It is the season for costumes. I was
wandering the isles of a store and saw a Superman suit. I picked it
up, wishing they had had such cool things when I was a kid. We had
to make our own. While looking at it, I saw the label that …
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"3">It is the season for costumes. I was wandering the isles of a store and saw a Superman suit. I picked it up, wishing they had had such cool things when I was a kid. We had to make our own. While looking at it, I saw the label that read, “Warning: This suit will not enable wearer to fly.” I chuckled, remembering my vain attempts as a child trying to fly by tying a bath towel around my neck and launching myself off the back of the couch onto the living room floor. I knew that the reason for my failure was that I did not have a red “S” on my chest, but even painting one on with my mother’s lipstick did not get me airborne.
"3">My own children have attempted the same. I was pulling them out of a tree where the two older sisters were trying to convince their baby brother he would fly with a towel around his neck. One of the girls said, “It probably wouldn’t have worked anyway. Mom and Dad keep the towels without holes for themselves.” The Princesses were upset when they thought the reason they could not fly was that their mother would not give them the batteries necessary to make their towels operational.
"3">I can see the need for a warning label on the Superman suit. If I had had one, I would probably have tried flying from the roof instead of the couch. The legal ramifications for the manufacturer warrant a warning. Without it, I envision a mass movement all over America by children who wish to splatter themselves on their driveways. No, children have too much sense for that, but I do wonder about us adults.
"3">Warning labels have proliferated since the infamous incident where the woman ordered HOT tea from a drive-through, and spilled it on herself, then sued the fast food chain because the cup did not contain a warning label that HOT tea would be hot. I did some research around the house, and on the Internet for other absurd labels. These are but a few I found.
"3">On the steam iron, “Warning: Do not iron clothes on body.” I understand the need for that one. Clothes should be ironed on a flat surface to get the wrinkles out. Can you imagine trying to iron pleats while wearing them?
"3">On the scooter in the garage, “Warning, this product moves when used.” I’m certain that is for those who could easily mistake the scooter for a lawn statue.
"3">From the toilet plunger, “Do not use near power lines.” That would be for those of us who have facilities in a tree house.
"3">“If you cannot read these cautions and warnings, do not use this product.” I’m sure that one is effective.
"3">“High Speed Spins. Do not put any person in this washer.” After they drown in the wash and rinse cycles, I doubt this warning matters much.
"3">In the car, on the sunshields to protect the dashboard, “Do not drive with sunshield in place.” Really, you think?
"3">Some of the warnings are clearly for humor. On a Boeing 757, “Fragile, do not drop.” Another on a laser pointer, “Do not look into laser with remaining eye.” I love that one. Another on a mattress, “Do not attempt to swallow.” Are there people out there who would? On a supermarket dessert box, “Product will be hot after heating.” Who would have thought it?
"3">I am concerned for us as a society. Either we have become so litigious that every company needs protection from those who sue, “sewers” I call them, or the gene pool has become so polluted that we are incapable of rational, common sense thinking.
"3">In days before warning labels, the pool polluters eliminated themselves. Look at the Darwin Award winners for proof. It seems they try to give cause for warning labels.
"3">As I stood there in the aisle, holding that Superman suit, thinking about the warning, I struck upon a solution. We should remove warning labels from everything, and then issue every man and woman in America a Superman suit. The pool would be clean in no time.
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"Calibri">David Wilson Atwood is a local writer whose human-interest columns offer a unique perspective. He may be contacted, and his other works viewed, at
"http://www.starchasers.us">www.starchasers.us "mailto:david@starchasers.us">david@starchasers.us