It turns out that quick sand, burglars and house fires are far less of a risk in adult life than I'd anticipated. Phew!

[Limth]

As a child, I felt certain I'd witness at least one untimely death in quick sand. Possibly my own.

I also felt certain I'd be burgled in the middle of the night on multiple occasions by a duo of tiptoeing men, one of whom would be wearing a stripy top.

And I felt sure that, at least once in my life, I'd wake in the night to a room filled with smoke as my house burned down around me. I still won't let my dog sleep downstairs just in case of fire.

These eventualities were so ubiquitous in children's media - I was born mid-80s - that I was sure they were just eventualities. In fact, almost obligations - these things were so ubiquitous to be almost legal mandates - that everyone had to experience a house fire, burglary and a brush with quick sand death at some point.

What things from your childhood turned out to actually be far less of a risk than you'd thought?

Ha, acid rain came to me last night actually when I was thinking about this thread. My year 7 science teacher said that by 2010, umbrellas would need to be made or metal because acid rain would melt normal ones 🤔 Fifteen years later than that, still no acid rain, still no metal brollies. What a Billy Bullshitter Mr Parkman was!

Nor have I ever lived in Battersea Power Station, or thought I did. (It was still a functioning power station back then, though I did not really know what it was, other than it provided electricity somehow.)

Despite sitting on cold walls or steps many times in my long life, I didn't develop piles 🏆

Like a PP said, I also haven't had my arms broken by a swan's wings. I did get a dirty look from a duck when I was on a pedalo in Hyde Park's lake a few years ago though.

My nephew lost an eye due to a firework. And his father, my brother, was super safety conscious because of the adverts about fireworks during our childhood. Despite being a 'spent' firework and left to dispose of the next day, it did explode and nephew was lucky to not lose a hand as well.

I remember reading in The Guardian about a woman who got caught in quicksand with her child and her then husband giving her a look of hatred and walking away. From nowhere it seemed a man rescued her and her child and she was unable to formally thank him as he quickly went on his way. She told her ex to leave that night and he did.

I've not found myself heading for Niagara Falls on a small raft yet either.

I have whitewater rated below Victoria Falls, though. Fortunately, no one mentioned the crocodile risk in the non-white water bits until we were back on dry land.