The Wussification of America
From the Arizona Republic, presented without comment:
Phoenix fire vehicles, including some hazardous-materials units,
responded to a small mercury spill at Mountain Pointe High School
Tuesday afternoon. No one "complained of medical problems" or was
transported to a hospital, said Mark Faulkner, Phoenix Fire Department
division chief for the public affairs.At about 1:30 p.m. a call came to the Fire Department about a
"dime-size spill of mercury" on the campus at 4201 E. Knox Road in
Ahwatukee Foothills, Faulkner said.The mercury was in a science laboratory but how it spilled is unknown.
It could have been part of an experiment or possibly a thermometer
cracked, Faulkner said.
When I were a kid. we was playing wit da mercury in these hands here and I turnd out good!
Seriously though, I used to break old thermometers so that I could play with the mercury. The only need for the fire department was to cool off by butt after being spanked for breaking thermometers. :)
Me too; I remember in chemistry class we got to play with small beakerfulls of mercury. I remember sticking my finger into it to see what it felt like.
Still alive at 50...
Oh teh noes!!!!!
One of my dad's favorite stories is how when he used to go to the dentist as a kid, the dentist would give him a little dish of mercury to play with to keep him distracted. He said he would usually end up spilling it on himself :)
The kids were in more danger from the exhaust emissions of the fire trucks than they were from the mercury.
"No one complainted of medical problems." -- That comment cracked me up. It takes years for organic mercury poisoning to cause symptoms. Metallic mercury isn't toxic unless you warm it and breath the vapors.
Dr. T you beat me to it. I was going to say the only way this would be dangerous is if one of the kids licked it off the floor.