Fishing lure which warns, "Harmful if swallowed," catches one of the top awards
A five-inch fishing lure which sports three steel hooks and cautions users that it is, "Harmful if swallowed," has been identified as one of the nation's wackiest warning labels in an annual contest sponsored by a consumer watchdog group.
GRAND PRIZE The $500 grand prize for the wackiest label was awarded to Robert Brocone of Euclid, Ohio for a warning he found on a bottle of drain cleaner which says: "If you do not understand, or cannot read, all directions, cautions and warnings, do not use this product." Brocone also wins a copy of the book, "The Death of Common Sense," by Philip K. Howard, chairman of the legal reform group, Common Good.
And, for the first time, the winner of the top prize receives a special edition wacky warning label coffee mug produced by the Common Good coalition. A recent Newsweek magazine cover story reported on Common Good's campaign to focus national attention on the impact legal fear is having in our society.
OTHER WINNERS.
The $250 second place award went for a label on a snow sled which says: "Beware: sled may develop high speed under certain snow conditions."
Third place: purchased a 12-inch-high storage rack for compact disks which warns: "Do not use as a ladder."
Fourth place, as mentioned above, went to the fishing lure, and
Fifth place goes to a smoke detector which warns: "Do not use the Silence Feature in emergency situations. It will not extinguish a fire,"
Past winners :
A warning on an electric router made for carpenters cautions: “This product not intended for use as a dental drill.”
A warning label found on a baby stroller cautions the user to “Remove child before folding”
A prescription of sleeping pills says, “Warning: May cause drowsiness
A sticker on a toilet at a public facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan actually warns: “Recycled flush water unsafe for drinking.”
A massage chair warns: "DO NOT use massage chair without clothing... and, Never force any body part into the backrest area while the rollers are moving."
A snowblower warns: "Do not use snowthrower on roof.²"
A dishwasher carries this warning: "Do not allow children to play in the dishwasher."
A CD player carries this unusual warning: “Do not use the Ultradisc2000 as a projectile in a catapult.”
An “Aim-n-Flame” fireplace lighter cautions, “Do not use near fire, flame or sparks”
A label on a hand-held massager advises consumers not to use “while sleeping or unconscious”
A container of underarm deodorant says, “Caution: Do not spray in eyes”
A cartridge for a laser printer warns, “Do not eat toner”
A household iron warns users: “Never iron clothes while they are being worn”
A label with a hair dryer reads, “Never use hair dryer while sleeping”
A 13-inch wheel on a wheelbarrow warns: “Not intended for highway use”
A cardboard car sunshield that keeps sun off the dashboard warns, “Do not drive with sunshield in place”
A Bathroom Heater says: “This product is not to be used in bathrooms”
A can of self-defense pepper spray warns users: “May irritate eyes”
A warning on a pair of shin guards manufactured for bicyclists says: “Shin pads cannot protect any part of the body they do not cover.”
A popular manufactured fireplace log warns: “Caution - Risk of Fire”
A box of birthday cake candles says: “DO NOT use soft wax as ear plugs or for any other function that involves insertion into a body cavity.”
