Urban legends, those captivating tales of the unexplained and the macabre, have long held a fascination for people around the world. While these stories often provide a sense of thrill and intrigue, some urban legends have perpetuated harmful stereotypes, promoted fear, and caused unnecessary anxiety.
A netizen recently asked, What urban legend needs to die? And we couldn’t agree more with the following fifteen responses:
Gums Don’t Get Digested Until 7 Years
“That if you swallow gum it takes 7 years to digest.” Said one.
“I believed this for way too long. I’m 39 and still have a mental block about having to swallow gum a few times. There is no other way of disposing of it.” Another added
You Need To Rush To The Hospital When Your Water Breaks
“That when your waters break you need to RUSH to the hospital for a dramatic and immediate birth. It’s just not like that, at all. Nor should you birth on your back. Nor does it have to be a screaming painful birth in most cases. The way birth is presented to us is just so far from how it should/could be. It induces fear which leads to complicated births when we should really be a bit more chill about the whole thing.”
Detoxing Skin Treatments Work
“Detoxing treatments…… NO Sharon, “harmful chemicals” are not just going to ooze out of your face and feet if you use that mask… That’s not how the human body works at all damn!”
Wait Until 24 Hours To File A Missing Complaint
“That you need to wait 24 hours to report someone as missing.
You can, and SHOULD, report someone as missing as soon as they go missing. It could be the difference between finding someone who had a bad fall at home or getting lost in the forest, and finding their body.”
You Can’t Get STDs From Oral Stimulation
“You can’t get STDs from oral-genital stimulation.”
One of the clinics I work at is a free intimate health clinic. Too many women are in there for mouth/throat/other digestive problems stemming from unprotected oral-genital stimulation and various STDs.”
You Can Target Fat On A Particular Place On Your Body
“That you can target fat on a particular place on your body, like tummy fat. Fat doesn’t know where it lives.” Said one.
“Been lifting for about 10 years now. Anytime I hear someone say something about “target fat loss” I just say “If you could target fat loss, there’d be a lot of fat guys with 6 packs” Another added.
It’s An Offense To Rip The Tag Off Of Your Mattress
“That it’s a felony offense to rip the tag off of your Mattress.
There was a major scandal in the past, where a couple of mattress manufacturers were recycling used mattresses, re-stuffing them, and subsequently reselling them.
It is ONLY illegal for stores and manufacturers to rip the tags off of new mattresses for sale. However, once you buy it, and your mattress warranty expires (usually after 1 year or less), feel free to rip that annoying tag off.”
If You Touch Baby Birds/Rabbits, Their Mothers Will Reject Them
“That touching baby birds or rabbits will cause their mothers to reject them because they smell like a human. They absolutely will not.
Don’t go messing with babies for kicks, but if you can put a baby (that you are 100% sure belongs there) back in its nest, do so. If you aren’t sure, call a wildlife rehabilitator so you’re not putting fledgelings where they don’t belong.”
Halloween Candies May Contain Poison, Razor Blades, Or Even Drugs
“The idea that there are people in your neighborhood just waiting for the chance to poison your kids by giving them unwrapped Halloween candy.” Said one.
“Yeah, the only recorded case of any nefarious candy issue like poison or razor blades was one dude who put razor blades in his son’s candy. When I was a kid my mom would search EVERY single candy wrapper for me and my 3 siblings. We lived in a dense part of town so we’d each have an entire pillow case or more of candy.” Another added.
Cellar Spiders Are The Most Venomous In The World
“That daddy’s long legs are the most venomous spiders in the world, but their fangs just aren’t big enough to spread enough venom. I’m referring to cellar spiders. Daddy long legs is a vague term that describes several types of arachnids, none of them are venomous though.”
Ostriches Bury Their Heads When They’re Afraid
“Ostriches. Do not bury. Their heads. In the sand. If they’re afraid of something, they will run, kick, or bite. One of my biggest animal myth pet peeves.”
Doctors Shall Steal Your Organs If You’re An Organ Donor
“That doctors will let you die if you are an organ donor to steal your organs.” Said one.
“My stepson actually believed this and also believed that the same was true for EMS personnel that worked on ambulances. I actually got into an argument with him about it because I thought that was the stupidest thing ever as if the medics are pulling out your wallet to check your donor status before they start administering first aid. Once I pointed that out he started to reconsider the ridiculousness of the theory but I’m pretty sure he still believes that it’s true once you get to the hospital.” Another added.
GMOs Are Bad For You
“The idea that GMOs are bad for you. Seriously, we’ve been modifying plants and animals for years via breeding. Stuff like CRISPER is basically just a more precise version of that, the difference between doing surgery with an obsidian dagger and a sterilized scalpel.”
It’s Illegal To Turn On Your Car’s Dome Light While Driving At Night
“That it’s super illegal to turn on your car’s inside dome light while driving at night.” Said one.
“I didn’t turn on the lights for decades because of that, then it turns out that some cars now have lights that are designed to be safe while driving. So it’s fine (in some cars).” Another added.
Coca-Cola Invented The Tradition Of Santa Claus
“Coca-Cola did not invent Santa Claus/Christmas tradition of choice. All they did was standardize red and white as Santa Claus’s definitive colors. Before that, it was common to see him depicted in green or purple or blue as well as red and white.”
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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.