Watch that Finger!

I am sure every parent out there has heard of the Maclaren Stroller recall. Supposedly, if you young one (or mother in law, as reported in the Brian Lehrer show on UNYC, the local NPR station here!) gets his/her fingers into the folding hinge, s/he could get a digit amputated. Twelve cases of finger amputation were reported to Maclaren in the past 10 years, therefore they are doing a voluntary recall on over ONE MILLION strollers. Unfortunately, you don't get a new one, just some fabric thingies to put over your stroller hinges to prevent finger mutilation.

A couple of things cracked me up about this recall:

ONE: The declaration to immediately cease use of your Maclaren until you got your fabric thingies. Pul-ease....As if anyone in NYC with kids can go without their strollers for a single day. Granted, we have FOUR strollers (jog stroller, double stroller, traditional Maclaren, and Maclaren for infant car seat) which seems kinda sick, but keep in mind that they are our main form of transportation here for kids. That just made me laugh.

TWO: The loss of finger digits. I guess it's really no laughing matter, but it reminded me of my dad. When I was in elementary school, my dad, a librarian at the CIA, got ink poisoning in his middle finger of his right hand. One of the complications of diabetes is that you have poor circulation to your hands/feet, therefore this paper cut, ink poisoning situation could not and would not heal. Eventually, he had to have the top digit of his middle finger amputated.

While the loss of a digit is not funny, my dad loved to put his amputated middle finger up to his nostril in public, making it look like he had the entire thing shoved up his nose, to embarrass me and my sister. We'd scream and giggle at him and his antics, and he'd laugh at our humiliation. One of my favorite memories of my father.

Thanks, Maclaren recall, for sparking that memory of mine.