The 10 Most Dangerous Toys of All Time 404
Ant writes "An article at the Radar lists the ten most dangerous toys of all time, those treasured playthings that drew blood, chewed digits, took out eyes, and, in one case, actually irradiated. To keep things interesting, the editors excluded BB guns, slingshots, throwing stars, and anything else actually intended to inflict harm." My favorite: 'Feed Me!' begged the packaging for 1996's Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kid. And much like the carnivorous Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors, the adorable lineup of Cabbage Patch snack-dolls appeared at first to be harmless. They merely wanted a nibble--a carrot perhaps, or maybe some yummy pudding. They would stop chewing when snack time was done -- they promised. Then they chomped your child's finger off."
Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly. It has the N-word in it so it must be dangerous, right? I highly doubt kids who played with this would have even got a fraction of the dose that they normally get from naturally occurring radon. But any risk is too great, right?
Part of the reason the world is so anti-nuclear is that simple science educating toys like this are banned and exaggerated anti-nuclear views (like that of the author) remain unchallenged. Perhaps my generation was the last one where parents normally bought their children electronics and chemistry sets. Today we would fear that the child would be shocked or chemically burned (regardless of the probability).
Great List (Score:1, Insightful)
Of course, the discontinueing of these toys wouldn't be needed if people would use their common sense. Then again, I guess that is too hard to expect from the average American.
RonB
Re:Great List (Score:5, Insightful)
Talk about someone with a grudge against Americans. Sure, make fun of them when they earn it (which is often, I will concede), but this is a bit much. Considering the target market is between 4 and 10 years of age, I think expecting a constant level of common sense IS a bit much to ask. That's why children are treated like children.
Re:Cabbage Patch Finger Food (Score:3, Insightful)
Jarts is #1! (Score:5, Insightful)
I remember playing with Jarts as a kid (<10 years old) many times over. No one ever got hurt from it. There was enough common sense to keep people behind the shooter when playing the game. I guess it seems silly to me that people keep picking on Jarts because there are so many other "dangerous" things out there as well. Jarts is in a small way, a slow form of archery (sharp objects propelled at a target down range), and know that it can be made relatively safe if the proper precautions are taken. I suppose that even something as innocent as playing horseshoes could be dangerous too, should someone take a blow from a heavy chunk of metal to their head. But it's always Jarts that gets picked on. According to a wikipedia article [wikipedia.org] the incident that led to the banning of lawn darts was mostly a result of the combination of lawn darts and beer. That's frequently a bad combination of anything.
Of course without lawn darts, we wouldn't have neat T-shirts about them [ebay.com]. The rest of the list is interesting too. I'm surprised at how many kids that mini-hammock (ranked #3) has managed to strangle over the years.
Re:ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddd! (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Great List (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Jarts is #1! (Score:4, Insightful)
Kinda Surprised (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Jarts is #1! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Great List (Score:1, Insightful)
Two: As a parent, do you honestly look closely at every single toy you buy for your kids? I have no doubt that every parent has, at least once, just grabbed a toy off the shelf without more than a glance at the packaging. And there's nothing wrong with that--we buy toys based on the assumption that they're safe because they SHOULD be safe. See point one--they're made for people with very little common sense.
Three: Some of those toys are ridiculously poorly designed and dangerous--it's not the parents' fault (or the kid's) that mattel designed a doll that could literally chew your fingers off. There's no way any parent would expect that kind of behavior from a doll made by one of America's biggest toy companies.
Four: Even if you're a perfect parent and only buy safe toys, it's not only your child's toys that are dangerous--some out of control brat with a lawn dart can still put their damned eye out. Or your kid will stick his finger's in Johnny's doll's mouth and get it bitten off.
I honestly don't see the big deal with any of those toys being banned--an exposed hotplate that reaches 300 degrees? That's not a monster factory, that's a maiming factory. Radiation play sets? Lil' strangler hammocks? Please.
Re:Great List (Score:5, Insightful)
i.e. the supid ones need to be weeded out early. It's not like we don't have fun making more of the little bastards. Wanna put some common sense into little Johnny's head, assuming his head is capable of holding such?
Just look him right in the eye and say, "Go right ahead. It's not like you're my only one."
Knowing that mommy and daddy not only will not always be able to protect you, but knowing that they won't even necessarily try teaches you to bloody well look out for yourself.
Maybe we were just funny that way, but back in the day we thought that being able and willing to take care of yourself was something of a survival trait.
But what did we know.
KFG
Re:ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddd! (Score:5, Insightful)
You've got to be kidding me. I think your brain shut off the second you heard nuclear and radiation. I am astounded that the first thing you think of when you see this isn't, "children might swallow the slightly radioactive material, and get sick from heavy metal poisoning." but, "terrorists are going to buy a whole bunch of these kits, and then use the marginally radioactive material to slightly irradiate people with a small pipe bomb! ZOMG!!11 TERRORIRST!!"
