The world is a big place, and as such it's filled with many terrors. Some, very obvious, like disease, famine, bears, bears with jetpacks, and so on.
However, it's the fears we don't see coming, the dangers hidden in the shadows of the wider range of the world where we think everything is okay.
We're safe. This thing we're doing can't possibly hurt us.
Until it's too late.
Reddit user, devitod, wanted to know what to keep any eye out for when they asked:
"What’s something most people don’t consider dangerous, but is actually extremely dangerous?"
You know what the most interesting thing after giving birth is for you and your partner?
They just let you take the baby home. Like, it's yours.
Your taking them home to a world of potential dangers and death and they just let you do it.
Put The Nets Up. Don't Be A Hero.
"Trampoline. I know 2 people that broke their necks, one is now paralyzed waist down."
Educational-Delay211
"Insurance companies consider trampolines like one of the biggest risks when quoting property. The numbers must prove it, risk is quantified when it comes to insurance."
OmarBarksdale
Give Them A Long Time To Get Acquainted
"Allowing their babies to get up in dogs' faces and vice versa."
Leoluki25
"I hate this! I can’t believe people do this! I got my first dog when I was 4, and I’m now 55. I absolutely love dogs. I rescue them, I train them, I adore them. Never let a dog near your baby, people! I don’t care how precious your little Fido is. Don’t do it!"
MusicalLifeForever
Always Read The Labels
"People not following dosage instruction on paracetamol. Either taking the next dose too soon or thinking the 8 in 24 hours, is 8 during daylight hours. No. You start taking them 5pm, you have until 5pm the following day to take the 8 (if needed)."
laaaaaaaana_
"For anyone who doesn't know, paracetamol is also called acetaminophen, aka tylenol. It's particularly bad with alcohol. And a nasty way to die."
ravinghumanist
The scariest things about these seemingly innocuous activities is how often they happen to us. Some happen to us every day and we don't give them a second thought, until one day it's a little harder to poop than normal.
Get Some Rest If You Can
"Driving while tired"
FierceSTEAK
"Cars in general. People are so cavalier about these two ton metal boxes speeding around within inches of each other, just inches from pedestrians and buildings. It’s insane when you stop and think about it."
Taxitaxitaxi33
The Brilliance Of Life, The Fear Of Death
"Pregnancy."
Done-By-Hand
"As a labor and delivery nurse I can confirm this 10000%. It’s true that yes, modern medicine has made labor and delivery safer and easier with less death rates, thank god. But trust me, those deaths still happen. Those terrifying situations that can easily cause death if not treated very quickly and appropriately can still happen in an instant, and I see them happen on a daily basis on my unit alone. Being pregnant and giving birth is flat out dangerous and nothing to f-ck around with!"
kitkatquick
Try To Go Every Day
"Chronic constipation. Can permanently damage your intestines, can injure your pelvic floor, lead to cancer, malnutrition, and other severe complications (like bowel obstructions and perforations)."
"You should be having soft, just-holds-together, ropey poops that don't hurt to pass. You shouldn't have little nuggets, giant masses, or liquid poop, and it shouldn't be difficult or uncomfortable to go. There should be no blood, and the diameter of the ropey poops should be pretty consistent from day to day. You should also be going every day to maybe as long as every three days if your poops are still soft, but if your poops become firm or chunky, you're entering non-ideal terratory."
"Constipation hits pretty much everyone at least a few times in their lives, but it shouldn't be like that even half of the time. Chronic constipation goes largely unnoticed and untreated, and it leads to injury ranging from "just" painful (like fissures or hemorrhoids) to very severe (like colon cancer)."
"We don't talk about pooping enough. Talk to your doctor if you don't have good poops! For most people, it can be as simple as adding fiber supplements and extra water. For me, it meant I needed a dose of mirilax every day for the rest of my life (starting when I was 23)."
Ms_Eryn
Nature is all around us.
Never forger that. It's been here long before us, and will be here long after us.
Ay, The Internet...
"Enclosed and non-ventilated spaces. Edit: Known as "confined spaces"."
"There was a post a year or two ago on Reddit where a guy dug a hole in his backyard, put one of those intermodal containers down it, then buried it. He cut a hole in the roof and set up a ladder. The plan was to have the whole thing be a "secret" underground party spot."
"Zero visible ventilation of any kind other than the hole."
"People were going bonkers over how cool this setup was, and were downvoting people that were trying to point out how this could easily get everyone down there killed, stating that the hole was clearly good enough."
"Further note, if you see someone enter an enclosed a confined space and they collapse, DO NOT GO AFTER THEM WITHOUT BREATHING GEAR. You'll just provide a second body for the funeral."
