What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?

[sydney]

Still get sweats about this.

Again, Bundaberg Australia.

Went to a deserted beach to spot bullsharks (we were at a famous nesting/breeding site) which was essentially a delta.
Absolutely gorgeous day, but with the water being so murky due to the sediment being carved up, we couldn't see f**k all.

We spent the next 1-2 hours drinking our way through a few cans in the 35-40 degree heat, watching this flock of pelicans on a 'desert island', only about 50 metres across the river/delta.

We hadn't seen any sharks or sea life, were baking hot and a few beers gone, so decided to swim across the delta to the desert island to take a closer look at these birds.

Half way across, I felt impending death, the current was so strong, we were basically in limbo in the middle of the river being dragged out and all I could think about is what is underneath us.
After about 10 minutes of literally swimming for my life (bearing in mind the swim was only 50m), we were absolutely fecked, face down on the sand (on the island).

Once we had gathered out breaths, we had a quick look at the birds, but at this point we were definitely not in the mood to get up close and personal with any wildlife.
We wanted to make a quick exit and just get back to the car, only to see the tide had come in, and the 50m swim had almost doubled in the space of only 10 minutes or so.

We organized our swimming formation (in preparation for imminent shark attack) and I swam for my life. A couple of guys were dragging behind but I just had to keep smashing forwards.

Everyone made it back safe, all with very spoiled swim-shorts.

I never knew if there were sharks around us or even remotely close. It was just the fear of 'could there be' that got to me.[/QUOTE)

PRRRFFFT.....!!! we were sat up at cape tribulation waiting for a previous travelling buddy to show up.......he eventually arrived about 10.30 in pitch darkness and torrential rain after being dropped off by a local on the road up from cairns ....he had walked about 15 kms and swam across half a dozen swollen creeks in what can only be described as full on croc country.......the staff at the establishment were incredulous auto his little hike .....when one of them asked if he had seen any crocodiles he said " no , but what are the red things in the water..?"........crocodile eyes show red when you shine a torch on them....he went very quiet for the rest of the night.

 

[sydney]

early morning fishing trip on the zambezi river at chirundu we hoped off at a bend to catch some live bait......after a big night i was suddenly hit with a need to do a pooh.....just make it quick and make sure you bury it i was told ......stay where we can see you and well watch your back i was told so i waddled off about 30 mtrs ....dug a hole , did my drop and buried it.......just as i finished about 20 baboons came hammering over the embankment making i right old racket.......immediately behind them was a large male leopard , luckily he was just as scared of me as i was of him......never forget it.

 

[Dick Head]

Playing Ombre de la Rue on the trombone on the seafront in Donostia.

 

[OzMike]

 

[pearl]

Playing Ombre de la Rue on the trombone on the seafront in Donostia.

Oh, I bet that went down well!?

This happened to me in Bristol, back in May. It's more bad decision, I don't take risks. I was walking through a park area when a young man tried to steal my purse. I'd had two pints of Doombar so thought it would be a REALLY great idea to ask him why he needed the money. I instantly regretted this, spotting the open medicine bottle poking out of his coat pocket and the two very scary young women approaching me with menace, one of them waving a plastic lemonade bottle containing some murky looking liquid. I was petrified, but thank God survival instinct kicked in and I pushed young man out the way and legged it to the nearest pub. Desperately looking for the bar I failed to see the stack of shoes until I was on top of them. I was an unaccompanied female, without a head veil, stinking of beer on the floor of an Islamic prayer centre. The place felt so calm and tranquil that I burst into tears. I'm not sure if they knew I was there as I didn't see or hear anyone. After a while I blew my nose and found a pub.

 

[severnside gull]

My biggest risk was retiring early on a reduced pension to care for my wife.
It's worked out brilliantly in every respect bar the financial one. I reckon the "spare" cash from my lump sum will just lose the race with my wife's life expectancy. Not going to be a lot in it though as its looking now and after that I'm not too bothered.

 

[Seagull kimchi]

Last time at my cottage in India, settled in for a years hiatus. Woke up one morning within the first week and went for the obligatory morning outside piss just outside the house and through bleary eyes noticed the ground in front of me was coiling and squirming beneath my golden spray. Then a cobra lifted it's head and gave me a right glare before shuffling off. Turns out this cobra had taken up residence in the garden - saw it almost daily. Would often come back in the afternoon to find the snake sunbathing on our porch. One night the wife was brushing her teeth outside and spitting out the paste when she sensed movement, flicked on the torch to see she'd spat all over Mr. cobra who, luckily, was pre-occupied with having a chipmunk hanging out it's gob. As time went on the creature got quite brave (despite us pissing and spitting on him) to the point that he would come inside our (very dimly lit) house of an evening causing some heart stopping moments of near treading. To be fair he never struck or showed any aggression, but yeh we could have got a snake catcher in to eradicate the risk - but to be honest I got a bit of a buzz out of living next to such a stunning and deadly creature.

