So yesterday I had a near fatal, near accident.
See, I had finished with cleaning all the carpets, and I was doing some repair work on this one pesky area rug that insists on curling at the corners. I had read that if you tape cardboard triangles to the corners it will stop them from curling. (in case your interested the corners now stay down but the sides are curling up, go figure.)
After completing my tape job I took the tape and scissors into the laundry room to put them up on the shelf, but I was moving quickly and ran into the carpet cleaner that I had left in the middle of the laundry room. Stubbing my toe and beginning to fall forward I remembered the scissors in my hand and began to worry that I was going to stab myself in the eye. It plays back in my mind in slow motion. It goes kind of like this- walking quickly, trip on vacuum, beginning to fall, scissors!, catch myself at the last minute from falling on scissors.
I didn't fall on the scissors. But it got me to thinking. How safe is the "safety position" when carrying scissors. My mom taught me and in turn I taught my children this position, you know the hold-the-scissors-by-the-sharp-part-position. But really why is that safer than holding them by the handle while walking? And why do they have to be at your side with the handle pointing down? Would holding them over your head be that much more dangerous? And who thought of this position? And did they do experiments to see if it was, in deed, safer than carrying them over your head?
I got to thinking that maybe it would be better to teach your children to drop the scissors in case of a fall. I think that would be much safer. You may hit a toe but your vital organs would be safe.
I can see it now, we could even think up a song. You know like the stop, drop, and roll chant in case you catch on fire. But maybe it could be stop, drop the scissors before you fall.
We really would need someone to do some experimenting and see which way is safer.
Anybody?
Kristen
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5 comments:
I find it difficult to believe that your mother, or anyone else would have provided such an ill advised method of carrying scissors!! There are only 3 sensible methods of transporting them: 1) have multiple pairs available at fixed locations so you need not endanger yourself or any one else by carrying them through obvious mine fields; 2, Get someone else to carry them for you and be certain to stay far away from them; 3 If you absolutely must carry them, then carry them by holding onto the handle with the pointy end(s) down and at your side.
If this fails , then only carry Nerf scissors and sharpen your teeth to use to cut things with.
I don't think it is safe for you to be working without supervision.
The polyurethane is still combustible on the wood. I would not advise stacking pieces of freshly polyurethaned wood on top of eachother (a local LDS building burned down from that).
Don't carry scissors at all, just buy fifty pair of them and keep them all over the house.
That's MUCH safer. :)
I just read Bill's recommendation for the scissors. That's classic.
Actually I was taught to carry them using his method #3.
The only way I was taught was method #3 also, and I would have to agree with Keith about the supervision. :)
Yes, hold them by the handles points down. If you fall, throw them far from you and hit someone else in the eye thus sparing your own. In our house my kids always take them so I'm never in any actual danger myself.
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