Re:Needs chemistry lesson (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddd! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Asshole (Score:5, Insightful)
And I have to say the metal playgrounds are miles better than the "awesome wood playgrounds" they replaced. Wood playgrounds were shitty--they were built small, often very unimiganitive design-wise, they splintered terribly, and they were never maintained.
As for gravel--that's the second worst to use on a playground* and I've never understood why people would choose it. Sand is much better, and I see sand a lot more often than I see rubber mats (which are actually quite hard) or shredded rubber.
Of course, my experience with playgrounds may not be representative, since I live in a pretty affluent area and thus we can probably afford more expensive gear.
I'm not entirely sure why you're so hostile about it. It's a playground. Get over it.
*The first worst is woodchips. Yes, I've seen it once. It didn't last long because the kids kept scraping the shit out of themselves.
Re:ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddd! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Great List (Score:1, Insightful)
And if they still stuck it in their mouths, they're just dumb people and nothing is lost.
The #1 Most Dangerous Toy (Score:5, Insightful)
Anyways, I think we should ban bicycles.
Just kidding.
Re:Mod parent up please (Score:5, Insightful)
http://www.thememoryhole.org/edu/school-mission.h
Sure wouldn't have wanted people with these attitudes today back when me and my friends played chicken in the park with our ever present pocket knifes.
I used to carry mine to school. Not only was I not considered armed and dangerous, but I was considered one of the "good little boys," who didn't stir up any trouble; unless a grownup did something downright stupid. Then they were in trouble. I homed right in on stupid.
Frankly we have been going downhill for years.
Ya wanna know how the terrorists are going to win? Well, oddly enough, I'm willing to tell you how they're going to win.
No dirty nukes, no poisoning the water supply.
They're just going to sneak into all of our homes and place a pea under each mattress; after which we will simply whine ourselves to fucking death.
Why yes, I did take an extra spoonful of curmudgeon this morning. Why do you ask?
KFG
Re:Asshole (Score:5, Insightful)
First of all, being made of wood doesn't make a toy awesome. You can make a plastic replica of any toy and it will be exactly the same. Except it won't be wood. Big deal. Half my toys were wood, the other were plastic. I din't care, I didn't even notice. I was too busy playing with them.
You don't like the plastic toys from today? I think that has more to do with you "growing up" from an imaginative child into a cinical adult.
By the way, there are lots of reasons for using plastic. For example it's easier to produce (and color), cheaper, cleaner, lighter. Especially early plastics were not safe at all and ALSO splintered.
The same applies to rubber mats. Much easier to clean, easier to use.
Oh, and yes modern materials are safer. How unfortunate! If you think that taking risks is essential to having fun (and life in general) then something is wrong with your head. Personally, I like to not having to fear for my life all the time. There are plenty of other challenges left.
Also, of course parents should look after their own children. But doesn't that also mean providing a safe environment for them?
Oh and one more thing, guess what material the toy in question was made of?
Scars (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddd! (Score:4, Insightful)
Broken ribs??? (Score:5, Insightful)
I took issue with a few other entries as well, but it seems like many of these "dangers" don't really involve the toy itself, much like "injury while under the influence" - The alcohol doesn't hurt you, your actions while drunk hurt you.
Some stupid kid probably launched one of these off the roof to see how far it could go, then proceeded to fall off the roof. Do we blame the toy for that?
Re:ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddd! (Score:3, Insightful)
You know, the sad part is that nowdays a kid who has graduated from high school might actually think this could happen.
Whatever happened to 8th grade physics?
Re:typical science stupidity (Score:5, Insightful)
the US military claims it's harmless and has not trouble using it around civilians in large amounts
Speaking as a Gulf War vet who has seen many of his fellow vets suffer from GWS, and has also observed the stonewalling they've received (first the military denied that the disease existed at all, and when that stopped working, disclaimed any responsibility) I have to say, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Re:ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddd! (Score:3, Insightful)
Yeah, it's like the U.S.A. is Pee Wee's Playhouse, and "radiation" has been the Secret Word for over 50 years.
President Pee-Wee: Okay kids, now what do you do when you hear the word "radiation"?
People: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
President Pee-Wee: That's right! Good sheeple.
Forgot the Mercury Maze (Score:3, Insightful)
Come to think of it, my father may still have it somewhere. I'll have to find it and take it to the hazardous waste disposal site when I visit next time.
Re:"toy safety" is counter to the purpose of play (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:ohhhhhhh myyyyy Goddddd! (Score:3, Insightful)