People Explain Which Things Seem Harmless But Are Actually Incredibly Dangerous

Warnings exist for a reason.

Why Everyone Buckles Up

"Having a loose animal in the car. A safety instructor once told me doctors had to dig dog bones out of a person after it got between them and an airbag."

– villemairejones

"Same with unrestrained people."

"They become projectiles."

"Story of a car full of adults. No seatbelts. With a child/baby properly strapped in in the back seat. Got into a major accident. Baby was killed due to the unrestrained adult being tossed around in the car therefore crushing and impacting the baby."

"Might have been an older drivers Ed scare tactic story but it seems feasible."

– RavishingRedRN

Anesthesia Protocol

"Having a small snack before a medical procedure that requires anesthesia. Intubation can cause you to throw up your food and you can choke."

– joedumpster

"And the food won't just get stuck in your throat as it comes up, it can pass into your lungs."

– Grouchy_Salad89

It Cuts Deep

"Mandolin slicer. USE THE HANDGUARD. Or lose a thumb....."

– justanotherlead

Kids can't identify potential dangers until it's too late.

They're Pretty Dangerous

"Kids picking flowers in the park. I am a conservation Technician for a county park system, at least once a year I have to stop parents with kids picking flowers off the trail because I see kids with either poison hemlock (one of the deadliest plants if injesting even a tiny amount) or wild parsnip, which can cause some serious permanent scarring, burns, and boils if the sap gets on to your skin and is exposed to sunlight. Don't let your kids pick or eat anything you aren't 100% sure of."

– whafteycrank

This Tracks

"Walking along the train tracks. It's crazy how fast millions of pounds of freight can sneak up on you."

– kwick818

Exploration

There is a thrill element to going places where you shouldn't. Unless you're an expert.

Claustrophobic Much?

"Confined spaces, above ground or worse, below the surface. If you do urban exploration, caving, or anything like that, get a 4 gas detector, clip it to you chest or belt, and set the alarm to max. If it makes a sound, get the fuck out or you are going to die."

– yearof39

Watch Your Step

"walking off the boardwalks at Yellowstone. They have several signs pressing that even though the ground may look normal in those areas it could be really thin. I've seen people do it anyway. Looks safe ≠ safe."

– Kryptoseyvyian

That Bites

The pain from the initial bite was the least of their worries.

Meow-ch!

"Cat bites. Cat fangs puncture deep and trap bacteria deep within your tissue, leading to horrible infections. You might think one isn't serious because it's not bleeding much, but that just means the wound isn't flushing properly - if you get seriously bitten by a cat, it's very important to go to urgent care so they can properly disinfect the wound."

– Notmiefault

The Worst Bite There Is

"A human bite. I worked at a kindergarten and one kid was sometimes super sweet but sometimes really mean. He could switch in a second. While I was naming the colouring pages they were about to get he walked up to me and bit me in the arm. Didn't think it was through, cuz no blood. But it started swelling and getting red and the marks were clearly there. Went to the doc right after my shift. He explained a human bite is the second most dangerous bite there is. Got antibiotics but they didn't work. Arm just kept swelling and getting completely dark purple over two days. Doctor sent me to the hospital where I got strong antibiotics. Basically everything in me was cleaned with that sh*t, felt weak for months. If it didn't start working by that night is have to come back and be hospitalised to get my underarm removed. I've sh@t some bricks there. Never thought a kids bite could cause this. Luckily the swelling got less and the bruise stopped spreading so I still have my arm, but that was very close."

"EDIT: For the people who asked me if I punished the kid, his parents did that for me. My coworker reported the incident to the parents and it was one of his last days there as they were moving (this was planned before he bit me.) His parents were really sorry and a few days later when I worked again, it was the last time I'd see him and the parents brought him towards me because they wanted him to apologize. My arm was still fairly swollen and purple at that point and he was absolutely shocked that he had been the cause of that. He apologized with tears in his eyes and actually hugged me. He promised me never to bite anyone again (apparently he had bitten his family and even other children before! So far no one had gotten an infection apart from me.) and I really think he meant that. Still had a good day with him, but was still pretty mad as I was scared my antibiotics stopped working or something but now that I think back on him he's not a bad kid, just a troubled mind that didn't get the right treatment. But a scare not the less!"

– stuetel

Dangers Of Water

We drink it, we swim in it – heck, we're comprised mostly of it. But there are things that will make you extra cautious about oceans and pools after reading these comments.

Out To Sea

"Riptide and 4ft waves....my friend drowned at the beach from a sneaker set. Terrible."

– garbage_band

"For everyone else reading this - keeping swimming parallel to shore. You'll get pulled out a little bit, but more importantly you'll also get out of the riptide without being exhausted and can then get back."

– SnooMacarons9344

Bedsheet Underwater

" Pool covers. It's like being wrapped in a bedsheet underwater. You cannot get free and you cannot scream for help. Once you're in the only way to get out is to be incredibly lucky and get free or have faith that someone saw or heard you fall in and hope that they get you in time."

"It's a lengthy, terrifying, death that's completely avoidable."

– A_Wild_VelociFaptor

"fun fact i actually almost died bc of this as a little kid at a pool party, neighbor's dog noticed though and barked at the pool until someone came by."

– vadadaism

Not A Playground

"Oceanside cliff blow holes. People think they're so much fun to stand around and play with. You fall into one of those things, you aren't getting out. The waves will just bludgeon you against the rocks until you die or you're lucky enough to drown first."

– Symnestra

You'll have to take some of the horrifying comments above with a grain of salt. Living in fear is no way to live, as they say.

But one should still be mindful of the potential dangers around us and to heed the general warnings signs – which exist for a reason.

You may feel invincible by going for that boast-worthy selfie or exploring areas at a national park where you shouldn't.

But remember – luck won't always be on your side.