Mazon_Del
Guess Who Else Likes The Ol' Swimmin' Hole?
"Swimming holes. We see this a lot in the South. It's blazing hot, it's summertime, let's swim in whatever body of water we see around in the woods."
"Snakes, other animals, you don't know what the water conditions are beneath the surface, or how deep it is or isn't. You don't know if it is heavily polluted or even a sewage runoff. It's just a big fat no-go for me."
"Edit: WOW as if I wasn't scared enough, the replies to this comment absolutely terrified me. Amoebas, throw away junk, underwater cave systems, drop offs, crocodiles! I think we have all learned a lesson here."
MooseSpringsteeen
Keep Your Wits About Yourself
"Sand bars at the beach."
"It's low tide, suddenly there's a strip of sand that goes out half a mile, you think "let's go for a walk and find some sea shells," you get out there and the view of the beachfront is incredible, then within minutes there's a foot of water rushing across, pushing you around, knocking you off your feet, the sand is turning soft so if you do manage to stay up your feet are sinking past your ankles with every step, you're trying to get back but it's basically sweeping you away, and you've got half a mile to go like this, and the water is getting deeper. Eventually you just get carried out away from the beach."
"People drown every year doing exactly this."
CaBBaGe_isLaND
No Joke.
"A concussion really messes up your brain. We had an accident where we were sitting at a red light, and some dumb bitch wasn’t paying attention and rear ended us. I got a concussion. I had a headache for six months, couldn’t focus my eyes, couldn’t come up with words, couldn’t convey the emotions I was actually feeling.
"Went to a concussion specialist. So, it turns out I had a TBI, and hadn’t ever recovered from it. I had to have therapy to learn to focus my eyes again, and regain my balance, and it was awful. I spent weeks in physical therapy, and would throw up after the session."
"God bless those PTAs, they would just have a cold rag waiting to put on the back of my neck. It’s been three years. I still have issues, headaches, focusing my eyes, and random aphasia. Concussions are no joke."
Madame_Kitsune98
Prairie Safety
"Farming w/ heavy machinery."
jdward01
"Can confirm. Friend of my wife lost her brother when he fell into a corn silo and drowned. Yes, sunk like quick sand so more like suffocated."
tomgbombt
Road Enemies
"Driving next to 18 wheelers... "
"A: They can't see you."
"B: That's just a lot of heavy metal that will unapologetically rearrange your corpse several times before your heart even stops pumping ."
"C: All the truck tires you see on the side of the road."'
"Those things go off like bombs when they go... but people drive right tf next to them like it's cool."
Front_Penalty_4952
Feet Down
"Putting your legs on the car dash. As an ER nurse I see this way tpo often. People put their legs on the car dash, they get into an accident and suddenly you have a legs sticking out the side like a barbie doll. Also driving with a full bladder not fun as well."
soggytoilet_paper
Idiots Teaching
"How the hell am I allowed to operate a motor vehicle? It's a 1.5 ton block of metal and glass that moves at 100 mph, and I'm allowed to operate it while eating McNuggets because I cheated on a test sophomore year."
HonorInDefeat
"Bruh my entire road test was taking 4 right turns back to the DMV. I thought I failed because I was done so quick but the tester was just lazy af."
Prudent_Hawk_7476
Too Much Tylenol
"Acetaminophen, the difference between max daily and you are going to the hospital as an OD is smaller than almost any other drug."
Triple30
"Indeed... acetaminophen for healthy individuals have a max daily dose of around 4g. The problem is the Tylenol brand that many persons take like one extra for the headache, one sinus for the nose and 30ml of sleeping aid Tylenol. All of this three times a day. Well maybe you will not OD and need a hospital but probably you will need a new liver."
MauricioCMC
Hardcore Problems
"Alcohol."
Fizzabl
"The first person from my high school graduating class to die was a few months after graduation, went to a party and his friends kept pouring liquor down his throat after he had already passed out. Plus if you're a hardcore alcoholic, going cold turkey is a bad idea since the withdrawals can literally kill you."
Mataraiki
On the Sea
"Commercial fishing. It’s actually one of the most dangerous professions. Heard of a case recently where the crew woke up and the captain (who had been awake alone) just… wasn’t there. People get caught in the gear or a storm and they’re gone. May not even have a body to bury."'
Jayn_Newell
Kickback...
"Using table saws without knowledge about kickback. Even professionals are having horrendous accidents with table saws when they are getting too comfortable to care about safety. You can easy cut off your fingers and hands, but many do not know that the saw can throw a piece of wood through a wall or... your stomach. Search up kickback on table saw and your will have respect if you find the right videos."
Bjoer9
Be safe out there.
Last thing you need is a watering hole to come and get you.
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Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.