Be very careful, boys (and others) have been killed by collapsing sand holes. No matter how fast their friends tried to dig them out. The sand is not just cutting off your air, and filling your mouth and nose if you try to inhale, it's also a crushing weight on your lungs, much more than avalanche snow for instance. If you want to dig a hole deeper than your chest, do it in more-solid dirt, not sand.
Similarly, snow piles can be dangerous. Like the kind made by machines clearing parking lots that kids love to play on. Depending on how packed it is, there could be gaps a kid could fall in and get stuck, plus kids scream when they are having fun, so many adults might just filter out the sound of child screaming.
The ones at schools might be specifically made with kids playing on them in mind, but I doubt that's the case for ones in random parking lots, though maybe I'm just underestimating typical snow plough training.
Yeah, two kids were digging a big hole on the beach near me a few weeks ago, and it collapsed on them, and killed them both. They would have been better off in the water, taking their chances with the sharks.
I'd rather see multiple comments giving the same safety advice if it means people are more likely to be able to see it.
Telling kids "you're only allowed to dig a hole that's at least as wide as it is deep" is likely to go over a lot better than "you're not allowed to dig a deep hole because it's unsafe"
Digging is also loved by dogs. Many dogs I've known would dig if you started digging. I wouldn't be surprised that digging is one of those things that sets off dopamine receptors.
Probably helpful for both digging burrows and hunting burrowing animals.
There’s something funny about how simple projects like this instantly turn into a group activity. One person starts digging and suddenly everyone wants to contribute.
His video essays are so good they make me wish supposedly "one of the best in the country" school systems that I went through didn't condition me to loathe writing so I would have some practice and skills to write things myself.
Some bad advice here applying a “no deeper than wide” rule to beach conditions. Wet sand with shifting density won’t behave like regular earth, and a pit at the beach is going to behave differently than a trench in regular dirt. If someone said they’re going to stick you in a 6’x6’x6’ pit surrounded by unstable wet concrete and let it go with you in the middle you’d probably say this wasn’t the best safety advice.
One of my Spring tasks is to dig out a stump in my backyard, I'm not looking forward to it. I wonder if the neighborhood kids would be interested in helping.
Put a small fence/rope around it and call it the "IRL minecraft zone" Charge 1 dollar to rent a shovel. Once the roots are exposed go in there with a chainsaw and finish it off.
47 Comments
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works · 102 pts · 179d
Be very careful, boys (and others) have been killed by collapsing sand holes. No matter how fast their friends tried to dig them out. The sand is not just cutting off your air, and filling your mouth and nose if you try to inhale, it's also a crushing weight on your lungs, much more than avalanche snow for instance. If you want to dig a hole deeper than your chest, do it in more-solid dirt, not sand.
otacon239@lemmy.world · 45 pts · 179d
This boy holes
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 15 pts · 179d
I guess they paid the troll toll
Buddahriffic@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 179d
Similarly, snow piles can be dangerous. Like the kind made by machines clearing parking lots that kids love to play on. Depending on how packed it is, there could be gaps a kid could fall in and get stuck, plus kids scream when they are having fun, so many adults might just filter out the sound of child screaming.
The ones at schools might be specifically made with kids playing on them in mind, but I doubt that's the case for ones in random parking lots, though maybe I'm just underestimating typical snow plough training.
anomnom@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 179d
The biggest danger with snow caves is that they absorb pretty much all sound, so you can’t hear the screaming if it eve partly collapses.
We always build our kid igloos without roofs for this reason.
anomnom@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 179d
Also don’t bury people even waste deep below the high tide water line. There are some frantic videos about that too if you go searching.
Slovene@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 178d
There's also a segment about that in an anthology horror movie where Leslie Nielsen gets revenge on his wife and her lover, Ted Danson.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0083767/
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0083767/mediaviewer/rm3460156416/
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 179d
Oh, that's a very good point!
tino_408@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 178d
A lot of beaches in Cali ban holes deeper than 2ft
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 40 pts · 179d
Yeah, two kids were digging a big hole on the beach near me a few weeks ago, and it collapsed on them, and killed them both. They would have been better off in the water, taking their chances with the sharks.
Don't dig holes on the beach.
