THE most stupid and dangerous thing EVER

[hatstand]

I've clamed down now but this afternoon was FURIOUS. I took my dds to their ballet class at a gym. Afterwards I walked into the changing rooms just next to where the class is (where I would happily let DD1 go the loo on her own) to find....an ELECTRIC DRILL on the floor!!!!! Cordless thing, ready to go, just lying there. There was no-one in the changing rooms but kids milling about all over the place outside. I was nearly in tears at the thought of a 3 year old with an electric (scuse my language) f*ing drill. Needless to say I went BALLISTIC at the 20 year old muppet who had left it there. He apologised and said he was under a lot of pressure to get a job so I told him he neeed to talk to his supervisor and question whether it was appropriate to do this kind of work while the changing rooms were in use. I sought out a manager and went mad at them too. They're bloody lucky nothing happened.

sorry k brea need to go and lie down
will think another time

what's wrong Cod?

fluey cold
am waiting fro dh to come home

Poor you, get the Big Cod to take care of you when he gets in.

There you are hatstand - you've been duly told. Next time you post be frigging accurate. Choose a title like: the most dangerous thing ever, but I would like to qualify this statement with the rider that this is only my humble and clearly quite wrong opinion

Lost the impact of my slightly sarcy comment there by getting the italics wrong

Well I'm sorry but I agree with Hatstand - that IS very dangerous - just because they can't pick it up doesn't mean they can't switch it on. Any 3 or 4yr old with a brain, or a dad that uses that sort of equipment could easily figure out how to switch it on - especially if they have a friend helping them. It's not the most complex thing in the world to do!

Gwenick,

I agree with hatstand too....

As an aside, the torque on cordless drills is not good, but at least you can't electrocute yourself with them.Don't buy one if you have heavy jobs in mind.

This probably qualifies me as bad mum of the week but if I had seen an unattended cordless drill on a changing room floor my first thought would not be for my childrens' safety but "someone might pinch that if you don't keep and eye on it"

srry handlewasn't referring to you!!! Was referring to Sofia's comments

isymum I will remember that hot dog info next time I take the kids to IKEA!

thanks Kbear, handlemecarefully, gwenick. it's a trivial thread but it prompted me to start another one - about when you post something that you think is innocuous and the bit of it that you didn't really think about gets jumped on. yawn.

jasper -

sorry hatstand I don't mean to trivialise your upset but the talk of drills perked me up - does anyone else LOVE power tools ?

Issy my younger kids(2 and 4) are so contrary they would have a hairy fit if I tried to cut up their sausage

Suppose it's preferable to choking!

jasper - no need to apologise - hadn't even thought you had trivialised it. it was more the picking an argument tendency nudging it's way in that bugged me.

jasper i once asked dh for a black and decker sander for xmas. i didnt get one, was very disappointed.

Hatstand, didn't mean to sound picky...I really just wanted to reassure you that a cordless drill really is relatively harmless and of all the things out there to worry about, you shouldn't waste your energy on that. If you want really dangerous go for a chop saw...dh chopped a piece of his arm out a few months ago with one and had 50 stitches.

Gwenick, have you ever used a professional cordless power drill...even I have trouble turning it on. They have a trigger mechaism (not an on/off button) that involves holding it with your hand to push the trigger. When you stop pushing the trigger, the drill stops. It's very unlikely that a 3 year old would be able to do that easily and even if they did manage to do that, it would be very very difficult to do anything with the drill while still holding the trigger in.

Jasper, I sooo LOVE power tools...luckily since dh is a builder and I'm an architect I get to buy them and deduct them on my tax return... . You have to go for DeWalt if you want power in your cordless power tools. Secret is to get them in the usa where they are half the price and since they are cordless, you just get an english battery charger (disguised as radio for feeble men).

Sofia.

Yes I have - used one. If layed on it's side, 2 children with half a brain could switch one on.

why would the child holding the drill (or helping switch it on while it lies on the floor) have to 'do anything' - another child running past could be injured

Not to mention the fact of toes - have you ever accidently stubbed your toe on one of them things.......yes they're hard to pick up - but that also means they HURT if you should knock your toe on one running for the phone.

oh and my DS2 (just turned 14 months) can nearly carry one of the large Persil boxes across the room......and that's not light - what will he be able to manage at 36 or 48 months???

I got a Karcher pressure washer for my birthday...does that count?

VVV satisfying blasting all the algae of the patio and conservatory roof. (And I end up filthy, which adds to the fun).

DD (2.5) is NOT allowed to use it, but I think she would dearly love to.

My DS (9) loves walking around like Rambo with our Petrol powered leaf blower - he's been using it since he was 6!

Gwenick, Persil is poisonous. Perhaps you shouldn't be leaving persil boxes lying around. And what happens if your poor ds drops the box on his toe...that could be a serious injury too......just trying to suggest that everything is relative and if you make a major fuss about a minor thing, then effort and energy will be taken away from the major things.

sofia

sofia