You bet your boots!

What’s the most dangerous weapon you own? According to New Scientist, it’s your feet.That’s the finding of a new study of hospital emergency admissions, anyhow. The study of 25,000 people showing up at a hospital in Cardiff, Wales, between 1999 and 2005, showed that feet were more likely to have caused serious injuries than blunt or sharp objects or fists.The main problem appears to be
that people (usually men) get into a drunken fight, one of the group will then fall, due to alcohol intoxication, and the others will give him a sound kicking.

This brings to mind a situation I found myself in about 26 years ago. I had an old gas oven that exploded in my face, blowing me across the room and burning off my brows, lashes and some of my hair (and, no, I didn't remain hairless for long). I was concerned as I was 4 or 5 months pregnant at the time. A friend, after commenting that I smelled like burnt protein, drove me to the closest hospital which was in a slightly rough area of the city. I was placed on a stretcher and various unguents were applied to my face and hands. On the other side of the curtain a vile smelling denizen of Parkdale was raising quite a ruckus. The doctor asked him over and over again, "What was it: fists or boots? Fists or boots?". After reading this article I think I may finally have an answer to that mindboggler - I'm betting it was boots.