Balloon Injures Two at N.Y. Parade

[Omaha Steve]

Balloon Injures Two at N.Y. Parade
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Nov 24, 12:24 PM (ET)

By DAVID CARUSO

NEW YORK (AP) - Two spectators were injured by a balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, police said Thursday.

The circumstances and the extent of the injuries were not immediately known, said Detective Mindy Diaz of the New York Police Department.

In 1997, a spectator was severely injured by a wayward balloon on a windy Thanksgiving. Officials then set guidelines that would limit the use of balloons if wind threatened to be too strong.

Parade organizers were given the go-ahead to use the balloons this year, and it was not immediately clear if wind played a factor in the accident.

The accident occurred at 11:30 a.m. at West 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20051124/D8E2VESO0.html

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On the Net:

http://www.macysparade.com

[mcscajun]

1. And this just after two stories in the Times on training for handlers

no longer as rigorous as immediately after the 1997 incident.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/23/nyregion/23balloon.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/24/nyregion/24balloons.html

They also printed the flyer given to new handlers. big whoop.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/nyregion/20051123_BALLOON2.pdf

Wind absolutely played a factor, and check that photo carefully: you can see the tall street lamp on the right -- one lamp is missing, and that's what struck bystanders. It's not a small lamp, either.

[johnfunk]

2. It'$ all about commerce, $afety of the public be damned!

Yep, it's the new highlight of the Macy'$ Thank$commerce Day Parade: the requisite balloon "accident", this time at 44th & Broadway, where a large balloon hit a light pole and that falling pole injured two kids who had come down from Albany with their parents to witness all the corporate family fun.

The balloon in question was an M&Ms balloon -- I know that candy isn't good for your health, but this is ridiculous.

[uppityperson]

3. Declare War on the Balloons! Terror in the streets!

Just look at the colors on that balloon. No red, white, or blue beyond that pastel bit at the base. Look at The Flag flying proudly on the right side of the picture, the balloon couldn't take It down. No way.

War on them uppity balloons!

[amitten]

4. These balloons seem to have some kind of blood lust.

Seriously! Someone gets hurt every year!

[Ian David]

5. I was hoping Spongebob nailed Dobson! n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

6. Spongebob landing on Dobson would

prove the existence of God.
;)

[Hyernel]

7. HA HA!

:bounce:
:bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::evilgrin::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce:
:bounce:

[pimpbot]

8. Technically the balloon didnt hurt anyone, the street lamp did

when it cracked off the support and fell 10 or so feet.

Not sure if they can remove those lights or not. You think they'd try to install easy to release lights along the parade route, so they could take them down during parade events. Couldn't cost anymore than the lawsuits they are bound to get from the people injured.

[adriennui]

9. i smell lawsuit

even though (thank goodness) the injuries were minor.

[daleo]

10. Didn't the Joker do something like this in a Batman movie?

And where exactly was Pickles today?