How Very Dare I...

This morning when I fell out of bed (yes, literally, my leg was caught in the duvet) and managed to stumble downstairs (yes, again, literally...) the first thing Sky News decided to talk about - their main story before the banking stuff hit the fan - was that Fruit Shoot bottles were being recalled.

Now, according to the news then, it was due to "a safety issue" while Sky decided to demonstrate the "new style" bottles not leaking by scientifically squeezing the bottle over a glass. "...and if I squeeze, nothing comes out!" was pretty much all they covered.  Three times between half six and half seven.

Riveting stuff.

I'm not entirely sure what the problem is, but before, you popped the top, opened the sports bottle-style lid, and drank your juice. Now toddlers need to understand pop the top, push down while squeezing and sucking.

No, just... No!

However, the recall says "safety issue" which means someone somewhere has been hurt or identified something that could cause harm. The internet is doing what it does best when it doesn't know - it's guessing what the problem is which, you know, is really helpful.

Guesses (not official statements!) include the suction trapping lids, the press-down action pinching lips, the valve coming and and forming a choking hazard, and the plastic edge of the pop-open cap being sharp and causing scratches.

Britvic - the makers - have not said anything as to why they are recalling, which is just making the Web Trolls jump up and down and scream louder that it MUST be THEIR reasoning as for the recall.

Chances are it will turn out to be something really shite, like the label being wonky or something.

And my point?

Actually, I do have one.

This evening - which saw me stood waiting to go into the School Awards Presentation evening (which will be a separate blog post in a bit!) I noticed that one group of parents had a child bumbling around with one of these bottles.

Now, I say "bumbling around" as this child was about two or three. And kept putting bits of K-Nex in his mouth - little bits of metal with magnets attached if you don't know - while drinking from his new-style Fruit Shoot bottle.

Me being Me, I thought "Maybe they've not seen the news" so stepped forward, cleared my throat, and in my usual quiet-and-polite manner, said to them "I don't know if you've seen, and I don't know why it is, but those bottles have been recalled by the manufacturer as there is a safety hazard on them apparently..."

Now, I should have realised - the child is running around, drinking out a bottle, while keeping shrapnal in his mouth.

Silly Dan. Of course the parents would be very interested in a possible safety hazard of their childs drinking implement...

"Yeah, we saw. So?" came the reply.

Er... OK... "Ah, alright, just thought I would let you know in case you'd not seen it. Also - he's putting the bits of toy in his mouth while drinking."

"He'll be OK, he's always doing it."


So there you have it, warning parents of possible hazards - regardless of what they may be - is clearly BAD. Additionally, if you do something lots, it apparently lowers the chance of something bad happening. I've been crossing roads for years, looks like I'm saf....


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