McFreedom

So, the "worst toys" of 2004 list is out. This is supposed to highlight the 10 "most dangerous" toys of 2004. Obviously toy safety is coming along nicely if this is the best they can do.

Toy	Bogus?	Hazard	Comments
Pocket Rocket Miniature Motorcycle	Semi-Legit	Could Get Hurt	Alright, this isn't much more dangerous than a go cart. But it's the type of toy that, with adult supervision off the street, could be pretty fun without much more risk of serious injury than a bicycle. It doesn't go any faster than a bike, and it's lower to the ground. The real danger is that parents are going to let their kids out on the streets with these, where they're going to be too low to the ground to be seen by drivers, and get hit. And, since this one's electric, there's not even the annoying two-stroke whine to alert automobile drivers. In my mind, though, we need to regulate their use on the streets, not declare the whole class unsafe for any age.
Imaginarium Police Car Building Blocks	Bogus	Choking Hazard	The complaint is that it's marketed for children "as young as a year old," yet contains four dowels that are "1/2 inch in diameter" and "3 inches" long. Unless your one year old is a budding sword swallower, I don't think you'll have too much trouble clearing one of these out if he tries to swallow it. For that matter, neither will he - three inches is quite long enough to grab onto.
Dress Me Paz	Legit	Choking Hazard	There's a button sewed on Paz's backpack that could come off. Since the toy is either for "Ages 18 months and up!" or "all ages" (depending on which part of packaging you read), that's a real hazard. Young kids' toys shouldn't have buttons on them.
Megabuster Battle Weapon	Bogus	Un-PC	"POTENTIAL FOR IMPACT INJURIES!" is W.A.T.C.H.'s assessment. Yup, that's right - it's a toy sword, and you could hit someone with it. Which makes it more dangerous than any other toy sword, apparently.
Fun Slides Carpet Skates	Bogus	Could actually be fun	This product mimics sliding on hardwood floors, but on carpet. I'm kinda curious how this works, but the nannies (or ninnies) at W.A.T.C.H. are just worried that you'll slip and fall. My assessment is that it's every bit as dangerous as rollerskates, but on carpet instead of asphalt. Are they going to recall socks, next, for kids who actually do have hardwood floors?
Air Burst Rockets	Bogus	Could Get Hurt	Unlike most of these, this toy actually has some potential to be actually dangerous. It's an air-powered "rocket," and if you pumped it up a lot and aimed it at someone, they could get seriously injured. Which is why the age recommendation on the package is "For ages 10 and up with adult supervision." Following the recommendation on the package, though, is probably going to lead to a lot of safe fun. We can't outlaw any toy that anyone conceivably might misuse in a way that will cause injury.
38" Playtime Trampoline	Bogus	Could actually be fun	"The many hazards associated with trampoline use make it apparent that such equipment should not be sold as a 'playtime' activity for young children." Yup, that's right. It's a trampoline, and if you jump on it, you might fall off. They go on to note, "Incredibly, the packaging promotes the trampoline as...'Great for indoor and outdoor play!', yet a warning on the package insert states: 'For Indoor Use ONLY.'" I agree that's incredible - this thing seems much more dangerous inside, where you could hit something when you fall off. Seems like an outdoor toy to me...
Happy Birthday Bear	Semi-Legit	Choking Hazard	These "Happy Birthday Bears" are not sold with a "3+" warning, but come with little birthday packages that aren't well attached and provide a choking hazard. But I'm pretty sure if they were conspicuously marked as not for young children, they'd be fine.
Parents Magazine Mirror Pound-A-Ball	Bogus	Choking Hazard	The mallet included is slender enough a kid could try to swallow it. But it's 5 inches long and has a hammer head on the other end. Again, this isn't going to be too hard to get out. There's a reason the Federal toy safety guidelines don't rule out this sort of thing - because it isn't much of a hazard!
Gun Squad Set - Uz-1 Commando Machine Gun	Bogus!	Un-PC	The hazard is "REALISTIC TOY WEAPONRY!" Yup, that's right - it's a toy gun, and it looks like a gun! And, as we all know, "In today's world, there is no excuse for outfitting children with realistic toy weapons designed to produce dangerous and unnecessary thrills."

Of these ten, two of them are legitimate choking hazard. Two of them are for older kids and could be dangerous if they're misused. The rest of them are either toys that the people behind W.A.T.C.H. don't like, because they could be used for forms of play they disapprove of, or have trumped up risks that mostly invite the scrapes and bruises that come with any normal childhood. While the lessons about listening to overprotective nannies are obvious, I think there's also a lesson about the risk of doing a "top ten most" list on an annual basis (of any type). They had 2, maybe 3 or 4 toys this year that were so dangerous people really needed to be made aware of them. The rest of these are simply either cheap political points-scoring, or padding. But, of course, if six of your "10 Worst" aren't that bad, you become the boy who cried wolf.