A Vietnam Airlines flight was grounded for more than 4 hours while flight crews searched for an escaped pet mouse that had been spotted by a passenger. It is suspected to have been smuggled aboard by its owner, who has not been identified.The mouse was eventually found in the airplane’s food compartment.
safety
Walmart Pulls Tainted Pet Food By Day, Restocks It By Night
By 4.7.07
Walmart is recalling tainted pet food during the day, only to restock it again at night. This egregious display of corporate ineptitude was detailed to The News & Observer by Walmart merchandise supervisor, Johnnie Walker.
Walker said he had removed the products earlier in the week, but clerks restocked the shelves overnight, unaware that the pet food had been recalled. “At night they didn’t know better,” Walker said. “It’s just confusing.”
Though the pet food recall has expanded to over 100 brands, Walmart has been unable to implement a recall strategy that extends beyond blocking the purchase of tainted items at the register. If your pet wants food, consider shopping somewhere other than Walmart. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
TSA Misses 90% of Bombs At Denver Airport
By 4.2.07
Sources told 9NEWS the Red Team was able to sneak about 90 percent of simulated weapons past checkpoint screeners in Denver. In the baggage area, screeners caught one explosive device that was packed in a suitcase. However later, screeners in the baggage area missed a book bomb, according to sources.
Pizza Hut: Wear Your Seatbelt, Get Free Pizza
By 4.2.07
Here’s another one for the “Book It!” haters, Pizza Hut is giving away free pizza to Ohio High School kids if they’re seen wearing their seatbelts during Ohio’s “Buckle Up for a Successful Season” campaign.
Target Bikes Recalled For "Frame Failure"
By 3.29.07
If something is going to fail on our bike, the frame isn’t our first choice. The CSPC has issued a recall of two bikes, sold exclusively at Target for about $100. Triax PK7 and Vertical PK7 Bicycles have a frame that can crack “while in use, causing the rider to lose control and suffer injuries from a fall or collision.”
Woman Hospitalized After Eating Single Bite Of Tainted Dog Food
By 3.26.07
Elaine Larabie said Saturday she ate some dog food last week in an effort to convince her terrier, Missy, to do the same. Soon afterwards, both Larabie and Missy found themselves in hospital — Larabie at an after-hours emergency room, and Missy at Ottawa’s Alta Vista Animal Hospital.
Exploding Batteries On A Plane: Recent In-Flight Fires Prompt Warnings About Loose Batteries
By 3.26.07
After one fire broke out in a overhead compartment on a JetBlue flight and another on an American Airlines aircraft flying from Argentina, the Department of Transportation has issued a warning to passengers traveling with loose batteries. The batteries in question are the type that power laptops, camcorders, and other “rechargeable” devices. If not stored properly the batteries can overheat and ignite.
Walmart's Ailing Recall System
By 3.24.07
Walmart watcher “Behind the Counter” has identified the weakness in the retailer’s notoriously ineffective recall system. [More]
Salmonella From Illegal Cheese Strikes Chicagoland
By 3.24.07
Kane County health officials said Thursday that cheese may be causing a salmonella outbreak that has made at least 20 people sick.
Woman Buys $1,000 In Tainted Pet Food At Walmart
By 3.23.07
A woman said she was so worried about reports of tainted pet food she spent more than $1,000 buying all the product she could find at her local Wal-Mart. Margaret Trask said she filled a shopping cart full of canned pet food made by Canadian company Menu Foods at the Beaufort Wal-Mart after hearing about the recall Friday.
Here's A Great Idea: Non-Childproof Lighters That Look Like Toys
By 3.22.07
Reader “homer simpson” found these lighters at a Fred’s Super Dollar Store in his home state of Mississippi. The lighters are not childproof and are displayed next to the check out counter where kids can reach them. What a great idea. “homer simpson” writes:Every time i go there my 3 yr.
Recalled Pet Food Still On Walmart Shelves
By 3.21.07
We found over three shelves full of Ol’ Roy, one of the recalled brands.
Prevent Your Dryer From Catching Fire
By 3.17.07
Krunk4Ever! says that if you use dryer sheets you can extend the life of your dryer and prevent it from catching fire by washing the lint filter with hot soapy water and a brush once every six months.
NYC Health Department Closes 'Hip' Union Square 'Coffee Shop'
By 3.13.07
Yesterday, would-be Coffee Shop diners were shocked to see their neighborhood hotspot shuttered. “I wasn’t surprised about Taco Bell, but this?” a regular patron, Ursula Pilter, 34, said. “It’s such a hip place. I just can’t believe it.”
Oh, no! Not ‘hip’ restaurants! You mean rats don’t know they’re not cool enough to hang out at the Coffee Shop? —MEGHANN MARCO
Fisher-Price Fined $975,000 for Failing to Report a Serious Choking Hazard With A Popular Toy
By 3.5.07
Over the next two months, Fisher-Price received nine additional reports, including one case of a child placing the nail fastener in her mouth.
FDA to Review Children's Cold Remedies
By 3.2.07
The agency has for decades promised to review systematically the safety of all old drugs, but for a variety of reasons like budgetary constraints, time and popularity of a particular drug has not done so.
We, like the reader who sent this story in, find it troubling that “popularity” is a factor in deciding whether or not to review the safety of a drug. The New York Times doesn’t explain in detail what is meant by this quote, but we’re hard pressed to think of any explanations that would make us say, “Wow, that’s really awesome.”
Michael Baroody Gets CPSC Nomination Nod, White House Confirms
By 3.1.07
The White House broke its press blackout and confirmed that Bush intends to nominate Michael Baroody for chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, WSJ online reported today at 5:20 pm.
