An extremely dangerous pit of death in our nation's capital. Image by The Golden Triangle BID used with permission.

Did you know about the danger that could be growing in your neighborhood? Thanks to Montgomery County residents who are enraged at the thought of the government installing “pits of death” near their houses, more people are learning about the dangers of rain gardens.

Right now, the county wants to build rain gardens in Wheaton Woods where flooding is a real issue. Rain gardens are designed to help stop flooding and prevent pollution in rivers and streams by holding and purifying stormwater.

However, some neighbors are fighting the gardens, saying they're worried that people will fall into them, that they'll hurt property values, or that stormwater pollution will end up in their yards. (They might mostly be upset because the county didn't do enough outreach in communities first — a fair criticism and something local officials have vowed to improve.) In March, Montgomery County Executive candidates Marc Elrich and David Blair repeated claims that they're unsafe, Elrich laughingly referring to them “pits of death.”

Some say they help with stormwater management in a beautiful, natural way, while others say they murder indiscriminately. You decide. Either way, we present to you: the very best pits of death in the Washington region.

Image by Joe Fox.

This adorable child is dangerously close to this extremely violent pit of death.

Image by Dan Malouff.

Six people died here last week when the pit became angry, some NIMBYs contend.

Image by Dan Reed.

In the tall grass lies the winter of your discontent.

Image by Flickr user PROElvert Barnes licensed under Creative Commons.

Don't let the fancy decorations lull you into a false sense of security. Get too close, and it might just the last thing you ever do.

Image by The Golden Triangle BID.

You take a lunch break, go over to Chop't, get a salad, and then BAM! On your way back, you and your salad are history.

It's a trap. Pretty flowers are always a trap.

Image by Matt JK.

A waterfront pit of death. Now I have seen it all. What's next, planting flowers and plants near schools? Not on my watch.

Image by Payton Chung.

I walked around the corner at lunchtime, towards the unmistakable stench of death emanating from 19th & L — and was APPALLED to see that a mother had brought her innocent baby to the very brink of this cesspool.

Image by Matt JK.

This pit of death maybe just be a baby itself, but one day it will be much bigger and scarier. The time to stop it is now.

Let this serve as a warning to you that these rain gardens/pits of death are a menance. Better to let your house and streets flood and your rivers and streams become polluted than to court disaster.