story we'll save for another article.)
You can thank Redditor fukhed69 for today's burning question, which is: "What's the worst workplace accident at your work?"
Warning: Sensitive and possibly triggering material ahead.

"Well, one guy..."
Well, one guy was working on a cell phone tower and a high-tension supporting line snapped, which cut off his arm and head. That wasn't cool.
"You decided which is worse."
You decide which is worse.
Worked for Cessna Aircraft, guy working a punch press didn't remove the slugs and eventually too many were there. Shot out like a bullet into his chest, little aluminum discs about 2 inch diameter. Think it actually hit his heart.
Some years after that I was a bowling alley mechanic. One of the other mechanics at one of the other alley's the company owned stayed late to clean the top of the decks that sets the pins down. Next morning, the Manager came in and saw his feet on a lane, like he was standing there. When he didn't answer she went back and found him dead. He didn't shut the machine all the way down and the deck tried to go back up with him between it and the upper parts of the machine. They guessed it took a couple hours for him to die.
"Some girl..."
Some girl didn't have her hair tied up per regulation and got too close to the conveyor belt. Scalped herself.
"My story is from manufacturing."
My story is from manufacturing. The tops of ovens are pressed out of steel with up to 10 tonne dies.
One day a man tried to retrieve something from the path of the press, safety failed and he was crushed flat, from the waist up.
"Working in a coin mint."
Working in a coin mint. A guy was running a proofing press (this one actually.puts the images on the coins) that was apparently on the fritz. They all have a laser fence that's supposed to stop the machine if anything breaks the beams. I was on the other side of the factory running a punch press, when I heard a terrible screaming from clear across this giant facility. My partner and I ran over there to a pretty f---ed up scene.
This dude was doing single stamps on his machine (where it only is supposed to strike the coin once), and when he reached in to grab the freshly minted coin, the machine bugged out and did a double strike.
His middle and ring finger were between the dies when it came down, and they literally made a coin out of his bone. I saw the coin, it was crazy, all the details were there from the die. Ambulance was called and, of course, he lost his fingers to the machine.
Worst part was the owner was trying to figure out a way to blame it on the guy, not his fucky machine, so he wouldn't have to pay him anything beyond workers comp. I left that job before the guy came back to work, but I imagine he sued the owner, and rightly so. The factory is closed now, which is a shame since it was so old it had original dies from some of the first Nobel prizes. I doubt it was related.
"The building I worked in was old."
Former work as of 2 months ago, but it answers the question "how the hell do you get injured working at a radio station?"
The building I worked in was old. Built in the 1930s. A piece of broadcasting history, and the birthplace of the career of the person who would go on to create the late night television talk show.
But while the interior of the building had been rebuilt and repurposed over the decades since, there were parts of it that were still sh!t. Most of the third floor was condemned due to pervasive asbestos, and there was an old roof access point that finally claimed a victim a few years back.
This guy was one of our engineers. A few years from retirement, and an absolute joy to work with. Funny, skilled, and genuinely a good guy. One day he was climbing up through the roof access, and the heavy door (kind of like a hatch) broke loose and came down on his head.
At first he seemed a bit dazed, but pretty soon it became apparent that he'd been badly hurt. He was rushed to the hospital, and while he survived, he was never the same. Never able to return to work. His plans to retire cut short and he wound up on disability and having to live in constant pain.
The company swept it under the rug. Only a few people knew the full extent of his injuries, and they kept it that way. Before I knew all this, I'd made a joke in the presence of the HR person about the worst injury that was possible at a radio station and her head snapped around and she looked at me like "if you only knew."
There was never any fundraiser to help pay for his care, or any celebration of his service to the company, or anything except silence. I'm sure he was taken care of financially as laid out in our (pretty decent) benefits, but they kept what happened really quiet, and that's a damned shame.
"Moral of both stories..."
I have two actually. Used to work in a supermarket deli. The first one, a girl opened the slicer blade while she was cleaning it, turned the slicer on, and then proceeded to slice the palm of her hand off when she wiped down the blade. Yep that was an instant termination and a trip to the hospital.
