When people tell me their holiday stories and their glowing reviews of the resorts and the exotic scenes they have witnessed, I find it very boring. It’s the equivalent of bringing out the slideshow to end a party.
But, if they speak of their stories of food poisoning, language difficulties and other holiday disasters, I’m all ears! It is so much more entertaining, and everyone loves a good laugh.
People talking about their DIY projects is a bit similar. Although you can appreciate the craftsmanship and clever workmanship, when things go pear-shaped, that’s when it gets much more entertaining.
Here at Handyman, we hear all kinds of fantastic stories of when things go wrong. It may seem ghoulish to enjoy this, but it also highlights a great warning about what can go wrong, and in turn help to illustrate why safety precautions must be considered and adhered to.
A few years back, we interviewed TV presenter and medical doctor, Dr Andrew Rochford. He told us that the most common injuries he has witnessed at the emergency room are caused by people getting their hands in the way of power tools. He had seen numerous amputations of fingers.
One of his most gruesome stories was of a guy who decided to trim his hedge, so he held up his lawnmower to the right level and amputated the fingers on both hands. Ouch!
And then there was the guy who got his shorts caught up in his drill spinning round and round which ended up twisting up his scrotum. Wince!
These types of stories are great to regale people with over the dinner table, but I think I’d rather continue to wear proper safety wear and use correct techniques and have the boring, successful stories when I’m DIYing.
Lee Dashiell, Handyman Managing Editor