Something Was Off
"I let my partner drive my new car around a parking lot, literally for two minutes. He said offhand that the steering felt off to him. He’s a car guy, so even though I couldn’t feel anything weird, the next time I went for an oil change, I asked them to check it out."
"They didn't want to check it, but I insisted. They came back and said I couldn't drive it home because one of the sensors was messed up, and my steering could go out at any time. That two-minute drive around a parking lot probably saved my life." -Reddit user ajgoulet
Safety Glasses
"When working away, it's easy to talk yourself into doing something really quick without them, and there is always a voice in your head yelling at you to put them on."
"Stopped grinding the thing I was working on, got my glasses came back, and then this chunk flies up and cracks the right lense. Spidey senses 1 Murphy's law 0." -Reddit user Turtlemonk92
Double Check
"I'm in the military, and for that reason, I obviously cannot possess, use, or sell any illicit substance whatsoever. While I was at basic training, I let my brother, who is an avid user, take my car so he could look after it. When I finally came home for the first time in a while, he gave the car back to me. I specifically asked him if there were any illicit substances in the car."
"He said no, and I left soon after. Well, in the driveway, I was kind of paranoid and figured I'd search my own car, just in case. Sure enough, my dumb brother left a wax pen in the driver's side door. Thank god I found it because not only is wax a felony charge, but it would've ruined my career if I had gotten caught with it. I'm always trying to be safe." -Reddit user dennisthemnce71
Transmission Work
"I had a car sitting on jack stands because I needed to do some transmission work. Before climbing under it, I thought it'd be a good idea to rock the car around."
"One of the jack stands was not in the right spot, and the car slipped off it, slamming down on the front disk brakes. Would have killed me." -Reddit user Goyteamsix
Before The Vacation
"Before going on an extended winter vacation, I turned off the water main valve for our house, just in case a plumbing issue developed while we were away."
"Turning off the water supply paid big dividends when we discovered a pipe that was close to an outside wall had frozen and burst during several nights of near-zero temps while we were gone. If the water main valve hadn't been closed, the basement would've been flooded." -Reddit user Back2Bach
Inspector
"When I was 20, I worked at a gas station. They had just changed the law to if the customer looked 40 and under, you had to id them for cigarettes. I was by myself. A lady came in and ordered a pack of camels. She looked roughly 45, so I didn't ask. I had this nagging feeling throughout the transaction that it would be a VERY good idea to ask. So before I took her money, I kinda laughed and said, "mind if I see your id real quick? I'm really sorry, you're clearly old enough, but they changed the law recently on who we have to ID"
"She just looked at me and said, "I'm so glad you asked!" and flashed her work card at me. She was a freaking inspector. If I didn't ask her, I would have been arrested and fined. That was the day I learned to trust my gut. And I also suck at telling people's ages. She was 35." -Reddit user Dementedgnome
At The Dentist
"I saved a receipt from my dentist. They charged me, then delayed the procedure I paid for. When I asked for a refund, they changed my entire bill and told me that I owed them another $300, despite the fact that all they did was clean my teeth and take my x-rays. I submitted both copies of the invoices to my dental insurance company and told them what happened."
"Three weeks later, the insurance company resolved the issue with the dentist and I got a refund. Despite the dentist attempting to defraud me, they still regularly call me asking me to come back in." -Reddit user 1and2halvespeople
Rental Vehicle Coverage
"I had originally booked a rental car for a trip to Iceland using my credit card points. Two days before, I canceled and booked it with my credit card, which provides rental vehicle coverage, because it looked like the weather wasn't going to be great while we were there, and I wanted the extra protection."
"While there, we got into an accident for which we were not at fault. The car was almost a total loss, and I had to pay $12k+ out of pocket to the company. It took a few months and a ton of paperwork, but the credit card company refunded all of it. I still think about how so so lucky it was that I changed the booking. I would have been ruined for a very long time otherwise." -Reddit user othercrazycatlady
At The Rocky Mountains
"I was on my way out the door for a trip to the Rocky Mountains with some friends. I saw a whistle sitting randomly in my junk drawer."
"When I went out to the car to leave, I thought, "Well, I guess if I get lost, it could come in handy." I went back in and put it in my pocket. Guess who got lost in the mountains and got my butt saved by having a very loud whistle with me?" -Reddit user margaretiscool
Baking Soda
"I went shopping to prep for my long-distance girlfriend that was staying over, and I saw boxes of Baking Soda in the market. I thought, "Oh yeah, it's smart to keep Baking Soda around in the kitchen in case you have a grease fire." -- so I grab a box."
"She's cooking breakfast the next morning while I'm in the shower when I hear her yelling for me. I come out, and the stove is on fire. Like a champ, I yell, "I'm ready for this!" and grab the baking soda and put out the fire. Always keep baking soda in the fridge, kids." -Reddit user Formaldehead
Completely Exonerated
"About ten years ago, when I was married, my wife's best friend kept flirting with me. One time, when she was being super aggressive, I recorded it on my cell phone. A few months later, she accused me of saying to her the very things that she said to me"
"I played the recording to my wife, and it completely exonerated me. She was trying to ruin my marriage because her own marriage was failing." -Reddit user throwaway4the1sttime
Venice Trip
"This one is a bit more light-hearted. A few years ago, I went on a trip to Venice. It was going to be sunny, and I knew I had terrible luck and that there were many pigeons, so I took an old white baseball hat with me and put it on."
"Of course, a pigeon shat on my head. Right on the hat, I had with me just in case." -Reddit user improperly_paranoid
An Uninvited Guest
"I was out solo hiking and camping. It was the end of a long day, and I really didn't feel like taking the time to tie up a bear bag (a bag with all your food tied up in a tree far away from your camp). But I said," You know what, just to be safe…I'll go set one up"
"Cut to the middle of the night–I'm woken up to the sound of a black bear walking 30 feet away from my hammock and heading straight to where I tied up my food." -Reddit user inveritatisamore
Nearly Left Behind
"I arrived in San Francisco a week into a trip. As we gathered our things during a moment of downtime, I went back to check the bus because, you know, it never hurts."
"I found my passport wedged in my seat, and I had no idea I had even dropped it." -Reddit user gy6fswyihgtvhivr
During A Hike
"I went hiking in the middle of the day with a friend and his girlfriend. I brought flashlights for us. Well, the hike took a lot longer than expected, and my buddy's girlfriend sprained her foot near the end."
"It took us nearly three times as long to get back, and it was already really dark. Those flashlights saved our bacon. I can't even fathom how long it would have taken stumbling in the dark otherwise." -Reddit user EliteYager