Yes. it is potentially very dangerous. Whatever jackass thought up the idea of allowing untrained individuals the ability to work on their a/c should be shot. I've had 'self-serviced' systems come in with over 500# head pressure! People figure if it isn't cold it must need more freon and just keeping dumping it in, can after can. That's about the only good that came from the exorbitant price of R-12 these days. I can imagine what would happen on an old system where the high and low sides used the same size fitting. If someone hooked up a can to the high side, especially at that pressure, it would violently explode!
The cans are rated at 90 psi. I have no idea what safety factor they use. The high side of a slightly overfilled system on a hot, humid day can exceed 350# and if the fan isn't working well or the condensor is partially plugged, etc., all bets are off. Letting freon out, besides being environmentally unfriendly, is only required if the system is overfilled. If the low side of a properly filled system exceeds 35-40# (R-12) at 2000 rpm there's something else wrong in the system. Releasing freon may lower the pressure but it also reduces the volume in the system and bubbling will occur, thereby ruining any chance of cooling. Kinda like shooting yourself in the foot. Given the high price of freon you may as well start tossing $20 bills out the window while you drive.
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