Wacky Warning Labels

dillo99 · May 17, 2008

I have a jet ski and it has a warning label that says "Warning - do not place any body orifices over jet."

I gotta wonder how low your IQ would have to be to try something like that!

Soundguy · May 18, 2008

Probably about the same level as the person who probably inspired the warnings in push lawnmower manuals that state to not pick the mower up by it's sides to use it to trim hedges.. etc..

soundguy

patrick_g · May 18, 2008

dillo99 said:
I have a jet ski and it has a warning label that says "Warning - do not place any body orifices over jet."

I gotta wonder how low your IQ would have to be to try something like that!

Somewhere around room temperature.

Pat

PILOON · May 18, 2008

Soundguy said:
Probably about the same level as the person who probably inspired the warnings in push lawnmower manuals that state to not pick the mower up by it's sides to use it to trim hedges.. etc..

soundguy

It seems, as the story goes, that back in the '60's 9 (maybe '50's) a person actually tried to trim his hedge using his lawn mower.
Naturelly he lost 8 fingers.
As I recal it was Sears or Montgomery Wards that sold the mower.

An enterprising lawer took on the case, on contigincy, and actually won as the judge ruled that the chain store or manufacture was negligant in not labeling the mower against finger placement.

I also believe that that was the start of our now famous humongous law suits and class action suits.

While we may be smart enough to realize tha potential danger, we must also realize that not everybody is as smart as us and need warning labels to state the obvious.

tallyho8 · May 18, 2008

Soundguy said:
Probably about the same level as the person who probably inspired the warnings in push lawnmower manuals that state to not pick the mower up by it's sides to use it to trim hedges.. etc..

soundguy

IMHO, anyone who is dumb enough to pick up the mower by its sides to trim hedges, is too dumb to read a warning label anyway.

Soundguy · May 18, 2008

I think tallyho hit the nail on the head.. if a person is not naturally smart enough to know that you can't do that sot of thing.. thn rather than make warning about every device known to man.. they should just not sell stuff to stupid people

soundguy

PILOON said:
It seems, as the story goes, that back in the '60's 9 (maybe '50's) a person actually tried to trim his hedge using his lawn mower.
Naturelly he lost 8 fingers.
As I recal it was Sears or Montgomery Wards that sold the mower.

An enterprising lawer took on the case, on contigincy, and actually won as the judge ruled that the chain store or manufacture was negligant in not labeling the mower against finger placement.

I also believe that that was the start of our now famous humongous law suits and class action suits.

While we may be smart enough to realize tha potential danger, we must also realize that not everybody is as smart as us and need warning labels to state the obvious.

Defective · May 18, 2008

By all means...

Sell as much dangerous stuff as you can to stupid people.

Gotta improve the gene pool somehow.

Iplayfarmer · May 18, 2008

Soundguy said:
I think tallyho hit the nail on the head.. if a person is not naturally smart enough to know that you can't do that sot of thing.. thn rather than make warning about every device known to man.. they should just not sell stuff to stupid people

soundguy

When I was in charge of food safety in a corporate environment I'd have to defend our testing limits and seemingly stringent requirements on a regular basis. I had two scenarios that would usually work to convince the higher ups that we were probably right on with our defensive tactics...

1) Realize that there's a very good chance that a college freshman will buy our product. (we were making convenience foods)

2) Think of the stupidest person you know. Realize that there is probably someone out there you've never met who is even stupider. There's a chance that person may buy our product.

If I got much resistence from either of these approaches I'd remind them that a jury is made up of 12 consumers. They're not very likely to identify with the corporation.

JDGREEN4ME · May 19, 2008

My wife bought a curling iron over the weekend and two of my favorite warnings listed were..."Iron can burn eyes" and yes this one..."Do not use while sleeping"