Next one, a guy stood on top of the fryer while it was on to clean the fryer vents, which were built into the wall above the fryers. He slipped and his leg went into 338° grease up to his knee. He was also instantly terminated and got a helicopter ride to Tallahassee to visit the burn unit.
Moral of both stories, use your brains and some common sense. It could save you a lot of pain and a job search.
"Worked as an on site medic..."
Worked as an on site medic with an oilfield company. Derrick hand (works at the top of the rig) didn't tie on with his harness. Not sure what happened, but they fell from the top of the Derrick all the way to the ground. They like. Exploded from the inside, but didn't die. Being the medic, it was my responsibility to keep them alive. Ever try giving mouth to mouth to someone that's just oozing blood? Would not recommend. Long story short, they died. And now I've got hemophobia.
"Worked at a trampoline park..."
Worked at a trampoline park and one of my fellow staff members did a flip to show off and snapped their leg like a twig. Now staff are not allowed to flip while on duty.
"I'm a vet tech."
I'm a vet tech. One of my coworkers got bit in the face by a very large terrier mix. It tore open her cheek, took off the tip of her nose, and tore her lip so bad her gums were exposed. She only narrowly avoided losing an eye.
I was bitten on three separate occasions by cats. Each time the bite got infected. All three cases involved unvaccinated animals with neurological symptoms and unknown histories. Prime rabies suspects, basically.
My own worst injury happened when I was trying to help a paralyzed dog out of kennel. We had large kennels that closed with a fence gate. She was a large German Shepherd and pulled away at just the wrong time. The force pulled me down face first into the top of the gate's supporting pole. I'm still not sure how I didn't bust a few teeth. I looked like a chipmunk for a few weeks
"I worked in a prison."
I worked in a prison. An officer was sitting at his desk doing computer work when an inmate walked up and slugged him in the head knocking him to the floor. The inmate then jumped on top of the officer and stabbed him multiple times with a homemade knife. Fortunately, the officer survived but he never returned to work. The reason for the assault; the inmate wanted to be transferred to another prison.
"He was wearing shorts..."
There was a 5" x 16" metal plate on top of a ladder, guy moved the ladder and the plate came flying down at an angle. He was wearing shorts, and the plate sliced his calve with the sharpest angle it could possible achieve. His skin was flabbing off his leg like how when you only peel one side of a banana, still attached but close to not. And so much blood.
"A guy cut his finger off..."
A guy cut his finger off on a band saw. I was off sick that day and didn't see that one, but another bad one I actually saw right in front of me was a guy getting his entire forearm sliced open by a steel plate that spun around while it was hanging from a crane.
"We hung kayaks..."
We hung kayaks off of a railing over the first level. One day another employee was hanging up a new one and it fell on a customer.
"I'm sure there's been plenty worse..."
I'm sure there's been plenty worse accidents, but one that stuck with me from my time with this company was a guy that got his hand caught in a roller press. Don't search images of degloving.
"Guy was asked..."
Guy was asked to turn the fryers off. Didn't know how. Pulled the lever that releases all the oil. 350 degree oil spills all over him. Third degree burns covered him from the torso down. He quit.
"I worked as a lifeguard..."
I worked as a lifeguard for a casino pool and one day during the summer this one guy snuck past a fence we have for our waterfall. He made his way to the top of it and we were all whistling for him to get down. He then jumped off of it 20 feet into 3 1/2 feet of water breaking his legs. His friends pulled him out of the water and out of the pool area. Security tried to call an ambulance for him but they said he didn't have insurance so they carried him into an Uber. I have no idea what happened to him after that.
"Not current job..."
Not current job, but I worked at a warehouse about 4 years ago in Florida that had a shitty forklift. The tilt cylinder was pissing hydraulic fluid like a mafka. The operations manager wanted to wait till the end of the fiscal year to get a new one though. Cheap bastard.
We had to call mechanics out to top it off (and "limp it along as long as we can") every 10 days like clockwork. Tried explaining to the Op manager that no problem ever got better by ignoring it. The fluid was leaking all over the warehouse floor and made it slippery as shit. The parking lot looked like a shitty Jackson Pollock painting any time we had to take it out to unload anything.
