I came across this report on Gizmodo today. The story is about one of those new robotic lawnmowers being recalled, detailed in the following excerpt:
Apparently, one of the owners lifted the mower from the ground while it was still on and “suffered minor lacerations from the moving blade.” Yet another case of stupid humans trying to win the Darwin Award. Fortunately for him, nothing serious happened, but the US CPSC and the company have decided to recall models LB2000, LB2100, LB3000, and LB3200 because “the cutting blades continue to rotate when the mower is lifted from the ground and the spacing on the side of the lawn mower could allow room for a consumer’s foot to go beyond the shield and be struck by the blade” which “pose a serious laceration hazard to
stupid lawn bozosconsumers.”
Now…I’m all for product safety, but this is just plain stupid. Anyone who is moronic enough to grab and lift a running lawnmower, robotic or otherwise, and not expect to get hurt, deserves exactly what they get. I’ve been equally stupid at times: burning myself by grabbing the metal of a hot pan fresh from the stove while intent on removing its handle springs to mind. But I don’t expect the manufacturer of said pot to recall it because I am a fricking idiot.
But apparently, in our modern moron-coddling idiocracy, protecting us from our own increasing stupidity is an absolute necessity. I really feel sorry for the manufacturer of the lawn mowing robot. They shouldn’t feel compelled to recall something for behaving reasonably. Now, if the robot spun its blade up to 5,000 RPM and spat it out at the person picking it up… that might warrant a recall.