Many people fear things like being attacked by a shark, struck by lightning, or swept away by a tornado. The good news is that these events are very unlikely to happen. But the bad news is that many mundane and seemingly harmless phenomena are much more dangerous and closer to us than we might imagine, posing a greater threat than the irrational phobias we carry with us.
To learn more about what risks are exactly lurking around us, we asked Bored Panda readers to list some of the things they believe are commonly seen as safe but are actually dangerous. Scroll down to find the most popular answers, and don’t forget to share your own insights below.
#1
Letting a toddler play with a pill bottle just because it has a child safety cap on it.
Image credits: Janine Giroux
#2
A gun that is supposedly not loaded.
Image credits: Geoff Schwartz
#3
Most foods in the American diet.
Image credits: Alicia Patterson Cochran
To find the mundane things that we think are safe but actually aren’t, we don’t have to dig deep. Most of us use them in our daily lives without even realizing it.
An independent American laboratory, Valisure, and its dozen scientists over the past five years have discovered potentially cancer-causing chemicals in commonly used medications, hand sanitizers, sunscreens, antiperspirant body sprays, and dry shampoos.
#4
People doing stupid pranks on strangers…. Someone is going to pick the wrong person on the wrong day.
Image credits: Sean Riddell
#5
Going anywhere where is a large crowd.
Image credits: Kimberly Broome
#6
Going to school in America.
Image credits: Esther Ching
The organization aims to shut down the widely spread misconception that products people buy have been through enough testing to be deemed safe.
“Most consumers assume that because it’s for sale, it must be safe,” says Teresa Murray, director at the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). “Oftentimes, that’s very much not true.”
#7
Listening to unlicensed influencers, advertisements, politicians/entertainment news folks and Facebook posts in regard to healthcare matters.
Image credits: Emily Bellator Withak
#8
Approaching and/or feeding wildlife.
Image credits: Amy Roche
#9
Cooking yourself in the sun.
Image credits: Marisa Colledge
Despite common belief, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration isn’t thoroughly analyzing every shampoo or supplement that is available for sale. Interestingly enough, the FDA doesn’t have to approve most cosmetics before they are put on the shelves. Not to mention the effect it will have on our health after years of daily use.
#10
Driving. It is ranked as the number 1 most dangerous daily activity in the world. Cooking, surprisingly, is 2nd.
Image credits: Raz Failagao
#11
Thinking that bears in their backyard are cute when they actually eat people. Also, trying to tease buffalo on the road in Yellowstone.
Image credits: Laureli Christensen
#12
Getting your neck “popped” by a chiropractor.
Image credits: Cindy Ervin Holmes
Products like sunscreen, hair care, and fragrances are regularly causing concern for scientists. “The more we look [at consumer products], the worse it looks,” says Dr. Megan Schwarzman. However, she adds that it’s not always easy to understand the potential risks caused by some of the chemicals found.
#13
Rides at theme parks, and carnivals.
Image credits: Ellen-Jo Lancey
#14
Cycling without a helmet.
Image credits: Henna Iso-Kouvola
#15
Tampons.
Image credits: Lisa Juanita Dos Santos
“There’s lead in pigments in lipstick,” she says. “If you wear lipstick once a month, it’s probably not a big exposure.” But it’s hard to say if wearing it a few times a week is enough to cause health problems over the years or decades. What complicates matters even more is that it’s nearly impossible to isolate which chemicals may pose a threat to our well-being, as we’re constantly exposed to toxins at low concentrations.
#16
Hiking in the wilderness, visiting National Parks. People think everywhere is Disneyland.
#17
Pregnancy.
Image credits: Rose Ogwa
#18
Plastic surgery or any surgery really.
Image credits: Tanya FaginAldrich
In a new study released just last month (July 2024), researchers found arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals in 100% of the tampons they tested. However, it’s not yet recognized as a serious health threat, as scientists aren’t sure how absorption in women’s reproductive organs works.
#19
Organized religion.
Image credits: April Sleeper-Fitzpatrick
#20
Trampolines.
Image credits: Ashley Martin
#21
Allergies.
Even the water that we consume daily to survive is not completely safe. Bottled H2O that we buy in stores has been found to contain microplastics that may accumulate in the body and cause health issues in the long run. However, as with the chemicals mentioned previously, the health effects of microplastics aren’t yet fully proven.
#22
Fireworks.
Melanie Findley:
Whoever thinks fireworks are safe is more dangerous than fireworks.
Image credits: Joan Sullivan
#23
Riding horses.
Gerd Hegge:
I hate to admit that you might be right (I've been riding for more than 50 years)
Image credits: Mijou Line Defaux
#24
Watching Fox News.
Image credits: Katy Garrabrant
The main takeaway here is that we should be more cautious of the things that look the most harmless, not the ones that have a one in 4 million chance of happening, like a shark attack.
If you’re curious to know more, make sure to check out our previous articles on dangerous but completely legal things.
#25
The combination of church and state.
Image credits: Michael Bain
#26
Vaping.
Image credits: Jacqueline Fooks
#27
Riding a motorcycle without proper gear, despite the heat.
Image credits: Chrissy Towanda Quaghebeur
#28
A cat walking down the stairs in front of you.
#29
Sleeping with babies in their beds – can turn deadly way too quickly.
#30
A deer! Not just because they run in front of your car (or into it sometimes), but if you meet them in the woods, they are likely to hurt you.
#31
Having guns in the home.
#32
Drinking alcohol.
#33
Giving birth. It didn’t seem that scary when I did it, I had complete faith I would be fine, but watching someone you love do it is terrifying.
#34
Water beads.
#35
Four Wheelers.
#36
Running stop signs – why won’t people stop?
#37
Swimming in any body of water in Florida and Louisiana.
#38
Driving with your seat too close to the steering wheel! I see people driving where he wheel is almost touching their chest, that airbag comes out they're dead just from that.
#39
The ocean! Sharks, riptides, high tide, low tide, jelly fish so many dangers. But I still go in to the point I get whistled at by life guards. One day a sharks going to get me. But I go to the beach like once every few years so.
#40
Living in Australia.
#41
Children playing with remotes. Batteries are lethal.
#42
Downtown… anywhere.
#43
Skydiving.
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