 

[whitelion]

Last time at my cottage in India, settled in for a years hiatus. Woke up one morning within the first week and went for the obligatory morning outside piss just outside the house and through bleary eyes noticed the ground in front of me was coiling and squirming beneath my golden spray. Then a cobra lifted it's head and gave me a right glare before shuffling off. Turns out this cobra had taken up residence in the garden - saw it almost daily. Would often come back in the afternoon to find the snake sunbathing on our porch. One night the wife was brushing her teeth outside and spitting out the paste when she sensed movement, flicked on the torch to see she'd spat all over Mr. cobra who, luckily, was pre-occupied with having a chipmunk hanging out it's gob. As time went on the creature got quite brave (despite us pissing and spitting on him) to the point that he would come inside our (very dimly lit) house of an evening causing some heart stopping moments of near treading. To be fair he never struck or showed any aggression, but yeh we could have got a snake catcher in to eradicate the risk - but to be honest I got a bit of a buzz out of living next to such a stunning and deadly creature.

Fantastic story Kimchi. He/she seemed to take a shine to you despite your best efforts to evict said beast.

 

[Seagull kimchi]

Fantastic story Kimchi. He/she seemed to take a shine to you despite your best efforts to evict said beast.

Cheers! To be honest the chipmunk nest was in our wall cavity so I think mr snakey was more interested in our other squatters than us pissers and spitters!

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Early '70s and I had the monster of all motorbikes, a Honda 50 - the one with the white plastic leg shields. My best mate had a Suzuki 250. We would race everywhere, and I made up for my lack of cc's by driving like a complete nutter. A bit like current day Deliveroo bikers, but much, much worse.
One night after several pints in the Pickwick in East Street, we raced back to Woodingdean where we both lived. My mate was ahead of me for obvious reasons, but I saw him in my sights at the Downs Hotel crossroads where he had stopped at the give way marks. There were no traffic lights there in those days. This is my chance I thought. Full throttle, and without stopping, went flying past him without looking, straight across the crossroads. A car coming down Falmer Road missed me by an inch. I was so, so lucky.

Honda C50's were bullet proof but taking on a car, that may just write it off!

Honda C50 top speed just over 30mph if you were lucky.
Suzuki 250 (X7 two-stroke ?) top speed close to a 100mph.

Jack did you ever beat him...........tell the truth

 

[Jack Straw]

Honda C50's were bullet proof but taking on a car, that may just write it off!

Honda C50 top speed just over 30mph if you were lucky.
Suzuki 250 (X7 two-stroke ?) top speed close to a 100mph.

Jack did you ever beat him...........tell the truth

Yes. Just once. From the town center, I chose to use Freshfield Road, whilst he chose Elm Grove. We would often take different routes and meet at my mate's house. I got to his house before him and waited for him to arrive. I waited for ten minutes, and he didn't show, so I went home.
The following day, I learned that he was involved in a very serious accident. He tried to overtake a line of cars behind a bus opposite the junction of Queens Park Road, and whilst doing so, the last car he was about to overtake pulled out to overtake the bus, and knocked him for six.
Poor old kiddie. I beat him home by six weeks, that being the time he spent in the Sussex County.
In hospital, he was in a bed next to a French lad, who cycled off of the ferry at Newhaven and forgot that we drive on the left. He got flattened by a lorry. Funny now, but certainly not at the time.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Yes. Just once. From the town center, I chose to use Freshfield Road, whilst he chose Elm Grove. We would often take different routes and meet at my mate's house. I got to his house before him and waited for him to arrive. I waited for ten minutes, and he didn't show, so I went home.
The following day, I learned that he was involved in a very serious accident. He tried to overtake a line of cars behind a bus opposite the junction of Queens Park Road, and whilst doing so, the last car he was about to overtake pulled out to overtake the bus, and knocked him for six.
Poor old kiddie. I beat him home by six weeks, that being the time he spent in the Sussex County.
In hospital, he was in a bed next to a French lad, who cycled off of the ferry at Newhaven and forgot that we drive on the left. He got flattened by a lorry. Funny now, but certainly not at the time.

