Young workers do strange things—but this takes the cake (and the ice cube)
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A bored moment on the job turned into a night of unimaginable pain.
One young waitress's attempt to amuse herself during a slow shift ended in a bloody emergency room visit.
She never expected a receipt spike to land her in hospital fearing the loss of her hand.
Alex Belbin, 20, had been working a quiet night shift at a Sydney restaurant in May when a split-second decision changed everything.
Feeling restless, she picked up an ice cube and tried to stab it with a receipt spike—an object commonly found at restaurant counters to store printed orders.
‘I picked up the ice cube, and I was trying to push down with one hand, but it didn't go through. So I just put a bit more pressure, and I put my one hand over the other. Next minute, I was like, oh my god, it's in my hand,’ she shared.
‘The panic was insane. The pain was insane.’
Despite the sharp spike—and a stack of paper receipts—now impaled in her hand, Alex said her coworkers didn’t immediately believe her.
That changed as soon as she showed them her injury.
She was rushed to hospital, the spike still lodged in her palm.
Doctors acted quickly to reduce the risk of infection, warning Alex there could be serious complications if nerves or tendons had been damaged.
‘It nearly went all the way through, which is really freaky. I nearly had a hole through my hand,’ she said.
Under the influence of laughing gas, Alex remained surprisingly upbeat during the procedure.
In a video shared on social media, she could be heard laughing uncontrollably while a friend tried to keep a straight face beside her.
Source: TikTok/alexandra.belbin
Thankfully, the spike had missed anything vital.
‘Luckily, it skipped everything that was important. I'll have full function of my hand,’ Alex said.
Now, weeks later, she’s healing well with just a small scar as a reminder.
Her story stands as a bizarre yet powerful warning about how quickly a moment of boredom can turn into a medical emergency.
Sometimes it only takes a split-second decision—like trying to stab an ice cube—to realise how important it is to stay mentally engaged and avoid risky boredom.
While this injury was physical, it raises a bigger question: how do we keep our minds active and purposeful, especially when routines slow down?
If you’ve been thinking about how to structure your days with more intention, this next story offers a practical roadmap.
Read more: Retiring with Confidence: Mapping Out a Clear Path to Your Golden Years
Have you ever made a silly mistake that sent you to hospital?
One young waitress's attempt to amuse herself during a slow shift ended in a bloody emergency room visit.
She never expected a receipt spike to land her in hospital fearing the loss of her hand.
Alex Belbin, 20, had been working a quiet night shift at a Sydney restaurant in May when a split-second decision changed everything.
Feeling restless, she picked up an ice cube and tried to stab it with a receipt spike—an object commonly found at restaurant counters to store printed orders.
‘I picked up the ice cube, and I was trying to push down with one hand, but it didn't go through. So I just put a bit more pressure, and I put my one hand over the other. Next minute, I was like, oh my god, it's in my hand,’ she shared.
Waitress impaled hand while stabbing ice cube. Image source: TikTok/alexandra.belbin
‘The panic was insane. The pain was insane.’
Despite the sharp spike—and a stack of paper receipts—now impaled in her hand, Alex said her coworkers didn’t immediately believe her.
That changed as soon as she showed them her injury.
She was rushed to hospital, the spike still lodged in her palm.
Doctors acted quickly to reduce the risk of infection, warning Alex there could be serious complications if nerves or tendons had been damaged.
‘It nearly went all the way through, which is really freaky. I nearly had a hole through my hand,’ she said.
Under the influence of laughing gas, Alex remained surprisingly upbeat during the procedure.
In a video shared on social media, she could be heard laughing uncontrollably while a friend tried to keep a straight face beside her.
Source: TikTok/alexandra.belbin
Thankfully, the spike had missed anything vital.
‘Luckily, it skipped everything that was important. I'll have full function of my hand,’ Alex said.
Now, weeks later, she’s healing well with just a small scar as a reminder.
Her story stands as a bizarre yet powerful warning about how quickly a moment of boredom can turn into a medical emergency.
Sometimes it only takes a split-second decision—like trying to stab an ice cube—to realise how important it is to stay mentally engaged and avoid risky boredom.
While this injury was physical, it raises a bigger question: how do we keep our minds active and purposeful, especially when routines slow down?
If you’ve been thinking about how to structure your days with more intention, this next story offers a practical roadmap.
Read more: Retiring with Confidence: Mapping Out a Clear Path to Your Golden Years
Have you ever made a silly mistake that sent you to hospital?