One day, an operator was having to get a pallet of something down from about 6-7 feet above the floor. Another associate was standing about 10 feet in front of the forklift. When the tilt cylinder breaks in half. Somebody yells out to the guy and he moves out of the way just fast enough to avoid the pallet slipping of the forks and onto his head. It does hit everything on the right side of his neck. Dislocates his shoulder, breaking his collar bone in 2 places, fracturing a couple ribs, his hip, and shin.
The operations manager refused to file the guy's workers comp claim, fired him, and the forklift was gone the next morning. Dude sued the company, but settled out of court for whatever reason.
"I'm a truck driver..."
I'm a truck driver and, a little over a year ago, there was a mechanic's helper who got killed while filling a truck tire up with air. We don't know if he got careless and wasn't paying attention or if there was some unseen damage to the tire--but--the tire (which packs about 110 psi at maximum) blew up. He was standing about 2 feet away from the tire when it exploded and the force knocked him several feet back into a concrete wall. That combined with the steel mesh from the inner tire and rubber flying around...it was pretty bad.
He was pronounced dead on the scene from a combination of massive head trauma, internal injuries, and blood loss.
Are we being lazy or is it self-care?
That is what you should ask yourself first, before you judge.
Life is an arduous journey and a constant energy suck.
It was inevitable we'd find shortcuts to get by.
It's all about survival.
Redditor Batman_In_Peacetime wanted to hear about the times we just didn't care enough to try harder. They asked:
"What is a lazy thing you began doing when you realised you can live with it?"
I'm best when I'm at my laziest. Ok, that's a lie, but I don't care.
Zzzz...
"On weekends I sleep for 12-14 hours. I usually wake up a few times but I dream so much during those long sleeps that it’s basically become a recreation type thing and I love it."
HouseOfZenith
Warm it up...
"When I use the microwave, I’ll heat food for 1:11 or 2:22 because I can’t be bothered to move my lazy fingers."
fysicks
"I figured out that my microwave's turntable rotates once every 12 seconds. So, everything I cook is on a multiple of 12 seconds so that it always ends up at the front of the microwave when it's done cooking, and I don't have to reach all the way to the back of the microwave to get my food out."
unittwentyfive
Bang
"When I was a kid on a school day, I had this routine where I'd stick my legs out of the bed and bang around on the floor so it sounded like I got out of bed and then just lie there for a few more minutes."
bewarethechameleon
"Did you also get your toothbrush wet and squirt a wee bit of toothpaste in your mouth rather than actually brush your teeth? If so I may be your mom and you weren’t fooling me or the dentist and you sure weren’t fooling the plaque that attacked."
TigerLily98226
Pockets
"Whenever I clean the house I put on my housecoat with really big pockets. I just walk from room to room and put things in my pocket that don’t belong in that room. Once my pockets are full I go to each room and empty my pockets putting what is from each room in that room."
kindhearttbc
"That's not lazy... that's productive AF."
throwaway92715
Toss It
"I don’t fold the fitted sheet. Just ball it up and place it in the closet."
SpaghettiSquash33
I just see people human. Don't he so hard on yourselves.
12 Hours
"I once watched 12 hours of the golf Network because the batteries were dead in my remote control. I don't know if that's lazy or depressed."
sadbirdfox
I swear I was...
"I was taught to make a bed properly as a child, I swear I was. Hospital corners and everything. I even know how to fold a fitted sheet, thanks to my auntie, who's an Air Force nurse and therefore doesn't consider little problems like 'non-Euclidean geometry' to be a reason not to do it properly. The second I found out about duvet covers, that was over. Sure, it doesn't look as tidy, but five minutes a week plus 10 seconds in the morning instead of 10 minutes a day? I can live with that."
katie-kaboom
The System
"I don't fold laundry anymore. I have a system of laundry baskets like this where clothes gets sorted by type (pants, t-shirts, sweaters, etc). Most of my clothes is wrinkle free, and for the few pieces that aren't I just throw them on a hanger in the bathroom while I take a steamy shower."
User deleted
Genius!!
