Motorcyclist reveals unsettling find in tire after dodging serious injury: 'It would have put me in [the] hospital'

Vape pens are quickly earning a reputation as a nuisance in our environment. As one of the most commonly littered items in the modern world, discarded vape pens are turning up in some of the most surprising places imaginable. 

According to one frustrated motorcyclist, a discarded vape pen in the middle of the road nearly put them in the hospital. 

While posting to r/newzealand, the Redditor shared their harrowing experience that resulted in a punctured tire on their bike.   

In the post, the motorcyclist uploaded a picture of a discarded vape pen that developed jagged edges on one end. "This vape pen was found in my motorcycle [tire] after I got a very loud and very large puncture," the Redditor wrote.

As noted by the original poster, they may have been lucky to avoid serious injury, but things could have ended very badly. 

"It shouldn't need to be said, but please don't throw vape pens out the car window," they added. "Not only is it littering, if it had been my front tyre it would have put me in hospital."

In a 2022 report from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an estimated 150 million vape devices are thrown away each year. Even worse, those devices often contain reusable lithium-ion batteries. Instead of being properly disposed of, they can wind up in landfills where they are prone to leaking. The toxic chemicals in lithium batteries can then contribute to harmful pollution and numerous health concerns.

Outside of the pollution's detrimental contribution to increasing global temperatures, discarded vape pens can be an unsightly blemish to countless communities as well. And like in the case of the original poster, vape pens that end up in roadways can also be a safety concern for drivers.     

Down in the comments section, the overwhelming majority of users voiced their frustrations with discarded vape pens as well. 

"Single use vapes should be banned," one commenter wrote. "At least refillable pod vapes are reusable for a decent time."   

Do you think motorcycles are too dangerous to drive? Yes 👍 No way 👎 Depends on your driving experience 🚘 Depends where you drive it 🛣️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"I thought those single serving coffee pods were bad, this is 100 times worse," noted another user. 

"Very sad to see, glad you're okay! Single use vape pens are absolutely awful, from whichever angle we look at them," a third commenter wrote. 

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