100 years from now it will be illegal for parents to allow their children to leave the house unless they are wearing a helmet with a full face cage. This sensible, moderate legislative change will occur after a national safety committee (formed solely of hand-wringing women and childless metrosexual men) finds that the main cause of accidental death in children over 5 is head trauma.

Today yo yo balls - tomorrow the world! Tally ho and away.

Posted by: INP at November 2, 2006 11:35 AM

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The problem, INP, is that these toys, when used in their intended mode of operation, are dangerous, as opposed to a toy or any other object that is dangerous if used incorrectly (heck, the same goes for a pillow). The game is to fling the weighted end around and enjoy watching as the elastic connection draws the weight back, often very quickly and erratically. When swung around, the cord can extend dramatically, and then wrap around the neck several times as the heavy ball whips around. Being an elastic, the cord contracts just as dramatically as soon as the tension is released, compressing the windpipe and choking the victim.

The toy is essentially a bolas made of rubber, and operates in the same manner as the South American weapon.

Posted by: Steve Janke at November 2, 2006 12:26 PM

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has anyone actually died? Or is this a preemptive measure based on speculation? Just wondering. The reason I ask is that I think my kids have played with similar toys on occasion. Personally, I never gave it a second throught. Whan I was 5 I was already sawing boards, cutting kindling with a hatchet, shooting my bb gun and climbing so high in the silver maples that the people below looked like, well, somewhat smaller people.

Sometimes I think we worry too much. It's like we've all become my gradndmother or something. If you ask me, all the hyper sensitivity and over protectiveness doesn't bode well for the survival of our culture. We're smothering our offspring in bubble wrap. It'll come back to haunt us, wait and see.

Posted by: INP at November 2, 2006 02:38 PM

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United States:

The Commission has received 186 reports of
incidents in which the yo-yo ball toy's cord
wrapped around a child's neck. In all cases, a
parent or child successfully removed the cord
from the child's neck. Although there were no
lasting injuries, seven cases reported broken
blood vessels affecting eyes, eyelids, cheeks,
neck, scalp or the area behind the ears. CPSC
staff realizes that the reported incidents are
uncomfortable and anxiety-provoking events for
children and adults.

Rhode Island:

Strangulation Hazards: Several countries, including the United Kingdom, have banned the popular yo-yo water ball because of incidents in which the toy wrapped tightly around children’s necks or caused other injuries to the eyes, face and head. As of October 2004, the CPSC had received almost 400 injury reports related to yo-yo water balls, including 3 here in Rhode Island.

Canada:

To date, Health Canada (HC) has received 20 complaints of near miss strangulation of children because the cord of the yo-yo type ball or similar product became wrapped around their neck numerous times. In 90% of these cases an adult was required to remove the cord from the child's neck.

No deaths as far as I can see, just lots of near misses. But if you'd prefer to wait...

Posted by: Steve Janke at November 2, 2006 02:50 PM

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I bought one a few years ago in Woodstock Ontario. to date no accidents--BUT--I wonder what the gel inside the ball is made of? That would probably be more dangerous than the cord. Little kids put things in their mouth. Has this gel been investigated? Is it contaminated with mercury or lead like some other toddler toys being imported?
I think that more than the danger possibly posed this incident highlights how incompetent our CFIA and Health Canada are. All the foods that have been imported into Canada(salmonella contaminated tomatoes from the US being the most recent)indicates that we should not depend on big Brother to monitor anything for our health and safety--we are on our own. I prefer to use my own mind in protecting those around me, but at the same time resent paying big taxdollars to keep the incompetent government bureaucrcies in place to warn us AFTER THE FACT! If they are our first line of defence, we are defenceless!

Posted by: George at November 4, 2006 10:18 AM

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Dangerous Squirrels, $20 bounty?

Have you noticed how squirrels are getting more Allalh Akbhar! ?

Dangerous discussion at Dust My Broom. . .

TonyGuitar Says:
November 1st, 2006 at 3:08 pm

Squirrels are lightening fast. Nothing moves faster at times. The only way a peregin gets a squirrel is if the furry guy fails to see the falcon coming.

Placing bird seed on a 12 foot log, the squirrel zipped down from the opposite end, stabbed my finger with his front teeth, took some seed and was sitting eating back at the far end when I was aware of the stinging finger.

Now that is fast! = TG
wallyj Says:
November 1st, 2006 at 6:00 pm

They are getting more agressive. Tony Guitar,consider yourself lucky that the beast only stuck your finger,in my neighbourhood they always go for the nuts.It’s only natural.
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Whoa! I AM lucky. = TG

Posted by: TonyGuitar at November 4, 2006 11:40 AM

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The real problem is the lack of parental supervision of many kids playing with toys today. Risk is often a part of playtime, and who wants to wrap our kids in cotton batten and prohibit all sorts of activities--as we now do, because we're afraid something bad might happen to our kids?

Add lack of parental supervision to the North American tendency to sue when something goes (terribly) wrong, and kids playing plus risky toys add up to more stringent rules and prohibitions.

Look, parents are responsible for their kids. Parents should be checking these toys out, and then deciding if the risks are OK for their kids--and, if there are risks, parents should be deciding to closely monitor the activity/ies in case there's a problem.

A society where parents are AWOL and then want to sue the toy company when something awful happens to their child is ridiculous and retrograde. We need to put the responsibility for playtime where it belongs: on the parents.

We need to put the responsibility for A LOT of children's behaviour where it rightfully belongs: the parents. End of problem. Parents would then be a lot more vigilant--which they should be in the first place. And kids would be a lot safer.

Point. Period. That’s all folks.

Posted by: 'been around the block at November 5, 2006 03:01 PM

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I saw the things for sale at a little shop downstairs at the St Lawrence Market on Saturday. My daughter (10) begged me to buy one for her. I did. Now she's dead. Just kidding. They are for sale there though.

Posted by: INP at November 7, 2006 10:57 AM

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INP: LOL!!

Posted by: 'been around the block at November 8, 2006 07:00 PM

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