‘What’s the scariest fact you know in your profession that no one outside of it knows?’ – 23 things that you’ll end up wishing you never found out

As we trudge through the daily grind, siloed away from all the other professions, we tend not to consider that some of the things we know about our jobs are a total mystery to people who work in other industries. Or perhaps we want to keep them secret, because they are too scary to be unleashed upon the rest of the unsuspecting world. Until now, that is. Over on Reddit, user SAMdaLOSER asked:

What’s the scariest fact you know in your profession that no one else outside of it knows?

And the answers will have you wishing you’d kept your head firmly buried in the sand.

1.

‘As a librarian, you’d be horrified how many books we get returned and have to throw out because they’re absolutely covered in bed bugs. We put a block on accounts and notify patrons, but I’m specifically told not to mention this problem to the public whatsoever by management.’
–nopointinlife1234

2.

‘Climbing into an unventilated manhole can kill you in seconds and you wouldn’t even know anything was seriously wrong. You think that’s air you’re breathing now?

Manholes can fill with gases that are heavier than breathable air. You think are breathing normally but instead you fall unconscious and suffocate from lack of oxygen.’
–jatznic

3.

‘The entirety of the internet is held together by a very outdated and very vulnerable routing protocol.’
–kinsmana

4.

‘You know how you worry about getting your frozen and refrigerated groceries home and put away before they spoil? Overnight stockers don’t.’
–Dankchiccynuggies

5.

‘Am a nurse. I’d say it’s probably the fact that people know when they’re going to die. They will straight up tell you ‘today is my last day, thank you for being kind’ and you reassure them because their vitals are good, they are taking to treatment well, nothing happening that would indicate a drastic decline. Then, inevitably, you will hear a flatline on the machine and run in and sure enough that patient has passed away.

If it hadn’t happened SO many times, I would chalk it up to a few people who just didn’t have the will to live anymore, but I’ve seen it enough, I know that’s not it. Really creepy when you think about it too hard.’
–Babee_Joy_

6.

‘In the UK the best single predictor of high school grades is parental income.’
–tomtomclubthumb

7.

‘As a mechanic I have to say that the colder and more distant a mechanic is, the more likely they are to be honest. It’s the really friendly ones who are ripping you off while they’re being chummy with you.’
–PckMan

8.

‘I work in a shelter. Some of our guests are from middle and upper class backgrounds. Bad choices, bad health, bad treatment, and bad luck can happen to all of us, sometimes very quickly. As far as I can tell, the only thing all homeless people have in common is trauma and loss.’
–chutzpahlooka

9.

‘Senior programmers are very reliant on googling stuff too.’
–tubbyx7

10.

‘As an engineer, I know some bridges and structures you drive on daily are technically past their design lifespan.’
–Fawn_Lemonlight

11.

‘Everyone is scared about being tracked by the government. Corporations and brand marketers know pretty much every time you take a pee.’
–TPWPNY16