20 Summer Tips To Stay Alive: Tip 2- Don’t Mess with Vending Machines

Here we present 20 easy-to-miss risks, and how to avoid or survive them. Stay alive this summer by following these simple tips. One tip will be given each day for the next 20 days.

Accidents are the leading cause of death among U.S. men 18 to 50 years old, accounting for 37,000 of the roughly 148,000 annual fatalities. Some instances of unintentional death, to use the official term, are unavoidable—wrong place, wrong time—but most aren’t. Staying alive requires recognizing danger, feeling fear, and reacting. “We interpret external cues through our subconscious fear centers very quickly,” says Harvard University’s David Ropeik, author of How Risky Is It, Really? Trouble is, even smart, sober, experienced men can fail to register signals of an imminent threat.

TIP 2 - DON’T MESS WITH VENDING MACHINES

You skipped lunch. You need a snack. You insert money into a vending machine, press the buttons, and nothing comes out. You get mad. 

FACT: Vending machines caused 37 deaths between 1978 and 1995, crushing customers who rocked and toppled the dispensers. Vending machines kill approximately 2 people each year. Freak accident or not, you could be one of these if you decide to act a fool.

DON’T: Skip lunch and if your nearby vending machine won’t give you your snack, just chalk it up to lost money and find another.