Scrollone@feddit.it · 23 pts · 179d
Never dig a hole that's deeper than wide. Then you should be safe.
Edit: the hive mind. I've just seen there's a comment similar to mine by another user.
AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net · 7 pts · 179d
I'd rather see multiple comments giving the same safety advice if it means people are more likely to be able to see it.
Telling kids "you're only allowed to dig a hole that's at least as wide as it is deep" is likely to go over a lot better than "you're not allowed to dig a deep hole because it's unsafe"
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 179d
Doesn’t work that way with wet sand that can change density with water movement.
Broadfern@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 179d
The irresistible human urge to build (or dig) things together.
We’re tall, bipedal ants and I love us for that.
samus12345@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 179d
This tracks. I hate doing physical labor by myself, but doing it with others is satisfying.
quips@slrpnk.net · 11 pts · 179d
Genuinely might be an evolutionarily selected disposition. Could totally see there being an advantage there.
assassinatedbyCIA@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 179d
Good way to die horribly
Jumi@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 179d
But at least we got to dig a hole
billwashere@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 179d
Pretty as long as the hole is wider than it is deep they should be fine.
obinice@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 179d
Oof, unsupported walls in holes can kill you extremely fast. I'd never go into a hole deeper than my waist without shoring (even then, ehhhh).
Stay safe!
Chippys_mittens@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 179d
xx3rawr@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 179d
Pat_Riot@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 179d
Drrrr
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 179d
Digging holes builds character.
Canconda@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 179d
What a whacky amazing movie
Bullerfar@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 179d
All boys think about... Them holes..
Fedizen@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 178d
Digging is also loved by dogs. Many dogs I've known would dig if you started digging. I wouldn't be surprised that digging is one of those things that sets off dopamine receptors.
Probably helpful for both digging burrows and hunting burrowing animals.
EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 178d
Instant visible progress, obstacles but not major ones (usually), engagement to move, a way to burn energy, distraction from something bothersome..
craigers@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 179d
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 179d
In addition to the other comments, here's a video:
Why Are Beach Holes So Deadly?
MrMetaKopos@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 178d
The video forgot to mention this as well
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 179d
That lego figure clip was probably the most underwhelming way to show the dangers of collapse.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 5 pts · 179d
Well, yeah... We are biologically wired to enjoy holes. 🤷♂️
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 179d
Giggity
MrMetaKopos@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 178d
sanbdra@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 178d
There’s something funny about how simple projects like this instantly turn into a group activity. One person starts digging and suddenly everyone wants to contribute.
tiramichu@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 178d
It's clear what is required. There are no blockers to contribution. It's immediately rewarding, and progress is rapid and measurable.
Just about the opposite of any other project you might be involved in
affenlehrer@feddit.org · 4 pts · 179d
Dangerous
webp@mander.xyz · 4 pts · 179d
You go in the hole
Landless2029@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 179d
This is my hole
Ceruleum@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 179d
Holesome.
masta_chief@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 178d
Excellent Jacob Geller on this exact phenomenon:
https://youtu.be/5iQ8dpu-W4k
His video essays are so good they make me wish supposedly "one of the best in the country" school systems that I went through didn't condition me to loathe writing so I would have some practice and skills to write things myself.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 179d
Some bad advice here applying a “no deeper than wide” rule to beach conditions. Wet sand with shifting density won’t behave like regular earth, and a pit at the beach is going to behave differently than a trench in regular dirt. If someone said they’re going to stick you in a 6’x6’x6’ pit surrounded by unstable wet concrete and let it go with you in the middle you’d probably say this wasn’t the best safety advice.
Fedizen@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 178d
Its also likely to just hit the water table at the beach.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 179d
One of my Spring tasks is to dig out a stump in my backyard, I'm not looking forward to it. I wonder if the neighborhood kids would be interested in helping.
Zannsolo@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 178d
Digging a big hole in the sand = fun. Digging a hike in hard root riddled dirt = $20+ an hour
Fedizen@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 178d
Put a small fence/rope around it and call it the "IRL minecraft zone" Charge 1 dollar to rent a shovel. Once the roots are exposed go in there with a chainsaw and finish it off.
postnataldrip@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 179d
The Milkshake