18 Crazy Stories From The Days When Kids Could Run Around Unsupervised
Childhood was different in days gone by. Technology was different. Neighborhoods were different. Parenting was different. As a result, a lot of kids were going around unsupervised and getting themselves into situations they're luckly they survived. These folks hopped on the Reddit forum r/AskReddit to answer the question: "What unsupervised childhood activities did you participate in, that probably should have killed you?" Posts have been lightly edited for language and clarity.
- 1293 VOTES
Brake Fluid And Chlorine
From Redditor u/Narcslayer714
My greatest discovery at around 12 years old was finding out brake fluid and chlorine for the pool combust when mixed. Soon, my friends and I were doing all kinds of crazy [stuff] with the mixture. The best was driving a pipe into the ground a few feet long and putting the chlorine and brake fluid in there and watching the dragon fire shoot out the pipe. It's not an immediate reaction, kind of a slow burn 'til it bursts into a furious hellfire.
- 2272 VOTES
Tree Riding
From Redditor u/Babydontcomeback
Tree riding. Climb a tree and have your friends cut it down. We would have contests to see who would climb the highest. I won more than once. I cannot fathom how I nor anyone else was not seriously hurt, never mind killed.
- 3281 VOTES
Six Stories High
From Redditor u/MikeErk67
I grew up within the boundaries of Tufts University’s campus. At the end of my street was a campus building that was six stories high. I remember climbing to the top of the fire escape, stepping over the railing onto the slate pitched roof. I held onto the dormer and made my way on top of that roof, then I would walk up to the pitch of the roof and straddle the pitch and look out on the Boston skyline. I was under 10 years old. Well over a hundred feet up, one slip and I was sidewalk pizza. I can’t believe I survived being a latch key kid in the '80s.
- 4270 VOTES
Before Paintball
From Redditor u/time2downshift
Before paintball, we only had BB guns to shoot at one another. Needless to say, there weren’t any fancy face masks or other protective gear.
From Redditor u/bagpiper
Forty years later, my parents were finally told the story of me using a pocket knife to remove the BB embedded in my kid brothers butt cheek.
- 5306 VOTES
Roller Blades + Roof + Trampoline
From Redditor u/Melrob17
I used to rollerblade off the roof and onto the trampoline. It hurts to think about it now. I'm still shocked I never got hurt!
- 6312 VOTES
While The Neighbors Slept
From Redditor u/magicmoonflower
Back in the old days, when folks didn’t lock doors, my dumb a** used to go in my neighbors houses and wander about while they slept. Then I’d get scared and leave. Very dangerous as a 6-year-old young lady.
It was 1994, my parents were asleep, and I was stealthy. It was maybe the same four to five “family” houses on my block and I never got caught. I have many angels.