The awful truth about Lawn Darts

[Wickerman]

Lately there has been a lot of discussion about Lawn Darts, Jarts, YarDarts, and the like.

Perhaps its time that we have one of our unhealthy, dysfunctional family get togethers and discuss the reality and dangers of the Lawn Dart.

First, the facts:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml88/88109.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 1988
Release # 88-109


Franklin Sports Industries, Inc. Recalls All Of Its Lawn Darts
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Franklin Sports Industries, Inc. of Stoughton, Massachusetts, is the first company to voluntarily recall its yard dart sets because the blunt metal tips may pose a risk of injury, especially to children.

The Franklin yard darts were sold separately as Model #3210 Yard Dart Set and as part of combination sets as Model #3283 Three Game Combination Set, Model #3284 Three Game Combination Set and Model #3287 Five Game Combination Set.

Each of these sets contained four yard darts, 12 1/2 inches long with a 1 3/4 inch blunt metal tip. Each dart has one aerodynamic fin with three wings.

Consumers that have these yard darts should stop using the darts immediately and return just the four darts directly to: Yard Dart Recall, Franklin Sports Industries, 17 Campanelli Parkway, Stoughton, MA 02072.

Consumers will receive $5.00 directly from Franklin Sports Industries, Inc. for the return of the four yard darts. To identify yard darts made by Franklin, consumers should check for the permanently embossed FRANKLIN logo and the warning "ADULT GAME NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN'S USE" which appears on two of the wings. Only yard darts with both identifying marks should be returned.

Consumers requiring additional information may call Franklin sports at 1-860-225-8679; Massachusetts residents should call 1-617-344-1111.

---

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/mp30/lawndarts.html
In the 1980s, Lawn Darts was a popular game. In some cases, it was a deadly game. The US government considered them dangerous and pulled them off the shelves. They were banned after one man tirelessly lobbied politicians following the death of his daughter.

David Snow's seven-year-old daughter was playing alone in her front yard in 1987. Some other children on another property were playing with a set of lawn darts. Someone threw a dart too hard. It went over the fence and pierced the girl's skull. She died from her injuries three days later.

For six weeks, Snow was overcome with grief. Then he got angry. He quit his job and started a one-man campaign to have the toys banned. He spoke to politicians, and appeared before the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the United States. The commission told him that with only two dozen injuries from lawn darts, a ban wouldn't be likely. Snow suggested they check their figures again. Over a 10-year period, 6,700 people in the U.S. were treated in hospital for injuries from lawn darts. 75 per cent of those were children. Three of the children died. CPSC research showed that a lawn dart thrown a short distance lands with a force of 23,000 pounds per square inch.
--snip--


Here is an excellent article on Lawn Darts
http://home.att.net/~planetgarp/jarts.html

--snip--
Not only did I play the game as I kid, but not to long ago I bought a set of the darts. The picture above is the set that I currently own. It is a little more rare than some you might find since it shows kids playing the game on the box front. I tried to sell them on ebay and the price hit the near $100 mark when the ebay police stopped my auction. Assholes. You can buy swords, stun guns and chinese throwing stars on eBay, but it's a big no-no to sell yard darts. So I decided to defy the law and see if I could really be arrested for playing yard darts.

I tested my local police force by playing yard darts in my front yard. I relived my childhood moments where we used to toss them as high in the sky as possible and avoid them as they crashed to Earth. Nothing. No police. So played a few beer induced rounds, impaling the darts in a tree, a fence, the side of my house and a neighbors car. Nothing. A cop drove by and waved. He could have at least got me for public intoxication. Finally, as a journalist, I knew what I had to do - I called the police and told them I was playing yard darts and that it was illegal and they could arrest me if they wanted to. The dispatcher lady just said, "Ok, Honey, we'll send someone over". Nothing. It has been over a month now and nothing. So, if you want some yard darts, I say buy them and play. Apparently the laws aren't enforced. Have fun and try not to make a dog-kabob out of the family mutt.


Here area a couple lame "legal" versions:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. Someone should create a version

Where you just whip samurai swords at a target. I would buy that game immediately.

[FeebMaster]

2. Maybe this will hold you over

until the sword game comes out.

http://jsquared.faithweb.com/FLD/

[slackmaster]

3. We had a set of Jarts back in about 1968

They were kind of fun, but our yard wasn't big enough to make much of a game of them.

I had a much more fun kind of dart that fired caps when it hit something hard. Naturally I "pushed the envelope" by loading it with multiple caps and other potentially exploding items.

[Reverend_Smitty]

4. Ahhh lawn darts the most dangerous game...ever!

They always reminded me of the old SNL skit where Dan Ackroyd would play the sleazy dangerous toy maker. The Johnny Adventure Action Set which included a real M-16...lol

[slackmaster]

6. I've always thought that distinction belonged to Russian Roulette

Especially when played with a semiautomatic pistol.

:evilgrin:

[Wickerman]

7. The same man who would've brought you the easy bake oven

the old kind, that you could burn the crap out of yourself AND burn down the house. That is, he would've, had it not already been invented and on the market?

[benburch]

5. Check the history of the Dart

It was a weapon of war, originally. It could fall with enough force to pierce a helmet and the skull it protected. But, bow and arrow sets are a similar toy made from a weapon of war...

[FeebMaster]

8. They were even used in a murder.

http://www.jarts.com/media.htm

I still support removing the ban. Three non-gang related deaths in ten years and 670 injuries a year? It's unfortunate that people get hurt and sometimes die, but we're talking about Lawn Darts here.

[Wickerman]

9. Indeed

What fun is a kids game if you can't die playing it?

[Reverend_Smitty]

10. It's all fun and games...

"Its all fun and games until someone loses an eye"

:crazy:

[FeebMaster]

11. Then it's just fun. (nt)

[Reverend_Smitty]

12. lol, true

n/t

[TexasMexican]

13. then its just a game.

find the eye.

[MrSandman]

14. Let's not use these standards for bicycles

Bicycle Injuries, 1991 to 2002
Fatal Injuries
California Residents


<1 1-4 5-12 13-15 16-20 21-44 45-64 65+ Total
1991 0 3 22 5 9 55 25 19 138
1992 0 1 25 8 14 54 26 10 138
1993 0 4 23 10 4 67 27 20 155
1994 0 2 20 8 16 49 27 15 137
1995 0 2 16 11 9 73 31 18 160
1996 0 2 16 8 12 52 32 17 139
1997 0 2 16 5 12 58 27 15 135
1998 0 1 9 6 7 42 37 12 114
1999 0 1 9 3 10 50 27 15 115
2000 0 0 16 6 7 30 34 23 116
2001 0 0 11 4 8 44 34 20 121
2002 0 2 11 7 5 43 46 17 131
Total 0 20 194 81 113 617 373 201 1,599

http://www.applications.dhs.ca.gov/epicdata/scripts/broker.exe?_SERVICE=Pool2&_PROGRAM=programs.bicycle.sas®ION0=XXX&ANALYSIS1=E®ION=California&OUTPUT=HTML

In one state!!!

[Lefty48197]

15. I have the solution to the lawn darts danger: Only include ONE target ring

That way, everybody will stand together, and toss towards one target. You can teach the kids to stay the hell away from the ring, when others are tossing. Including two rings in the box encourages stuff like the "Toss um" box photo.