Since there have been no reports of injuries, I don't feel bad about pointing out the irony of this.
9,600 toy guns from Dollar General have been recalled because the orange safety tip can come off and pose a choking hazard.
Adding to the irony is that the toy gun models are ones patterned after Special Forces and police models.
As David Codrea reminds us, many hoplophobes and gun-haters think that the police and military are "the only ones" who should have guns. How's that working out, anyway...?
For the sake of safety, the entire recall is reproduced below:
NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 3, 2010 Release # 10-132
Dollar General Recalls Toy Guns Due to Choking Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Special Forces and Police SWAT Toy Gun Sets
Units: About 9,600
Retailer: Dollar General, of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
Importer: Dolgencorp LLC, of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
Hazard: The orange tips located at the end of the toy guns' barrels, which are designed to distinguish them from real guns, can easily be removed from the barrels, posing a choking hazard to children.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: This recall includes a Special Forces Weapons and Accessories Set and a SWAT Police Play Equipment Set. Each set includes two toy guns and related accessories. The number 48JQH09 is printed on the right side of the larger gun included in the recalled sets.
Sold at: Dollar General stores in 35 states from September 2009 through October 2009 for about $5.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy guns away from children and return them to any Dollar General for a full refund or a replacement product.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dollar General Corp. at (800) 678-9258 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.dollargeneral.com
Getaway Glitch Montgomery, Ala., cab driver Teddy Lawly likes to listen to a police scanner radio on the job. “I write down the description of suspects, because I ride all over town and I’m on the lookout for them,” he says. Just after he heard a broadcast about a nearby drug store robbery, a man jumped in his cab. “I knew who he was,” Lawly said later. “There were two patrol cars within about 20 feet of me, so I was never scared.” Lawly pulled up to the cops and told them he had their suspect, and Kevin Bradley Nelson, 35, was arrested. In addition to robbery, Nelson was charged with escape from Autauga Metro Jail, where he was serving time for multiple traffic violations. He only had one day left on his sentence there. (Montgomery Advertiser) ...Multiple traffic violations? Now we know why he had to take a cab. Available in This is True: Book Collection Vol. 11