BS: Dangerous toys

Subject: BS: Dangerous toys
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 07:03 AM

You could be forgiven for thinking that we're all living in a society overrun by ludicrous health and safety regulations. But if you needed evidence the best place to start is with the humble toy – and how lethal they can be. We all remember those tin cars with sharp edges with flaps that out to display Chinese baked beans printed on the inside !

These are the top four most dangerous toys, thankfully all are now off the market.

the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab. It was a science kit that featured four lots of uranium ore for your beloved sprog to dabble with. To ensure that these weren't duds, you could use the Geiger counter included to measure the ore's radioactivity and order more uranium using the enclosed coupon.

Lawn Darts. A popular garden game that saw players throw large darts up into the air, hoping to land them in a circular target to score points. The darts were inevitably still finding their way into the hands (and heads) of overenthusiastic kids in the 1980's. An estimated 6,100 injuries, and the deaths of two children, lawn darts were finally banned in their metal-pointed form.

Aqua Dots/Bindeez
An arts and crafts set that lets kids make designs out of small beads, and then 'glue' them together with a simple spray of water. In some sets the wrong compound was applied during manufacture, and instead the affected beads were coated in a toxic chemical that, once ingested by a child, could produce the same effects as taking the drug GHB. Children would suffer appalling symptoms, in some case falling into comas.

Sky Dancer, was a flying doll that kids could shoot up into the air using the doll's launcher.Unfortunately, said doll had a horrible habit of being "unpredictable" once airborne, happily flying its way into wide-eyed adults and children alike, causing a reported 150 injuries, including one broken rib, some temporary blindness and facial lacerations.

Subject: RE: BS: Dangerous toys
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 07:16 AM

In the early fifties, my father flatly refused even to let me have a metal spade to go with the bucket at the seaside. He said I'd probably chop off my toes with the sharp edge. I had to be content with a stupid blunt wooden one. But your examples really are horrifying. You'd think that the manufacturers, and of course the purchasers, would have had more sense. Health and Safety can get a bit ridiculous, but at least children are more safeguarded nowadays. (But I'll bet when outside playing, we had loads more fun!)

Subject: RE: BS: Dangerous toys
From: Amergin
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 07:26 AM

Well, I suppose vibrators could be dangerous if used improperly....

Subject: RE: BS: Dangerous toys
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 09:55 AM

On Mudcat, the BS threads can be a very dangerous toy...

Subject: RE: BS: Dangerous toys
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 03:45 PM

vibrators could be dangerous if used improperly ...

I still have a vibrator that my dad used to provide a "shoulder and neck massage" to patrons of his barber shop ca. 1948.

Customers apparently passed on favorable comments, so a couple of chiropractors visited the shop to request that he get them one, which he did.

About a year later one of the chiros came back and complained that they'd bought a replacement, and it didn't "vibrate" like the old one - it just sort of "hummed."

Asking at the local barber supply house, we were informed that a "new Federal regulation" (ca. 1949 or 1950) had imposed a limit on the "level of vibration" permissible, and the previous product was no longer available.

A letter to the manufacturer, Wahl, confirmed the same story.

Apparently - to protect "delicate tissues" where they might be used - there still is a "Federal regulation" that prohibits anything that "vibrates," although you can still get a "hummer."

(The currently available ones are much less effective, and less helpful for deep/large muscle relief - IMO. Maybe people now don't have as many big muscles and only use them on very small ones?)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Dangerous toys
From: GUEST,999
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 04:17 PM

The Abrams M1A1 is not a toy to fool around with.