Today’s question is: why do some consumer products have obvious warning labels?

Background: I understand why products have warnings, I really do. I get that without the warning label they could be liable if someone actually did the very thing the warning label says not to do. Not that some people still don’t find them liable even with the warning label.

Let’s talk about some of the most ridiculous ones here.

Hair Dryer: it warns not to drop the dryer while plugged in, into a bath tub with a child in it. Electric Shock would be the result. Does anyone really not know this? Can you imagine someone actually dropping a hair dryer into a loaded bathtub? I simply can not.

Shredder: it warns not to insert your tie (while around your neck) into the shredder. It warns not to let your pony tail into the shredder. Can you imagine someone doing either of these things?

The list could go on and on.

I wonder though without these obvious warnings do people (litigious) actually sew and argue that they weren’t warned not do do the obvious act? Like the person that gets choked when their tie goes into the shredder, does he say, “well nowhere did it say not to allow your tie in the shredder”.

Who wouldn’t know that it could choke you?

My dad once owned a convenience store. As most store owners would do, he shoveled the snow when he needed to to keep the walkways clear. One day someone slipped on his shoveled walk. Apparently, without warning, this person didn’t realize that you could slip on a shoveled walk. He decided to sew my dad for slipping on the walk in front of his store. Makes me wonder if he had a big old sign that stated DO NOT WALK ON ICE, would he have avoided the lawsuit?

Do people really need this kind of warning to take responsibility for their own actions?

Sadly, I think so.

Can you think of any good warnings? Anything restating the obvious?