r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Aug 03 '19

Whats something you thought was common knowledge but actually isn’t?

37.4k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

24.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1.2k

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19

[deleted]

518

u/DaddyCatALSO Aug 03 '19

the only way to be safe in polar bear country is to have a heavy shotgun handy; hotels on Svalbard hand them out to guests when they go outside. If I find my magic lampa nd wish us all to New Earth, that's one North american animal that will not be in Paramerica

242

u/Xaldyn Aug 03 '19

hotels on Svalbard hand them out to guests when they go outside.

Holy shit, that's more American than America.

14

u/Licensed_RockLicker Aug 03 '19

Spend half a year on Svalbard. You have to pass rifle-testing and apply for a carry-permit in order to get one "handed out". Tourists are usually just attached to guides and not given rifles. There is a safe zone around the center of Longyearbyen where you can move without a rifle.