It’s all fun and games until someone gets impaled by the edge of a milk crate.
Miami cops are weighing in on the nationwide craze, hashtag #themilkcratechallenge. There are so many reasons why this is so wrong on so many levels.
The risky social media trend involves a person climbing up highly stacked milk crates and walking back down as bystanders chant, cheer and even bet on your success or failure. Ideally, in a perfect world, you make it down without falling, and hurting yourself. Most people end up sprawled over a pile of crates.
A PSA from the Miami Police Department shared on social media earlier this week wants to drive the point home: Do not attempt.
“We have been made aware of the #milkcratechallenges that have been going around,” says the post. “There are some obvious dangers when participating in a stunt like this, however we’d like to remind you that falling uncontrollably from any height can cause you some serious injuries!”
In the post, an officer deftly climbs a stack of low crates then warns people against partaking in the challenge for a variety of reasons, the first being the most obvious.
“Hey guys! Are you into broken bones, cracked ribs or maybe a busted vertebrae or two? Then I got a game for you!” he jokes.
In a video that includes a montage of disturbing accidents, the cop says that in the past couple of weeks, hospitals are seeing an increase in injuries consistent with violent falls, such as from ladders or even high speed skiing accidents.
Since hospitals are overwhelmed right now due to COVID, anyone who is thinking of participating in this ridiculous stunt should rethink it.
“The last thing they need is more patients with essentially self-inflicted wounds,” he says of local doctors and surgeons.
The officer adds that you could also get in trouble from the owners of the actual milk crates who did not give permission for them to used in this fashion.
“DON’T DO IT,” says a caption across the screen in all caps.
The officer ends the video by telling followers to “stay safe,” then breaks down the stack whose boxes are fastened together, lowering the risk.
“You didn’t think I was actually gonna do it, guys. C’mon!”
The PSA may be a little late to the party. TikTok already took note of the risky moves and removed search results for the hashtag, but rubberneckers can still find them on YouTube.
“TikTok prohibits content that promotes or glorifies dangerous acts, and we remove videos and redirect searches to our Community Guidelines to discourage such content,” said a statement to media. “We encourage everyone to exercise caution in their behavior whether online or off.”
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