Aluminum Shelving Units - No Bueno

So I'm in my garage waiting for some paint to dry on a project and I decide to clean up a little. I'm reaching for this storage bin on the top of these crap metal and particle board shelving units that whoever lived here before put in. They weren't put together properly and some genius duct taped all three units together - brilliant. I don't know why we ever put anything on them, because one glance at those suckers and you knew they were a deathtrap.

Anyway, I'm reaching for this storage bin and I - for some reason known only to God because I sure as hell know better - put my foot on the bottom shelf (which sits on the ground, by the way) to give myself another inch in height. I DID NOT STAND ON THE BOTTOM SHELF OR PUT ALL OF MY WEIGHT ON IT. I swear. I swear.

The bottom shelf buckled, the middle shelf fell off and the top of the unit caved in on itself. And because it was taped to the other two units, they ALL came down. Along with everything on them. All on top of me. I managed to turn and take it all on my back instead of my face, luckily. My pretty face is all I've got going for me, I can't let anything happen to it :)

Husband was at work, the kids were at school and due home in twenty minutes and for once there was no one in sight on my street. Luckily my phone was in my back pocket, and I was able to get a hold of it to call my mom. She couldn't come rescue me, so she talked me out from under the pile of rubble and I realize there is blood everywhere. The razor sharp aluminum shelving units had sliced into the base of my thumb when I covered my head during the fall. I swear, that cut bled so much that I started to get really concerned about it, but eventually I staunched the flow and got a bandage on it.

Thankfully, I did not need a tetanus shot, because due to a puncture wound with possible blood contamination (thanks, disgusting diabetic person at the restaurant I worked at who left bloody needles on the table under a pile of napkins), I had a tetanus shot and full HIV preventative back in 2008. Yay! The doctor did say that I probably should have come in for a few stitches, or at least some dermabond or butterfly tape, but after 8 hours you can't really stitch a wound. So I just have this awesome little scar.

Anyway, that picture is the remnants of the shelving units after I got pissed off and took a mallet to them about an hour later. I salvaged the particle board to be used for... something. I don't know what. I don't particularly like particle board, as it melts when it gets wet. The moral of this story is: invest in sound shelving units NOT made of aluminum. Get heavy duty plastic or wood, bolt them to the wall, or better yet install a permanent built-in system. Anything but this aluminum scrap metal - thank God it wasn't one of the kids trying to reach something!