Late in the week, reader Leslie Price forwarded along a Fisking of a Chronicle article that was so much fun we asked if we could reproduce it verbatim. Price’s post is below, with minor formatting changes. Price’s comments are in regular print, and the Chronicle excerpt is italicized.
Falling TVs pose a growing danger: Local girl’s death highlights what one doctor calls ‘a real public health issue’ (Todd Ackerman and Zeke Minaya, Houston Chronicle).
Oh Good Lord! The TV is on my property so it’s PRIVATE not public, and an ACCIDENT is not a health issue. Diseases are health issues.
The actual quote comes from a doctor:
“It’s become a real public health issue,” said Dr. Stephen Fletcher, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. “Who would have thought?”
So I’ll give him some slack about not choosing his words exactly correctly — if he’s a good doctor I don’t really care if he don’t talk so good.
The next paragraph is terrific:
Experts say the problem, already the subject of at least three academic studies, is really more about inadequate anchoring of TVs than it is about their design or size.
Three studies? THREE FREAKING STUDIES ABOUT THIS? They could’ve just asked me, or, well, anyone with half a brain. Article continues…
One of the studies called for manufacturers to make available or include an inexpensive furniture-securing device, such as a strap, and to add labels warning of the potential danger of units toppling.
It also called for a public awareness campaign. The study noted that a similar strategy involving injuries caused by falling vending machines resulted in more units being secured to floors and walls.
OK, so add another warning label. We’ll all be sure and anchor our TVs to the wall right after we get finished using them while bathing in a coma — or am I confusing TV’s with blow dryers? So many warning labels, I just get confused.
And, umm, the “success” of the public awareness campaign for securing vending machines REALLY had more to do with the threat of lawsuits I would guess.
Thanks to Leslie Price for the Fisking and for reading! Incidentally, it’s worth noting that two Chronicle reporters contributed to that story.
