this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2025
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[–] Devial@discuss.online 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

You don't know, because there isn't one. If the doors are too deformed to be opened normally, there are only three possible axes of ingress or egress to the car. You either break a window or screen, you violently force the door open, or cut the columns and remove the roof. And since I doubt you're suggesting everyone start carrying hydraulic shears and heavy duty circular saws, in their car, window it is.

And if I'm in a situation where I have to break a car window, even if it's only a 1 in a million chance I'll ever be in that situation, I'd rather have one of those hammers than nothing.

Same thing for a seatbelt cutter. I bet if your truck had caught on fire, and the fire was about to breach the fuel tank, you would've loved a seatbelt cutter to quickly free yourself and get out.

Waiting for trained paramedics to extract crash victims is obviously ALWAYS the best options, but if there's an acute threat to the vehicle, like fire, unstable ground or sinking, you CAN'T wait. You HAVE to extract yourself or die. And like I said, in that situation I'd much rather have a hammer and seatbelt cutter than have nothing. In a situation like that, there is no "doing more bad than good". You are dead if you don't extract yourself immediately. Nothing the tools do or don't do at that point could possibly make the situation worse.

This is like arguing that people should be told to not perform chest compressions on people having heart attacks, because it's incredibly unlikely to ever be needed, and the average person won't do the compressions hard or fast enough to be effective anyway.

[–] FauxPseudo@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm still confused as to why people are defending a tool that doesn't work. Why they want people to depend on something that doesn't do what it says it does and how that's a good thing. You acknowledge it's a rare situation (one in a million) but then think a tool with a one in a million chance of doing what it advertises is going to be helpful. That's a one in a trillion chance of it actually being helpful.

I would never recommend a tool that doesn't do its job to someone and feel like I made the ethical move. Especially for a life situation. A false set of security is not security.

[–] Devial@discuss.online 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Because the tool does work, that's the whole fucking point genius.

It just only works in highly specific and unlikely scenario.

I would never recommend a tool that doesn't do its job to someone and feel like I made the ethical move. Especially for a life situation. A false set of security is not security.

Your stance is literally: "if it isn't guaranteed to work in every single situation possible, then I'd rather have nothing".

I'm curious what your stance is on Aircraft carrying life vests. Those are arguably even LESS likely to safe your life than one of these tools. Should Aircraft all stop carrying life vests because of that ?

Let me give you a hypothetical: You're stuck in a car after a Passenger side T-Bone. All doors are crushed and can't be opened. The passenger seat has been crushed against, and mangled the seatbelt receptacle, so you're unable to unbuckle. There's a fire, spreading towards the fuel tank.

Question 1: Is it possible, however unlikely, for a person to be in this situation ?

Question 2: do you think a person in that situation has better, worse, or equal odds if survival if they, or a bystander, has a window hammer and seatbelt cutter on them ?

[–] FauxPseudo@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The article is about how they don't work. It's why we are talking about it. Anyway, you decided insults were the way to go so I'm out after the first sentence.

[–] Devial@discuss.online 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No it isn't. The article is about how they RARELY work, and you'd be rarely in a situation where you can effectively use them. Sarcastically calling someone genius after they've repeated the same, wrong, point for the 3rd time in a row isn't an insult dude, that's ridicolous.

Please quote the exact part of the article which states these tools will literally NEVER work, in any possible situation. Because that's what you've repeatedly claimed, and I've repeatedly repudiated. So since I apparently missed that part of the article, do please quote it to me so I can verify.

Anyway, you decided insults were the way to go so I’m out after the first sentence.

You could just admit that you're unable to answer my hypothetical without destroying your own point. Or do this. Also fine.