"Slides are made of plastic, and they last 20 years"

just_lily

New member
I just have to share with people who get it.

Yesterday we were out at a bunch of garage sales and one was selling some carseats. I still don't know as much as I would like about seats so at first I didn't say anything (although I still know heaps more that 99% of the people out there). Then an older lady was looking at them and asked if they were still good. The lady having the sale had no idea.

I said that there should be a date of manufacture on them, and then they are generally good for 6 years but she would have to check the manual. She looked and they were 2003s. The older lady says "well that doesn't mean they are no good, you just have to get them inspected." I said no, if they were expired they were no good, that they could fail in a crash and the harness could pull right out of them.

The selling lady asked me what the difference was and said that if she had another kid she would go ahead and use it. I said no, it was unsafe, and she would need to get a new one.

Throughout all this everyone was looking at me like I had three heads.

Then some other lady comes up and says "I don't see what the big deal is, plastic lasts a long time. Slides are made of plastic, and they last 20 years." :eek:

My head nearly exploded. I said "Yeah, but you don't get in 100km/hr collisions on a SLIDE."

Seriously. How do you deal with this kind of ignorance? I ended up just leaving because I couldn't handle it anymore.
 
ADS

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I don't know. Our Little Tikes slide started to deteriorate after two years. I don't even want to think of what a 20-year-old plastic slide would look like.

And, yeah, I'm not relying on the slide to save my kid's life.
 

MoreLatte

New member
That is obnoxious! It was great that you tried to educate them, but unfortunately some people will just never get it. My own mother doesn't buy it and still picks up seats at garage sales for my nieces.

I would have just walked away, too before I became so angry that I made a fool out of myself.lol Maybe you got them thinking and they'll actually do a little research and find out for themselves.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
LOL Good answer.

"Toy shovels are made of plastic and they last six months." Ever step on one after it's been left outside? It shatters. That's what I use for parents. Then there's always the, "Well, the manufacturer says it's not safe, and as they're scared for their butts for lawsuits I'd be willing to trust that they know what they're talking about, and I'm not going to use my child's life to test whether or not it's true. It's not worth the risk since it's a life and death situation."

Next time use a 200 kph collision as your example. That's two people head on on a wide rural two lane road, or a highway or something. I bet the slide wouldn't hold up very well under a 200 kph collision.

Wendy
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Someone here talked once about the kinds of plastic prostheses are made of, and how there are two kinds-- the kinds for temporary/short-term prostheses, and the kind for permanent/long-term prostheses. One deteriorates pretty rapidly (relatively speaking) and one doesn't, and that car seats are made out of the same kind of plastic as short-term prostheses.

That made a lot of sense to me, and helped me explain it to a CHP officer (tech) who "didn't buy into the whole expiration date thing." :eek:

Found the post! It was papooses. Thanks, papooses. :)
 

WhatAboutPuppy

New member
I know if there was a 20 year old slide in our driveway (there's isn't, just sayin') and I backed into it (I'm assuming I'd have a better chance of seeing it if I was in drive so I'm saying reverse) that sucker'd crumble or at LEAST crack in half... and I'd have been going what? about 2 miles an hour? and the slide's containing how much weight?? none!


HA!

Oh, thank gosh I wasn't there, I wouldn've walked away about a minute too late for myself. hahaha

good job!!
 

Gena

New member
Then some other lady comes up and says "I don't see what the big deal is, plastic lasts a long time. Slides are made of plastic, and they last 20 years."

I thought about this yesterday when my son put his foot through the plastic slide on our backyard swingset.

The swingset is about 8 or 9 years old (we bought it from SIL, who originally got it for our niece). DS just turned 5 and is 40 lbs, so he is well within the age and weight limits for it.

DS went to climb up the slide yesterday and his foot went right through it. I guess 8-9 years of of Ohio weather and active kids was too much for this plastic slide. DS was OK, had just a minor cut on his leg from the plastic. But he's very upset about his broken slide. :(

IMG_4182.jpg



So yeah, plastic definately wears out. I think a 6 year expiration date for car seats is being on the safe side. As they say, better safe than sorry.
 

Shaunam

New member
My head nearly exploded. I said "Yeah, but you don't get in 100km/hr collisions on a SLIDE."

Just wanted to tell you that your response was *perfect* and if they don't get it after that, probably nothing else you say will convince them. Because that's what it boils down to. Plastic items can last a VERY long time, but when you throw a 6 year old little tikes slide at tree at 35 mph, it's not going to be in good shape.
 

zeo2ski

Well-known member
Yeah I'm pretty sure they haven't had plastic slides for 20 years yet...

Some people will never get it. Some people will get it eventually, even if they keep arguing with you in the moment, they may go back and think about it later, so good for you for sticking with it!
 

4boysmom

New member
Same here. Well my mom sold my LT castley slide that I had as a toddler a few summers back at a garage sale, I was like :eek::(waaah and I am 29. So they have been around but the quality was also different 25 years ago IMO. That slide was not faded in the least vs the playset we got 5 years ago and the cozy coupe and step 2 fire truck as very noticeably faded from sun damage so I imagine they are structurally lessened as well.
 

jodibug

New member
My mom still has the plastic Little Tykes slide that she bought when I was a baby. DS played on it two weeks ago. So, it's over 25 years old.:love: I wouldn't ride down the street in it, though!


A few months ago I wanted a LT slide for Laci, but none of the stores had any "summer" toys on the shelves yet.

I called up my sister to ask if she still had the one in her yard from when my 19 year old niece was a baby. She still had it. I brought it home cleaned it up and it is in my backyard now.

It is 19 years old and still works great. Saved me $40-50!!!

Obviously it wouldn't protect her in a car crash..... but as a slide it works just fine.
 

Caseylaine

New member
I like to use the analogy of the plastic sand toys that get left out all winter. But yep, I feel for you. I see seats at garage sales ALL the time... I just don't even know what to say.

Good for you for trying though. Maybe SOMEONE got something out of it.
 

disbugsmomma

New member
You can tell I'm a photo nerd. I was totally thinking photographic slides and I could not figure out what that had to do with anything. :eek: Hehe, I'm such a dork.
 

jenbob31905

New member
Slides won't last 20 years now-a-days... They're made from recycled milk jugs... At least that's what DH has me convinced of! :whistle:
 

Heather86

Member
um well yea we've had our little tykes slid going on 3 years and it's still okay but it was kept indoors until last summer-ish. Also I'm not strapping my kid on a slide and installing it in my car to save his life...just saying is all
 

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