"Before I get out of bed in the morning, I will grab the top corners of my sheets with my hands and prop up the bottom two with my feet and move it into place. Then I slide out of bed without ruffling anything. Just like that, my bed is made."
Markymark142
"My sister has to do this before she goes to bed at night, even is she made the bed that morning. It's an odd little quirk and mostly harmless."
mel2mdl
Yummy
"Just eating food straight out of the pan."
refrshmts_N_narcotcs
None of that sounds so bad. That sounds... like my life. Don't judge!!
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Be it on a blind date, at a party where you don't know anyone, or sitting next to someone on an airplane, starting a conversation with a total stranger is difficult.
As much as we'd all like to be friendly, far too often we find ourselves at a loss for words.
It doesn't help that we generally have no idea of what these people's various interests are, making it anyone's guess how they'll respond.
But some have this problem solved, finding a go-to topic which is always guaranteed to get a response, no matter who you're talking to.
Redditor Blugged_Bunny was curious to hear what people thought was the best way to begin a conversation with strangers, leading them to ask:
"What is your go-to 'small talk' topic with strangers?"
Did you check the forecast?
"We sure are having a lot of weather"- r_Ju_Tacular.
"As a British person, the conversation usually starts like this:"
“'You alright?'"
”Yeah you?”'
“'Yeah not too bad, weathers a bit sh*t innit?'”
“'Yeah”'.
"The end."- chelstippins
Why beat around the bush?
"Straight to politics and religion."- Turd_Ferguson009.
Just let it happen.
"Make an observation."
"Literally anything."It helps if it’s something about them like an article of clothing that catches your eye, something they’re doing, anything that you can relate to or are interested in but it doesn’t have to be."
"It can be something in the environment that is drawing both of your attention."
"People bullsh*t about the weather all the time."
"Make a comment about it, gauge their willingness to talk about it to you and build off of what you get from the response."
"If all you get is 'haha yeah', leave it."
"No shame in silence."
"Some people just don’t want to talk."
I"f you’re talking about the weather, 'Man it’s a great day out today!'"
“'Yeah absolutely! I drove here with my windows down all the way here!'”
"Boom, you’ve got something to latch onto."
"They probably enjoy getting outside for some fresh air. "
"They probably enjoy driving."
"Ask about their car."
"Ask if they go on drives a lot."
"Ask if they do outdoor stuff."
"What kind of outdoor stuff?"
"Once you’ve got something to work with, the key is to ask."
"Let them do the talking."
"People love talking about themselves."
"You learn some light hearted things about the stranger, they feel more comfortable, and you can add bits and bobs of your own experiences in response so they get to know you too."
"It works in literally any situation."
"From an elevator ride to a first date."
"It’s so easy to personalize small talk and it makes it so much less uncomfortable."- 1arrocknroll.
"But enough about me, what do you think about me?"
"Usually people love to talk about themselves, so a few questions about them and some follow up questions to their answers usually does it."- I_can_see_the_music.
"Food, glorious food..."
"Food."
"People typically love food."
"I mention I’m new/newer to an area."
"And ask them what they like, where they eat out."
"Usually works and people have their choices validated and I always know where to find good local snacks."- TheProfWife.
Can you believe it?
"Did you see that ludicrous display last night?"- housemuncher.
Nothing!
"As a Norwegian - we leave strangers alone."
"No need to bother them."- neihuffda.
The sky's the limit.
"So, do you like stuff?"- Bwon669.
All of these seem like surefire ways to get a conversation started.
But use cautiously, as who knows how long it will take these conversations to end.
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Quality comes with price. That's a fact you can't escape. If you hire someone to fix your home, and want them to do the best job, you're going to have to pay above average prices. That's fine. Pay the people what they're worth for the great job they did. However, we live in a world where everyone is looking for their payout, even if what they've given you is less than ideal.
Don't overpay for any of these.
Reddit user, DrLizardLover, wanted to know what we're paying too much for when they asked:
"What is just stupidly overpriced?"
If you didn't know any better, you would think making office and school supplies was a lot like mining for diamonds in the center of the Earth.
Though, we also know diamonds are a rip-off so maybe that's not the argument we should be making.
