Rubber Band Shooter

Year's Most Dangerous Toys According to World Against Toys Causing Harm (W.A.T.C.H.)

Well, the LIST is out ...

The list of the year's 10 most dangerous toys according to W.A.T.C.H. 

And after seeing the list and looking over some of the toys, including the one pictured above,

yeah, that one, I have to ask,

"What were the manufacturers of these toys THINKING?"

We've got the Rubber Band Shooter (above.)  W.A.T.C.H. says that rubber bands should never be sold as toys.   But Simple Toys LLC, the manufacturer, states on the box that the Rubber Band Shooter is for "Family Fun" and "Simple Fun."  They also state that this toy is "for target practice only" and "Do not aim at people."

Well, I'm JUST a little bit "unglued" about this.  Exactly what child, given a gun that shoots rubber bands, is NOT going to aim it at another child?

Oh, wait ... let me go find my "target."

"Mommy, where is my target?"

"Can you find my target?"

"No?" 

"Guess I'll just aim this rubber band shooter at my STUPID LITTLE BROTHER THEN."

Duh!

Sticky Stones

Oh, boy.  IT GETS WORSE ...

Sticky Stones, made by GeoCentral, is a “powerful magnetized iron ore ” that is sold as a toy for children.  For what purpose, I'm not sure.  But,  if more than one magnet is swallowed, they can attach inside the body, potentially causing intestinal perforation, infection or blockage which can be fatal.  There is an in-store warning to consumers: “Swallowed magnets can stick together across intestines causing serious infections and death....” The pre-packaged stones available to Internet shoppers provide no such warning.

I just saw something like this on one of the medical shows this week, or last week (who knows, I have TIVO, I think maybe it was House or Grey's Anatomy) and the magnets  the child swallowed migrated through the intestine and were going to perforate the intestine wall.  They were moving up and down the intestine attaching to each other.  Maybe the writers for the show got the idea by toy shopping and seeing the warning on the box of STICKY STONES!!!

Well, these are my Top 2.  There are 8 more for you to take a look at.  It's really unbelievable what these manufacturers get away with.  They should be required to take each toy home and try it out not on their own children, but on themselves for a month before they send it out to consumers. 

10 Most DangerousToys List 2007

 What do you think about crappy, dangerous toys?