Mexico Dangers All Around

I love addressing Americans' fears about Mexico. If Americans are not thinking of every migrant worker, illegal or legal, as a potential serial killer, drug smuggler, or terrorist, then they are imagining all manner of misfortune and dangers that just have to abound in the country of Mexico itself.As I have discussed in a previous column, in 2003, Mexico had 13 murders for every 100,000 persons.

That is for the WHOLE country! This was the same murder rate for the state of Louisiana for the same year.You risk, by living in America, not only being done in by some serial killer (76% of the world's serial killers live in America) but you may find yourself making a trip to the local emergency room for various reasons. None of which, I am sure, you would want you mother to know about.Americans keep statistics about everything. It is astounding at what you can find that Americans record about their own behavior.

I wish it were this easy to find statistics about Mexicans. They tend NOT to record statistics of bizarre events as Americans are inclined to do.In a little gem called The Statistical Abstract of the United States, you can read all kinds of statistics about almost anything you can imagine. Some of them are entertaining.

This work of fun facts to show and tell came to my attention via Bill Bryson, author of I'm a Stranger Here Myself , where he mentions this collection of facts. Read this man's book(s). It is hysterical! I am begging you to buy his book(s) so when he learns I stole his idea he won't sue me (buy, buy, buy).Anyway, this statistical work has a section called Injuries Associated with Consumer Products. It shows that danger in America is not only lurking in the form of violent crime but evidently, Americans are at risk in all sorts of venues. For example, you can be at risk in your own bed.

More than 519,000 Americans have to go to their local emergency rooms yearly from injuries associated with their beds. Get this: more people injure themselves yearly from their beds than they do on trampolines (91,870 yearly from trampolines).Are you even able to comprehend this little fact? I am powerless to do so. What can this mean? Are that many people falling out of or tripping over their beds? Perhaps their bed entry method sends them bouncing off it like a trampoline and out a window they fly. Maybe they need getting-into-bed re-education therapy. Maybe Americans are confused and think beds are a trampoline.

I just do not know!.Just look at this breakdown and remember--these are people whose injuries are so severe that they have to get to an emergency room immediately:.?Household containers and packaging--220,118.?Tables?310,121.?Televisions?47,210.?Footwear?118,501.

?Jewelry?76,327.Now follow closely:.More Americans injure themselves yearly from their viciously snapping and snarling Tupperware containers than from a hand or power saw (a mere 98,872 injuries yearly).

Tables are more dangerous to Americans than hammers (43,055 go to the ER for hammer injuries). Televisions are also problematic for Americans (imagine that!) as is jewelry.But, what I would like to know is just how in God's name do Americans suffer 118,501 yearly injuries from their footwear? I never realized that shoes or house slippers could be that dangerous.

How does this happen? If any of my readers have ever had to go to the emergency room because of their shoes, please e-mail me at guillermobower@hotmail.com. I want to hear all about it!.It may surprise you that more Americans go packing off to the hospital over Household Furnishings than from Sports and Recreation Equipment each year.I think I am safer in Mexico than in the United States. What do you think?.

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By: Douglas Bower