# Things you learned the hard way **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2020, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922 "2020-04-03T00:05:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/81 "2020-04-06T17:30:25Z")
Don’t put your ipad on the back of your car while you do one or two things. You will forget about it and drive off. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/82 "2020-04-06T17:32:55Z")
> [@brainstall](#): > > Do not touch the electric fence around the paddock. There’s a reason the horses won’t go near it. And most important, don’t \*pee \*on the electric fence… ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/83 "2020-04-06T18:05:41Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > When a potato salad recipe lists “1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste”, it doesn’t mean add a tablespoon to the dressing, plus more if you think it needs it. As far as I can tell, the 1 tablespoon referred to the salt to add to the cooking water for the potatoes, and the dressing was just supposed to be salted to taste. I’ve reached the point where I never add salt at all until after I taste it. Don’t use paint thinner to try and clean the paint out of your hair. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/84 "2020-04-06T18:43:35Z")
If she asks you if you’d like to go out for coffee, she’s not asking you to GET coffee. “Yes, I’d like to share a meal with you” is the proper response. “No, I don’t drink coffee” is not. ::sigh:: ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/85 "2020-04-06T19:00:27Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > This one depends on the cat. My cat love having his belly rubbed, and it’s totally safe to do it. Well, most of the time. My two cats like that , but only in the past few months, and before that I was likely to get a pawful of claws. And practically all other cats will scratch you as well. Wait until you know the cat \*really \*well, and even then the timing is important. Dogs seem to never get enough of a tummy rub. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/86 "2020-04-06T19:13:54Z")
As a young man, I used to throw parties at my place with lots of people roaming around the house. I stopped when I noticed that various possessions worth thousands of dollars had mysteriously vanished. :smack: I still can’t believe my stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/87 "2020-04-06T20:42:50Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > And most important, don’t \*pee \*on the electric fence… Didn’t MythBusters do an episode where they debunked this one by showing that the urine stream breaks up in midair such that there is no single connected flow of liquid between electrical wire and the body? ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/88 "2020-04-06T20:58:47Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Didn’t MythBusters do an episode where they debunked this one by showing that the urine stream breaks up in midair such that there is no single connected flow of liquid between electrical wire and the body? As I recall they kept running into a problem where their simulated urine stream from Buster kept breaking up, but that isn’t how a real urine stream behaves. But upon further research, it looks like you’re remembering urinating on the third rail, which was [busted](https://mythresults.com/episode3) for the reason you say. But they later revisited that one and [confirmed](https://mythresults.com/episode14) you can get a shock urinating on an electric fence. The key seems to be distance. From a realistic distance, peeing onto the tracks from a subway platform, the stream breaks up before hitting the third rail. But with an electric fence you’d typically be standing much closer, and then you can get a shock. In theory you probably could get electrocuted peeing on the third rail if you were literally standing on the tracks, but that’s probably not a realistic scenario. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/89 "2020-04-06T23:08:45Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > As I recall they kept running into a problem where their simulated urine stream from Buster kept breaking up, but that isn’t how a real urine stream behaves. > > But upon further research, it looks like you’re remembering urinating on the third rail, which was [busted](https://mythresults.com/episode3) for the reason you say. But they later revisited that one and [confirmed](https://mythresults.com/episode14) you can get a shock urinating on an electric fence. The key seems to be distance. From a realistic distance, peeing onto the tracks from a subway platform, the stream breaks up before hitting the third rail. But with an electric fence you’d typically be standing much closer, and then you can get a shock. In theory you probably could get electrocuted peeing on the third rail if you were literally standing on the tracks, but that’s probably not a realistic scenario. That would have been a better ending for the original Taking of Pelham 123 movie! ---
**Author:** ![MaverocK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@MaverocK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaverocK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/90 "2020-04-06T23:39:14Z")
Resisting being impulsive is something that I learnt hard way. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/91 "2020-04-06T23:47:41Z")
Pancakes don’t come out nearly as good if you use powered sugar instead of flour. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/92 "2020-04-06T23:55:05Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Don’t put your ipad on the back of your car while you do one or two things. You will forget about it and drive off. Also if you have just started driving, and you hear a sliding sound on the roof of your car, pull over as soon as you can. Do not just continue driving wondering what that sound could possibly have been. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/93 "2020-04-07T02:18:54Z")
That metal flange on the inside of the cover over the fuel cap is for holding the fuel cap while you fill the fuel tank. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/94 "2020-04-07T02:28:21Z")
If you meet a girl while traveling, she has a very different life somewhere when she is not traveling. Don’t go there. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/95 "2020-04-07T05:24:20Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > . . . > Don’t use paint thinner to try and clean the paint out of your hair. What happens? > [@WildaBeast](#): > > . . . From a realistic distance, peeing onto the tracks from a subway platform, the stream breaks up before hitting the third rail. But with an electric fence you’d typically be standing much closer, and then you can get a shock. In theory you probably could get electrocuted peeing on the third rail if you were literally standing on the tracks, but that’s probably not a realistic scenario. Honestly, males should just be supervised at all times. :smack: When Ikea adds in that extra hardware, and puts warnings all over the place, and instructions on how to attach the top of that bookcase to the wall so it doesn’t tip over. . . they’re not just whistling “Dixie.” ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/96 "2020-04-07T06:15:11Z")
Llamas can accurately spit at least 50 feet. Do not argue with armed rebels demanding a road toll. The alligator is closer than it seems. Raw cheese can produce spectacular squirts. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/97 "2020-04-07T10:57:17Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > And most important, don’t \*pee \*on the electric fence… Maybe girls are just smarter than boys and don’t need to learn this the hard way. LOL Plus anatomy making this more difficult to attempt. ---
**Author:** ![road\_lobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@road\_lobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/road_lobo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/98 "2020-04-07T13:36:40Z")
Never get in a land war in Asia. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/99 "2020-04-07T13:58:50Z")
> [@Noelq](#): > > If she asks you if you’d like to go out for coffee, she’s not asking you to GET coffee. > > “Yes, I’d like to share a meal with you” is the proper response. “No, I don’t drink coffee” is not. > > ::sigh:: I’m guessing you’re younger than 30ish. We all learned that in 1992 from Seinfeld. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922/100 "2020-04-07T14:10:09Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > If you meet a girl while traveling, she has a very different life somewhere when she is not traveling. Don’t go there. Yeah, George Clooney had to learned that the hard way in, “Up in the Air”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-learned-the-hard-way/850922.md?page=6)