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?

When I was a child the chip pan regularly set on fire. Thankfully we had a smoke alarm that alerted my parents who would throw a wet tea towel over it. We were bloody lucky to never have a serious fire. Ironically thirty years later my house did set on fire , not a chip pan but a dodgy phone charger that overheated.

Omg silos!!!!! Did you watch the videos in school assembly 😂

When the wind blows was so traumatic! My Grandma thought it was a cure Raymond Briggs film so sat me and my cousins down to watch it and we were so scared. i had dreams for years!

I took a class ice skating once, and someone fell over and cut their hand on another child's ice skate.

Didn't cut their fingers off though...

We had water safety videos presented by Rolf Harris, totally shudder when I think about them now.

Came here to say this!

And my jewellery would all be taken by magpies flying in through an open window

The foreshadowing!

Like the first 5 minutes of 'Casualty', where the old chap using the chainsaw to trim his hedges can't quite reach the top, so rests his stepladders on his grandsons skateboard, handily lying around nearby

anyone else scared of pressure cookers?

Always worried I'd have my hand sliced off whilst operating one of those electric table saws.

Rabies (there was some tv drama about rabies outbreak)
Quicksand
Fireworks
Sharks (still think about Jaws when I paddle in the sea)
Spontaneous Human combustion

I am still cautious walking near scaffolding because 'Isaac Newton told us why'.... Gravity remains a bitch. However, considering it's ubiquity in everything when I was a child, I have yet to encounter some one who has slipped on a banana skin or stood on a rake and got smacked in the face.

i was just talking about this with my wife! Although it was quick sand, stigmata and spontenious combustion that we thought would have more of an impact on our lives!

Yes! Casualty writers clearly took a lot of inspiration from the format of the Public information film.

And probably a few of the plots .

Yep I was 40 years old before I discovered you can’t drown in quicksand (although if no one rescues you there are lots of other things that could happen of course)

80s public information films were incredible. Remember the car crash one “like most, jenny knew her killer”

I actually know a person this happened too he survived but was scarred for life by it and "died" several times

I’m proud to say at 46 yrs old I will still refuse to play near a slurry pit, thanks to that Safety on the Farm film.

Quicksand.

Also, getting my hair trapped in the vents in the swimming pool and being sucked under the water. A scaffolding pile falling from a truck and impaling me (999 anyone?).

Bring electrocuted, being kidnapped.

A lot of it at Burnham too but you just have to use common sense. Do rather love it when cars ignore it and sink though

Then there were the PiFs aimed at children, featuring Tony, and his massive cat Charley. 'Charley says...' became a bit of catchphrase. (and was sampled by the Prodigy ).

These were quite sensible advice really- not playing with matches, or near water. Or going off with strangers.

The adverts left a big impression on a whole generation of children though. (mainly if big ginger cats start talking, stop drinking ).

My Mum was religious at one point (she changed her mind frequently) and once told me that the world would end soon because the four horsemen were coming.

I had a small bag packed at the bottom of my wardrobe (no idea how that was going to help) and regularly looked out of my window to check they weren't here yet.

Tbf with how the world is at the moment, I wouldn't be all that surprised if it happened.

This is my favourite PIF! DH and I regularly quote it to each other. It's a classic.

"Polish a floor. Put a rug on it. You might as well set a man trap"

P

Someone has also done a parody of these, I think the first one I saw was 'don't boil a kettle on a boat'. Very funny.

Am I the only person who is scared of being buried alive?
And obviously all the others above.

Don't forget about yellowstone park exploding and destroying the world

The Bermuda Triangle is less active in my life than I thought it would be

I wasn't acted of quicksand - but certainly was and still am very scared of sinking mud.

But that's because there was loads in the harbour by where I lived and my dad rescued many of them as a coastguard.

In fact I'm more scared now as I watch people ignoring signs because I know exactly what can and will happen

Yes ! The metal weight thing blew off the top of ours when i was small and made a hole in the kitchen ceiling.