Well, that’s what the Stirland family wants to do, after their son Ben choked to death on one. He died after swallowing it while doing homework.
“What Ben was doing that day, chewing his pen, is what thousands of people do every day.”
“Our initial and main aim is to get the pen lids banned.”
“Our biggest concern is that the safety air hole and the clip, which you clip on to your jumper, acted almost like a fish hook and was difficult to remove from his throat.”
Moorside Community Technology College, the school Ben had attended, has already banned pen caps. So far the family has approached several organizations in England, such as the British Standards Institute and the Writing Instruments Association, in an attempt to stop the production of pens with plastic caps.
Okay, some advice to any parents reading this who have kids stupid or absent minded enough to swallow a pen cap: buy your kid some chewing gum. Or a pencil. Either one works, really.
I mean, I know it isn’t uncommon for people to scapegoat like this, but it seems a little over the top. I’m sympathetic about the loss of their son, but it was just a freak accident.
Besides, pen caps keep pens from leaking or drying out, as well as protecting the tip so you don’t accidentally stab yourself or someone else. I imagine if pens had no caps there would be lawsuits about people stabbed accidentally with ball point pens, and no one wants that.
EDIT: I should mention the son’s age. He was 13.
14 Comments
This child represents natural selection at it’s finest. The kid who swallows the most marbles shouldn’t grow up to have children of his own.
You can choke on all small things. We can’t just ban small things.
Myself and all the scluptors I know that work with clay ALL use pen caps for the fine detail. And somehow, we manage to keep them out of our mouths and throats.
At least the kid didn’t die while jerking off.
Just about any object is a potential hazard to children and adults as well. Common sense must prevail. Or, you are correct, thousands of frivolous lawsuits will erupt bogging down an already over burdened legal system in the states and abroad.
Ahh, or maybe he hadn’t started yet! Ban difficult to open pants so our sons and brothers won’t die in pen cap related autoerotic fatalities.
Man, I love capped pens. I’d never chew on them — I think that’s kinda nasty (definitely not a substitute for gum!) — but the ban is just silly. Pen caps are not inherently lethal; they’re just small, and it’s a bad idea to put anything small that you cannot chew in your mouth because if, oops, you happen to swallow it, you can either be lucky and poop it out or unlucky and have it lodge in your windpipe. I really do agree with “Anonymous” — this is a sad case of natural selection at work.
I think the parents are in denial that it’s their own fault their kid died. I mean, they should have worked out these kind of bad habits on their kid at an early age.
His parents just don’t want to admit that their kid fails.
That’s just RETARDED,
how about they ban anything smaller than a thumb while they’re at it, electricity even.
My 2 year old had a pen in his mouth I grabbed it and pen cap was still on….he swallowed the cap. I am extremely worried because this 13 year old died 2 days after. I took my son to hospital and the doctor said he will pass it through his stool I am so scared right now.!!!!
My 2 year old had a pen in his mouth I grabbed it and pen cap was still on….he swallowed the cap. I am extremely worried because this 13 year old died 2 days after. I took my son to hospital and the doctor said he will pass it through his stool I am so scared right now.!!!!
I have to wonder, if the kid was only 13, what was he doing at the college?
I know the word “college” is confusing in this context, but it’s basically like a high school here in the US. Dunno if this different type of naming is common in the UK school system or something.