Another Collegiate Payment
"College books"
Spooly_Boy
"Especially when they say you have to buy the newest copy every year"
disantiyesnt
Good Thing We're Going Paperless
"Printer cartridges."
DataPlenty
"Apparently it's because in order to make printers affordable to everyone, you must lower their prices. The cartridges are the upsell and is where the profit comes from."
AltaSavoia
We Carry Them Around On Our Phones
"TI-84"
"I could get an old cell phone from a dumpster that’s 10x as powerful. Why the f-ck they still charging $80 or more for these things?"
edgeblackbelt
If living in 2022 has taught us anything, it's that convenience has a price.
And it's high.
$50 For Twizzlers
"Foods and drinks at movie theaters or sporting events"
Icy-Company7718
"I can answer for the theaters. They don't actually get much, if any, of the ticket sales. A lot of their operating budget comes from the snack bar."
Head_Razzmatazz7174
Fees On Hidden Fees For Hidden Fees
"Concert tickets"
"(AKA Ticketmaster)"
Catilily_3141
"I thought I was on the school box office site when I was on one made to look like it. I bought two reasonably priced ncaa basketball tickets and when I went to check out it went up to $70 with fees. Found the school website and checked out for $26 total."
blackcatmystery
Costs A Lot To Be A Woman
"One bra is like…40 dollars"
Noliel_Laicaster
"except i have big honkers so i'm forced to pay upwards of $80 for a bra because the only place I can get them in my size is Lane Bryant or Torrid"
kelsiewest11
"Just women's clothes in general. If I'm paying $40 for a pair of dress slacks, they damn well better have pockets. I have to have black slacks for my delivery job and ended up buying 3 pair of men's pants for $20 each, just to have the pockets."
Head_Razzmatazz7174
What can hurt the most is the idea companies and people will charge you for things you need to have. It's almost as if they know you're willing to pay the price...
Awful.
History Has Funny Way Of Changing Perspectives
"Lobster. Was literally considered food for the peasants at one point in history. They used lobsters as bait on ships"
magoted
The Most Expensive Day Of Your Life
"Anything tied to a wedding"
nickp123456
"Friend of mine needed a generator for a wedding. He booked it as a "corporate event" to get cheaper hire."
"When the company arrived to setup and saw it was a wedding they demanded extra money, because it was a wedding. Same location, same generator, same rental period."
salmonlikethephish
Sipping The Last Bits Of Money Out Of The Dead
"Funerals"
Longjumping-Oil4497
"I definitely think that add-ons for funerals are sold like biggie sizing your happy meal. And the concept of memorializing a person for eternity has been sold as bare necessity. But I do know that the pomp and circumstance a lot of people need to lay somebody to rest, costs money."
"I want to see people honored in their death, but spending $5,000 on a pine box does not make sense to me"
444unsure
People Need Help? Charge Them.
"Mental health services. Blessings upon blessings to the mental health professionals who offer sliding scales."
AphelionEntity
America Gonna 'Murica
"Getting an IUD put in or taken out without insurance costs 1300. Takes 5 minutes to put in and it’s a piece of plastic."
m_hahn_solo
"Wow thats so much. I'm in Canada so having it inserted, removed, and follow up appointments are free. But I had to pay for the IUD. The first time I used the insurance from college so only paid $30. The second time I graduated and didn't have insurance so I went to planned parenthood where its cheaper and paid 230. The third time I had insurance from work and it was free. Honestly all birth control should be free."
Forever-25
Keep an eye on your wallet, since you know most of the world is keeping theirs firmly on it.
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Not everyone is going to believe what you believe. Our own experiences and values add up to make us who we are. Without them, we'd all be the same amorphous blob of consciousness covering the planet in bland beliefs. You hold something in high regard, and that might mean someone else disagrees with you.
Hold your ground, and be ready to die on that hill, kind of like these people.
Reddit user, realduckbutter, wanted to know what you will never let go of when they asked:
"What’s the smallest hill you’re willing to die on?"
What is it about this hill that makes it worthwhile to fight over? Is it something ingrained in your core or something that you can never let go?
