Many people have walked across
hot coals.
And while that may seem
crazy to you,
walking across broken glass
could be equally disturbing.
Unfortunately,
a friend signed you up for this dare.
And now, you're faced with
the prospect of crossing this sharp path,
and there’s no turning back.
If you stepped on one piece
of glass,
you could do some severe
damage to your foot.
So surely walking across
thousands of pieces of glass
would be nothing short
of a death sentence, right?
You'd think so,
but there are many people
who do this regularly,
and walk away without a scratch.
Their secrets to survival
aren't just a case of
"mind over matter".
It's all about physics
and understanding how glass works.
Walking across broken glass
is like walking across a bed of nails.
Standing on one nail
will pierce your skin,
and standing on one broken piece of glass
will likely cut you.
And since there are two arteries
in your foot,
if you happen to cut one
and can't stop the bleeding, you could die.
But you can survive walking
on broken glass.
Here's how.
If you are allowed to do this,
inspect the trail
and move any pieces
that you think are going to be dangerous,
especially the bottoms of beer bottles
that have stayed as large pieces
with the sides pointing up.
Moving the glass around
before you walk on it
also will dull the edges a little.
Many performers who do this trick
use glass that they have had
for several years.
So the edges are dull.
A talk show host tried
walking on glass without any training.
She was standing on glass that
had been broken for several years.
She jumped up and down on it
and didn’t get cut.
And you might want to use wine
or champagne bottles
because they will have a gentler curve
than the glass from broken bottle necks
or drinking glasses.
This is not a race,
so you don’t have to run.
And if you go slow,
you'll be able to feel the glass
as you're walking.
Press down with your heels first
since the skin there is thicker
and more durable.
And as you walk,
remember that you're probably walking
on a thick layer of glass.
With each step,
the pieces will shift against each other
and the edges will move away
from your foot.
The tiny pieces of glass
that are most likely to embed themselves
in your feet
will naturally sink
to the bottom of the pile.
Use your feet wisely.
And with each step,
lightly touch the glass
and feel if any sharp pieces
are sticking up at you.
If there are,
push them aside or step around them.
If you can,
find someone who's willing to walk
alongside you,
just outside the broken glass.
This will improve your balance,
and you can place
some of your weight on them.
And remember,
it could be worse.
You could be crossing a live minefield.
Although if that's the case,
we have tips for that too,
right here
on How to Survive.