People do all kinds of things in their spare time. Some of them have dangerous hobbies, while others like to sit on the couch and read books. Either way is acceptable, but probably a papercut is the deadliest thing that can happen to the book-reader.
If you have a more perilous hobby, you have to accept that you can hurt yourself doing it. If you’re still okay with that, then by all means go ahead, but you might think about your family members. They would obviously hate to see anything happen to you if you’re chasing an adrenaline rush.
Let’s examine five potentially dangerous activities in which people engage.
Motorcycle Riding
Millions of people own motorcycles, and they can be fun to ride, but every time you hop on, you risk serious injury or death. Motorcycle riders are actually 27 times more likely to die in a wreck than regular car drivers are. No matter how you attempt to frame it, that’s a tough statistic to ignore.
You can certainly make things a little bit safer by wearing a helmet every time you ride. You might consider wearing pads as well.
You can ride in the daytime instead of at night when cars can’t see you as well. You might also avoid going out for rides when it’s raining or snowing. That should make your family feel a little better about your hobby.
Hunting
Many people like hunting, as well. In several states, you can get yourself a rifle and a hunting license, and you can head off into the local woods to try and bag yourself a trophy buck. You also might hunt for other game depending on the state in which you live.
In the game of human versus deer, you probably have the advantage. If you get a high-powered rifle, climb up into a tree, and wait for a deer to pass by before taking a shot at it, you’ll probably be fine.
However, hunting accidents do occur. You could fall out of that blind and break a leg or your neck. You might also approach a wounded buck, and it could kick you or gore you.
More than anything else, though, hunters have to watch out for each other. If two hunters are in the woods, and they don’t see one another, one could easily shoot the other. That’s fairly common, especially if those hunters are wearing camouflaged gear.
Aquatic Sports
There are also all sorts of aquatic sports, such as surfing and bodyboarding. Many people love these activities, especially if you grew up along the East or West coasts and you like getting out there on the water.
You can injure yourself pretty easily doing that sort of thing, though. The ocean is a whole lot bigger than you. A wave can roll over you and disorient you. You might drown before you can fight your way back to the surface.
You have to watch out for aquatic life like sharks and stingrays as well. A shark might mistake you for dinner and take a chunk out of your leg. As for stingrays, they can be deadly as well, as the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, discovered.
Drug Use
Some people use drugs recreationally. Many societal members think about drug users as being outcasts and degenerates, but lots of them hold down regular jobs and have their lives reasonably under control.
If you use recreational drugs, though, you can always take things too far. You can give yourself alcohol poisoning if you overindulge. If you use things like cocaine, MDMA, opioids, etc., you might misjudge how much it’s safe for you to consume.
The next thing you know, you could end up in the hospital, or you might lose your job if the police catch you buying drugs or under the influence. Your boss could find out about it, and within a day or so, you’re headed to the unemployment line.
Gambling
Gambling is another potentially dangerous activity, yet some people don’t see it that way. They might think a little Texas Hold ‘Em is harmless, or they might bet on football games or other sporting events.
If you’re winning, gambling can be fun, but it’s different if you’re losing your mortgage and car payments because you can’t stop. Your family might have to intervene, and you’ll probably have to quit cold-turkey to try and get your life back on track. You may have a hard time stopping once you’ve crossed the line.