Because, 11 is, you know, acceptable.

For anyone that's confused: It's "Maclaren", not "Maclauren".

I've bought my sister 2 of these over the years, a single and a double. We've never had a problem. We don't try to fold/unfold the stroller while the children are touching them. ANY stroller could catch fingers during some part of the folding/unfolding process. I've pinched my fingers in my own Graco stroller several times.

I guess if they're going to replace my sister's strollers with brand new ones, it might be worth it.

as an owner of one of the strollers in this recall (a double stroller for my twins), i'm shocked it took 12 amputations for them to realize something's amiss. i didn't pay $400 for a finger amputator.

'recall' is a misnomer, no? They're not actually recalling or replacing the strollers. They're sending out 2 hinge covers to stores and those who filled out a registration card. They're not taking responsibility for installing the covers, either. And stores are only getting enough so they can install them on their unsold inventory.

@BeyondtheTech:

Well, when you have only a 0.0011% chance of an accident, that's really not too horrible. But good for them for fixing it.

@jaya9581: I was once involved in a similar recall, and the liability has to do with the very specific design of the pinch point. What material is it? How much force can easily be exerted to close the stroller, and what is the resulting torque at the pinch point? And so on...

@BeyondtheTech: Cost-benefit analysis. There's probably a tipping point where the cost of additional lawsuit settlements becomes higher than the cost of recalling a million strollers. Considering the fact that these are all the company's strollers since 1999, either the lawsuits were really expensive or the strollers are really cheap.

@TCama: I take that back. The company isn't replacing the strollers, it's just giving people protective covers for the hinges. So that's a hell of a lot cheaper than a bunch of lawsuits.

I pointed the finger of blame squarely at Maclaren.

Then they cut if off.

A pricey stroller is the equivalent of a mob enforcers with a pair of bolt cutters

Strollers like that are complete waste of money. We bought one for our first child--they are large and unwieldy and we eventually got tired of it. By the time we had our third child, we had gotten a simple folding umbrella stroller and use that all the time. It's light and easy to store.

@zarex42: It is when you're that 0.0011%.

@halcyondays: Aren't those unbelievably easy to tip over though? Also, where did you store your large amounts of baby supplies? I always see parents who have to carry a baby bag, and that gets tedious. Usually, the bag is put in the compartment behind the stroller - what did you do with your stuff if you just used the umbrella stroller?

I wouldn't say they were a waste of time. From my experience, anything that has ample storage space to keep your hands free is a good thing.

Just don't open or close it when the kids are playing with it, and don't let kids play with it to begin with, put it where they can't get to it.

Parents should take responsibility for they own kids when something happens, instead of trying to blame someone else.

Twelve finger amputations? I assume Neigo Montoya is going to be after the victim of this accident.

@dmolavi: i didn't pay $400 for a finger amputator.

apparently you DID though ;-) Consider it an added feature, not a flaw. On the upside, at least it doesn't Julianne fingers...

@jaya9581: They're not replacing the strollers. They're sending plastic hinge covers to stores and to anyone who filled out a registration card.

@B: Inigo Montoya was looking for the six-fingered man, not a man who was missing fingers.

@FatLynn: That's my thought exactly - the difference being being able to pinch your finger, or being able to REMOVE your finger.

@pecan 3.14159265: ... A man who was missing 12 fingers, thus he used to be the six fingered man.

@halcyondays: Our MacLaren stroller is an umbrella stroller, just a nice one. It stores an ample bunch of stuff and is pretty darned lightweight. I can't speak for the doubles, though, since we don't have another kid.

@B: So now he has -6 fingers?

@Colonel Jack O'Neill: I agree, maybe a parent recall is in order since quite a few seem to be defective. The world is and cannot be made safe for a child, that's why we parents exist - to serve and protect.

@dmolavi:

IANA engineer, but I'm pretty sure that just about anything with a folding hinge can be a finger amputator.

@pecan 3.14159265: I suggest looking at the G-Luxe from UPPAbaby. We love ours, as does our 9-month old. We've been using it with him since he was 3 months old. We bought it on the recommendation of the authors of Baby Bargains.

It's very lightweight, has real rubber tires and a mesh cargo basket that holds a loaded diaper bag.

