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.
- 1294 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.
- 2273 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.
- 3271 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.
- 4308 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!
- 5314 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.
- 6295 VOTES
Scare The Bears
From Redditor u/Katy-L-Wood
My cousins and I, from the time we were toddlers, were just sent out into the forest in the morning with nothing but whistles to “scare the bears.” One time I chased a bear.