I once shot a man just for snoring.

Gus, I swear - if you didnt exist, theyd have to invent you

Heh.

Buy your kid a toy gun at 11:00 AM and this is what happens at 5:00 PM:

Yeah.





So, I had a Hopalong Cassidy six gun and holster (my eighth birthday) and am probably wearing my cowgirl skirt, made by my mother, in my avatar.
Later I graduated to lime green plastic water pistols. However, I and other members of the Secret Pine Club preferred some squirt bottles used for cosmetic reasons, as they had a longer range....


I'll surprise cjhsa with agreeing that - at least in gunhappy US - that firearm safety should be taught about.

Except in hunting enthusiast regions, I am pretty sorry it needs to be taught, e.g., handguns in urban homes.

Okay here's what happened:

Our neighbor is out of town. He's a wonderful guy but a bit of a paranoid nut. His wife stayed home so the grandkids came to stay with her so she wouldn't be lonely.

Grandkid6 found paranoid Grandpa's handcuffs and wanted to play with them so he snuck them out to the backyard. When nearly caught, he ditched them in the garden. Later, Mo goes over to play with Grandkid6 and Grandkid10, finds the handcuffs and locks himself in.

Grandkids6 and Grandkid10 come over to tell me there is "a little problem".

I call Grandpa's celphone asking where to find the key to the handcuffs.

"There is no freaking key! What do you mean there is no freaking key!?"

Freaking key is on keychain in other state, with Grandpa.

By now I am totally laughing my ass off. I call the sheriff.

They send these two wonderful men out to release my kid and we all laugh behind our hands so Mo doesn't get too awfully mad at us.

Damn.

Thank you all for your reassurance re: toy guns. I can't believe there is not one person who thinks I'm insane for allowing this thing in our home.

I'm quickly discovering that life gets complicated quickly.

Cripes I thought it was a joke. (Can ya tell I'm new around here? Although he did look suspiciously like the kid behind the goggles in the pool picture...) You're never gonna be bored, Boomerang.

I wish!

I dream of boring, Tai Chi. Honestly I do.

I wish it was a joke but you know, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time either. The entire neighborhood showed up for the big release - one neighbor provided bolt cutters to get one side of the handcuffs off. It was a total block party!

Welcome to A2K. I think I'm going to like you.

Thanks for making me feel welcome.
Real life is too funny. I can't look at that photo without snorting.

You could capitalize on this. Those same guys... could come out at some point and talk about real guns and safety... some sort of neighborhood watch thing, somewhat watered down, probably short for this age, and, heh, maybe a talk with the parents as well.

Those are two of the dorkiest looking cops I've ever seen. Take a tip from my wife: Next time, call the Fire Department.

Looks aren't everything.

These cops were so cool and so nice and so funny. I haven't met men I liked so lmuch in a long time. The fact that they were releasing my child from handcuffs didn't hurt and the fact that I'm married didn't help but either one of these "dorks" would make a real catch.

They were fabulous men.

I always thought women were the catty monsters. What is up with the whole "dork" crap, cjhsa?

Meow, baby.

No, she's quite serious.

Osso, if you ever have the opportunity, compare the beat cops to the detectives at your local donut shop.

cjhsa'a wife has a point -- firefighters have to keep incredibly fit. And yeah, I'm married too, but I can dream, and smoulder....

Toy guns don't hurt anybody. Vice Presidents do.

Typical of many to focus on the VP's accident, while forgetting the intentional destruction perpetrated by islamic militant ---heads on 9/11.

I worked my way through college as a bartender at the bar where the fire department hung out.

I used to party with the fire department.

Really party.

Drive down the sidewalk kind of party (Doug, are you out there?)

I learned two things from the fire department:

Never live/stay above the seventh floor of any apartment/hotel because if you do the ladders can't reach you.

And.....

If you have an problem, call the sheriff.

These guys were MEN.

Well, when you can't tell a bird from a person...

Take it outside boys.

This is my thread and I don't need additonal downers today.

Boomer - Thats hilarious that the two events would happen in the same day.

I was squeemish about buying the boys guns. Didn't do it for a long time. Then they started making everything (sticks, vacuum hoses, etc) into weapons.

Youngest (15) loves to paintball. They know the difference. They know it's a competition of skill, not really killing someone. They wouldn't play with a real gun, nor do they think it would be fun to kill someone.

Maybe we don't give them enough credit for knowing whats pretend and what's not.

I wouldn't slam beat cops as stupid based on looks. I suppose some are.
A) people can learn, and B) lots of other folks are stupid in higher places.

In this instance, these guys were super.