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I don’t care about the list, I’m commenting on the “150 people killed by coconuts each year”. I’ve seen that all over the web, but every reference is based on the same single report, and that report gave no evidence for the claim.

Nobody knows how many people are killed by falling coconuts, in the United States or in the world.

Of course, it doesn’t really matter now, for the purpose of this thread, it was just a hook, not meant to be taken seriously apparently.

Because such a statistic is meaningless, and shows a lack of understanding of the concept of risk.

I can pretty much guarantee I will never be kiled by a falling coconut, by making sure I’m never under a tree with a coconut in it.

I can guarantee I will never be killed by a pit bull, by making sure nobody who lives anywhere near me is allowed to have a pit bull.

I bet more people are killed by tigers and lions than by pit bulls. But I don’t fear it, because my neighbors are prohibited from owning tigers and lions. It’s a system that works very well for wild or dangerous animals.

Of course, any animal can be dangerous. But given that my neighbor had to stand and watch as her loving dog was slaughtered by someone else’s pit bull, it brings the story closer to home.

I guess maybe my friend just wasn’t supposed to OWN a dog that couldn’t defend themselves against the noble pit pull.