Hey Pandas, What Is The Scariest Thing That Has Ever Happened To You?

In March of last year, I got into a car accident. I was hit on the driver side while making a u turn. The firefighters had to take the door off the vehicle just for me to get out. My sister took photos of the accident scene, but told me that I don't ever need to see them. I have some emotional issues and she doesn't want me to go crazy.

I was 10 and was at sleepaway camp the first time. The younger girls had our swimming time in the shallow part of the lake. I slipped on the rope and was suddenly in the deep end where my feet couldn't touch the bottom. To make matters worse, I wasn't wearing my contact lens so I couldn't see very well. I was freaking out when the lifeguard dragged me out of the water and saved my life. I refused to go swimming the rest of the week. I still have nightmares 30-something years later.

My phone had broken the day before so I left it behind. My dad dropped me off but I was supposed to ride the bus home. At the end of the day I'd already left and walked to my bus stop when I realized I'd left my bus pass in my phone case by mistake. I was younger with no connections and a mediocre at best sense of the geography of my city, and my social anxiety was too much to ask a stranger. So I walked home. It took me about 5 hours. It got dark during this time. I walked through neighborhoods I'd never seen before and crossed roads I didn't know how to cross. I knew I should ask someone for help. But who? A woman with kids or a policeman is the classic advice but cops are bast.ards not to be trusted and nobody was out that late with little kids and gender is a social construct that you can't tell by looking at someone. And I picked a few people and scripted requests for help but I was too anxious. Just that, on repeat, all the way home. I started crying but nobody saw because it was raining.
I know that sounds like a pathetic scariest experience but that's what scares me. I've walked out on a log over water and turned back to find multiple alligators hanging out between me and the land. Ironically I've had a similar experience with rattlesnakes hanging out under jutting out rocks. I pick up nonvenomous snakes and spiders to look at or carry outside. I'm not very afraid of heights and I've scared people by nonchalantly standing with my toes hanging over the edge of a cliff.

I was hitchhiking. Yes I know this is a dangerous thing to do. But we had no car had to get diapers for my kid. And I had already walked miles and miles and I just wanted to get home. It was getting late. Not to late. Anyway an old man picked me up in I'd say 2010 Chevy Silverado truck. At first it was fine. And I thought to my self it gonna be okay. But then he started touching me. Grabbing me. And I said please stop. I was tried. I was three months pregnant. My family was very poor. An I just wanted to get home when we came up the hill closer to my road I said blank blank is my road and he said. I'm not taking you home I'm taking you to my house so I whipped out my knife because I had asked for him to please just stop and I'd walk the rest of the way. And he didn't. So I had to whip out my knife I told him to let me out. I had to grab my diapers fast. And he almost ran over my foot and was cussing me out. I did not hitchhike after that for a very long time and would not get in a vehicle with an old guy unless he had his wife or someone else with him. It was scary but I aways carry something to protect myself when walking because, there are bad people out there. You just don't see them all the time and they take advantage of people that walk. They prowl on people they look for that s**t and you have to be prepared to stand up for yourself. Yes I wish I would have got out when he was touching me. But I would just push his hands away. Yes I know it was stupid but to me it was the only way I could get diapers for my kid. So I had to and I had none to take me. Or I would have asked.