The best part? It cost all of $120, and should last him until he's 40lbs.

IMHO, Maclaren and Bugaboo are ludicrously overpriced.

This would be a great stroller for mobsters who are heavy into extortion and loan sharking.

Just another reason, why I'm near 30 and am in no rush to have kids. I need all my digits!

@dmolavi: You got ripped off. There must be plenty of do-it-yourself finger amputators available online for free (with parts costing perhaps $10).

@sharkd: Maclarens are a sixth of the price of Bugaboos. Sure not $20 or free with purchase from BRU but it's hard to lump the two brands together.

I've owned two so far. Love them. But now Maclaren's site is down.

Just send some twist ties out to the customers. Worked for Toyota.

@sleze69: you can actually make one at home with $8 kitchen scissors.

@neega: Oue Maclaren was $135. and sounds a lot like the one sharkd mentioned. But we can dice carrots with ours! Definately worth the extra fifteen bucks.

@B: But a normal person has 10 fingers. The six-fingered man had an extra finger only on one hand. So he had 11 fingers total.

@B: stop saying that!

mashup: the Slap-Chop stroller!

@The Porkchop Express:

Cigar slicer + heavy object. :)

@halcyondays: We got the Jeep 3-wheel (lock, unlock front wheel) one for our youngster from day one. We're very outdoorsy anyway. We installed some bicycle head lights for nighttime use. We've taken it on hikes in the woods, down dirtbike trails, through streams, all around grassy parks, miles and miles all over Savannah city, and we like to take it to the flea markets, because the load capacity is very large. We've used it so much, the tires have lost most of their treads. Still solid as a rock, and we'll be sad to see it go to yard sale soon, as the little one is outgrowing it.

Unbelieveable that there were 12 amputations! I do see a lot of these around. Considering the prices of these strollers and this is what the consumer gets. Never had any interest in owning a Maclaren mostly because of the price. The umbrella stroller I have was $39 on Amazon.

if you have 12 fingers, a few amputations would be acceptable. but no more than 2.

@pecan 3.14159265: Depends on the amount of crap you lug around. I find I very rarely need the diaper bag ... I have a big purse (and it's NOT A MOM PURSE, I REFUSE TO GIVE IN!) that will fit a diaper, travel wipes, burp cloth, and pacifier, and that takes us most everywhere we need to go. (I leave the full diaper bag in the car so I have it if needed, but rarely needed so far.) When we go on "outings," usually I'm with my husband so one of us carries the baby, the other one carries the crap.

I do like my (Graco) stroller for the farmer's market and for walking to and from the stores I can get to on foot from my house ... I just stash the bags underneath and off we go. It does take up a buttload of space in the trunk of the car, though, if I'm taking it with me somewhere.

If you're on a day-long outing, you definitely want a full diaper bag, and probably a more serious baby toting system. If you're running errands or something, less can be more.

Also, the cats can sleep in the Graco, but they collapse the umbrella stroller when they try that. :P

IlostmythumbsinastrolleraccidentsonowIcan'tusethespacebar.

I've got an infant son, but I was unfamiliar with Maclaren. Then I read the article and stumbled upon this blurb:
Maclaren - maker of the pricey British strollers ubiquitous at playgrounds and on sidewalks across the city...

Silly me. I just go with Consumer Reports. Oh, whaddaya know? 5 strollers are rated and higher and are significantly cheaper than a Maclaren model.

@lehrdude:
I guess it's only funny if I don't get cut off...

I heard they were going to sell off that line of strollers to The Martha Stewart Collection. Supposedly goes well with their lawnchairs that do the same thing for adults, too.

@B: Maclaren knew something was amiss when they heard that all the accidental amputations came from the same person.

@ExtraCelestial: Yeah, it sucks, but going aggressively after things with extremely minuscule risks only makes sense from a PR standpoint, not a "reality" one.

Maclaren's site is down, way down, not just the recall page. Oops. I'll have the little guy wear a mesh cutting glove in the meantime.

I love how this has also turned into a fine opportunity for people to bash the stroller itself, like people who pay a "high price" for a stroller deserve their child losing a finger? Bizarre...

as Alton Brown would like to say...
"it's a multi-tasker"

@BeyondtheTech: "Like father, like son? Think about it, won't you?"