am i the only human seeing the absurdity in the statement above? i will concede that it’s one of those details not caught by most humans – cause who is REALLY paying attention to this stuff? Sadly I AM – also sadly – it drives me nuts.

HOW exactly have we come to this ridiculously low level? On the surface…it’s hysterical stuff – so i TRY to stick in the funny section – BUT… IT’s downright STUPID.

behind the warning labels and bizarre instructions on stuff, there are likely millions of crazy stories! one common sense story i EXPERIENCED back in the day…

a friend of my grandfather’s arrived to help with a broken down lawnmower. he was a small engine repair guy (had a small biz selling and repairing and maintaining small engines) SO he was VERY qualified to fix the mower.

long story short…first item on the engine check list – make sure there is fuel (gas) in the mower. so rick (mechanic friend) checked for fuel. he could not SEE fuel in the tank from the top – so he lit a match to brighten the area and tank up.

to this day – i have NO IDEA what this brainiac was thinking other than nothing – but even as a child i SAW where this investigation was going and… made the decision to DUCK? – BUT keep watching to see what happens.

what you are thinking – happened. despite staying to watch – i closed my eyes as the lawnmower exploded.

brainiac rick was burned but good. he forever lacked actual skin on one of his hands, both of his forearms and the majority of his chest. he had serious burns on his lips that required some high tech (at that time) surgery. his face – like his arms – was lacking in the skin department. and he also never again saw or felt eyebrows.

serious cosmetic injuries – but structurally he was ok.

AAAAANNNND…

fortunately for mister rick? – what very little brain matter he had – did NOT ooze out of his melted cranium.

that misFits – is both the WHY and the HOW of today’s sometimes hilarious warning labels. pick any item (even your pillow or bike helmet <YEA your bike safety gear has a warning label> )

anyway – pick the item and read the warning. there is a very specific reason FOR that warning – and another brainiac rick to serve as the poster-dummy visual for said warning.