This Is Good, Great, And Dandy
"Oxford commas are GOOD and should be EMPLOYED LIBERALLY."
CopsaLau
"I agree with this, I agree with this, and I agree with this."
ajt9104_
Squats All Day
"Nice butts are better than big butts."
Crockpot_gator_Snot
"Shape > Size"
"on that note, 99.9% of of people don’t give a damn about color imperfections or stretch marks. It’s completely irrelevant. The shape is what makes a nice butt."
"Edit: I admit that my statistic it totally made up. I made to say that MOST people don’t care."
bouchandre
Doesn't Hold Up
"KFC gravy isn't as good as it used to be."
AshySlashy902
"KFC isn't as good as it used to be. The biscuits are so hit or miss now."
SuperstitiousPigeon5
Me Am No Good With Words And Things
"It's "I couldn't care less," not "I could care less." If you could care less, you care a little!"
thedoginapound
"That’s what I’m saying!!! People make no sense sometimes"
Rebelsinblacktattoo
The workplace is somewhere you (possibly) go to every day. If there's something about it you like or don't like, don't let it go.
Proper Bathroom Ambience
"Bathrooms at the work place should all be required to play music to help drown out the sounds being made"
zerorush8
"THANK YOU. I’ve thought this for years. Just some simple elevator music. Anything."
"I’d rather hear 10 hours of Yiruma’s River Flows In You than 10 seconds of whatever is flowing out of the poor guy next to me."
jaylward
Better Be Some Money That Comes With That Title
"Don’t give me a “promotion” unless it comes with a pay raise. The only reason I would want a promotion is because I get paid more, not so I can flex my title on ppl"
traws06
"Flex that title into a raise somewhere else"
meanie_ants
So Grateful
"All companies regardless of what industry they're in do their best work and are the most consumer friendly when they're in second or third place in their industry. The 'leader' is almost never the best option."
Nayko214
"The best service and the most exciting food is at two star Michelin restaurants because they’re playing offense not defense."
gastro_gnome
"Cashiers should be allowed to sit down during their shifts, ex. Aldi. There should be no reason why they need to keep standing in place for an entire shift"
kdotismydad
"This is so f-cking American. I've never in my European life seen a cashier standing up."
PercussiveRussel
Whatever it is about these hills we're all supposedly dying, you cannot deny the fact it's super fascinating to see bodies dropping on them.
Do Any Of Us Know What We're Eating?
"When people say “it has chemicals in it”. Your mom is chemicals. Everything is chemicals."
nosmase2
"The whole "don't put it in your body if you can't pronounce it" nonsense is infuriating. An apple has things in it most people couldn't pronounce if you wrote out the chemical composition. And does my having taken organic chem and biochem classes mean I can eat things others can't?"
"Don't even get me started on the anti-GMO crap."
dude_logman
Diamond Eyeglasses? Diamond Cups? Why Stop There?
"Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds. Chemically. It’s purely marketing that makes you pay more for mined diamonds."
ScoobyTrue
"I believe you may be wrong. They are purer than mined diamonds."
"I'm looking forward to windshields made out of diamond."
ScottColvin
*tap, *tap, *tap
"Mobile gaming is better when it's simple games like Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja"
ofsquire
"Yeah I thought I wanted big impressive games on my phone but then I realized there’s no point. I’m never going to play on my phone over a console"
realduckbutter
Holding Up The Line With Your Niceness
"Pay-it-forward drive-through chains are pointless. They aren’t really helping anyone, they’re just making everything awkward."
lassie86
"Im a starbucks barista and like its a nice thing dont get me wrong, but the way our systems work things get confusing and orders or items get lost so people end up getting free but wrong orders :( it also puts the customer on the spot to make a decision to continue or not and i hate that it's so awkward. I always just say hey your order has been paid for have a great day!"
imasokas2percentmilk
It Hurts So Good
"If Q-Tips were not meant to go deep in your ear canal, then God would not have put the g-spot in there"
Virtual-Stranger
Meet lots of people, develop a set of values, then enact those values upon yourself as you engage with the world. Be the person you want to be.
Tell us how you won't let anything go in the comments below.
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