Oh dear, that must have been at the time. Did he ever ride a bike again

 

[alfredmizen]

Took a 1,000 lot position in 90-Day Bank Bill Futures (Short Term Interest Rate Contracts) back in the early nineties.
The leverage gave me a ½ Billion Dollar exposure - fortunately I got the market right.

You work on the SFE ?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

The wife got a job in Wellington ! When we first started this a couple of years ago I hoped she wouldn't get a job in Wellington (it being called windy welly and all that). Doing our research on the area however it does seem like a pretty cool place (its nickname is the coolest little capital in the world) with lots to do . That being said we don't want to live in the city and have earmarked the Kapiti coast about 25 miles north of wellington . House prices and schools are good , the weather is better with huge beaches . Only issue may be the wifes commute of 50 odd mins either way so we'll see how that pans out! We arrive next Saturday and to be honest its a massive headf*ck thinking that's it, new life , saying goodbye to friends , family and the albion . I was really excited before but as its getting closer I'm getting more worried ! That's the way the mind works I suppose but I reckon we are making a good move, particularly for my 9 year old daughter , who I think will have a much better life there. .

Wellington is awesome. Spent time there on honeymoon and it was one of our favourite places in New Zealand (we spent a month there).

Good luck.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Quit a full-time job to go freelance when we had just moved house, Mrs B was pregnant and the recession was about to hit.

Didn't think anything of it at the time, but it's worked out well and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

[Seagull58]

"Early '70s and I had the monster of all motorbikes, a Honda 50"

Ha ha - mine was a purple Yamaha FS1e. Back in the day (1978) one of our weekend haunts was the disco that was held at the pub on Devils Dyke. I am ashamed to say we would regularly leave pissed and race each other back down the hill. No idea how I survived.

In the mid 80's I was traveling in Southern China and for reasons unknown to me now took on a dare to swim the very wide and busy river at Nanning. I nearly got run down by a large industrial sized barge which was a terrifying experience.

As young men, why do we do such stupid things? I have three boys who have all, at various times, pulled the most ridiculous stunts (the ones I know about!). They get a right rollicking, but I have to remember what a **** in my youth I sometimes was too.

I flipped my Mum's Ford Anglia over 3 times on the way down the hill and round the corner from the Devil's Dyke on a Sunday evening. Four of us in the car and we all stepped out of it. The front seat passenger had to go to hospital to get stitched up because he triad to escape through the windscreen as the car was rolling and rolling. I ended up in a barbed wire fence (no seat belts). I went back the next day and found my watch about 20 yards away in the farmer's field.

 

[Seagull58]

The wife got a job in Wellington ! When we first started this a couple of years ago I hoped she wouldn't get a job in Wellington (it being called windy welly and all that). Doing our research on the area however it does seem like a pretty cool place (its nickname is the coolest little capital in the world) with lots to do . That being said we don't want to live in the city and have earmarked the Kapiti coast about 25 miles north of wellington . House prices and schools are good , the weather is better with huge beaches . Only issue may be the wifes commute of 50 odd mins either way so we'll see how that pans out! We arrive next Saturday and to be honest its a massive headf*ck thinking that's it, new life , saying goodbye to friends , family and the albion . I was really excited before but as its getting closer I'm getting more worried ! That's the way the mind works I suppose but I reckon we are making a good move, particularly for my 9 year old daughter , who I think will have a much better life there. .

As long as you stay positive you won't regret it and will have a great time. I left my job in the UK on 31 May 2010 and flew overnight to Joburg with 2 suitcases and a set of golf clubs to start my new job on 1st June. Left my kids and all my friends behind but I have never regretted it for 1 minute. I should add that I talk to my kids all the time and they've both been over to stay more than once.

 

[Bill Cassidy's tie up]

Was going to mention we used to walk over the top of Norfolk bridge in Shoreham after a night out, but a bit boring after some of the previous.

 

[Seagull58]

Hailing a taxi on the streets of Johannesburg in the evening coming back from Ghana v Uruguay WC 2010.

Got back to my hostel in fine, no problems, but got told the next day it was a huge risk..

Not much of a risk if it was a private taxi, which I'm sure it was. If you got into a minibus taxi you may well have been robbed either by the other passengers or the driver.

 

[sydney]

My biggest risk was retiring early on a reduced pension to care for my wife.
It's worked out brilliantly in every respect bar the financial one. I reckon the "spare" cash from my lump sum will just lose the race with my wife's life expectancy. Not going to be a lot in it though as its looking now and after that I'm not too bothered.

wow....that hit ....xxxxx good luck and much love ...x