RS

"Rick Samuel"

12/08/2008 5:55 AM

Lawn mower to trim hedges

My question to my dad was answered:

Hi. Rick, I don't have any facts about the lawn mower story. That story
made the rounds when Consumer Product Safety Commission was making all the
rules on about every product imaginable, around 73-74. Some so called
safety rules were ridiculous or self evident, and the lawn mower story was
one used by opponents of the myriad of new rules. The thrust of the story
was, "is a rule against using a lawn mower to trim a hedge really needed?
( not that there was such a rule in the works, just an example of ridiculous
rules) The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.



This topic has 18 replies

Nn

Nova

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 5:16 PM

Upscale wrote:
> "Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>>The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
>>mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
>>verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.
>
>
> There may or not be any actual verification of someone losing a few fingers,
> but I don't doubt that somewhere, sometime, someone has used a lawn mower to
> trim hedges. It's just too easy a thing to do (attempt) for someone not to
> have tried it. When you consider some of the truly idiotic actions listed on
> the Darwin Awards website, hedge trimming with a lawn mower has to fall into
> the very probable category.
>
>

Snopes lists it as an unverifiable legend:

http://www.snopes.com/legal/trimmer.asp

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]

RC

Robatoy

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 6:30 PM

On Aug 12, 8:27=A0pm, clare at snyder dot ontario dot canada wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:45:54 -0500, "Leon"
>
>
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
>
> >> "Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >>> The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
> >>> mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. =A0We never had a=
ny
> >>> verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.
>
> >> There may or not be any actual verification of someone losing a few
> >> fingers,
> >> but I don't doubt that somewhere, sometime, someone has used a lawn mo=
wer
> >> to
> >> trim hedges. It's just too easy a thing to do (attempt) for someone no=
t to
> >> have tried it. When you consider some of the truly idiotic actions lis=
ted
> >> on
> >> the Darwin Awards website, hedge trimming with a lawn mower has to fal=
l
> >> into
> >> the very probable category.
>
> >Maybe not, most lawn mowers are a bit too heavy to pick up and hold.
>
> Build a scaffold down each side of the hedge and "run it on rails"
> Good way to get the top smooth and even?
> ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

=2E.or this could work..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DCbKSgm3l9mE

Uu

"Upscale"

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 3:32 AM


"Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
> mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
> verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.

There may or not be any actual verification of someone losing a few fingers,
but I don't doubt that somewhere, sometime, someone has used a lawn mower to
trim hedges. It's just too easy a thing to do (attempt) for someone not to
have tried it. When you consider some of the truly idiotic actions listed on
the Darwin Awards website, hedge trimming with a lawn mower has to fall into
the very probable category.

FH

Father Haskell

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 6:19 PM

On Aug 11, 10:55 pm, "Rick Samuel" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> My question to my dad was answered:
>
> Hi. Rick, I don't have any facts about the lawn mower story. That story
> made the rounds when Consumer Product Safety Commission was making all the
> rules on about every product imaginable, around 73-74. Some so called
> safety rules were ridiculous or self evident, and the lawn mower story was
> one used by opponents of the myriad of new rules. The thrust of the story
> was, "is a rule against using a lawn mower to trim a hedge really needed?
> ( not that there was such a rule in the works, just an example of ridiculous
> rules) The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
> mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
> verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.

Hedges, no, zombies, yes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSVDmIO9H8k

Ft

Fred the Red Shirt

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 1:11 PM

On Aug 12, 12:38 pm, "Lee Michaels" <[email protected]> wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote
>
> > This is in the same category as the two-man chainsaw with a V8 engine:
> > proof that it can be done.
>
> I immediately thought of that one.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Tamp2fHhg

I've been on one end of a two-man factory built chainsaw.

--

FF

ca

clare at snyder dot ontario dot canada

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 8:27 PM

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:45:54 -0500, "Leon"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>
>> "Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
>>> mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
>>> verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.
>>
>> There may or not be any actual verification of someone losing a few
>> fingers,
>> but I don't doubt that somewhere, sometime, someone has used a lawn mower
>> to
>> trim hedges. It's just too easy a thing to do (attempt) for someone not to
>> have tried it. When you consider some of the truly idiotic actions listed
>> on
>> the Darwin Awards website, hedge trimming with a lawn mower has to fall
>> into
>> the very probable category.
>>
>
>Maybe not, most lawn mowers are a bit too heavy to pick up and hold.
>
Build a scaffold down each side of the hedge and "run it on rails"
Good way to get the top smooth and even?
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

jj

jo4hn

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 9:22 AM

Robatoy wrote:
> On Aug 12, 9:45 am, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> "Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> "Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>> The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
>>>> mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
>>>> verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.
>>> There may or not be any actual verification of someone losing a few
>>> fingers,
>>> but I don't doubt that somewhere, sometime, someone has used a lawn mower
>>> to
>>> trim hedges. It's just too easy a thing to do (attempt) for someone not to
>>> have tried it. When you consider some of the truly idiotic actions listed
>>> on
>>> the Darwin Awards website, hedge trimming with a lawn mower has to fall
>>> into
>>> the very probable category.
>> Maybe not, most lawn mowers are a bit too heavy to pick up and hold.
>
> They also won't run on their side.. in most cases. Oil from the
> crankcase getting slapped around by the bottom of the piston (unless
> it's a two-stroke). and fuel starvation would be the most obvious
> reason for it not to work. Most of those units are designed with
> gravity in mind.
>
> "Me, I'm just a lawnmower, you can tell me by the way I walk"
Electric mower maybe? Light weight, will run on its side, quiet, brave,
clean, reverent.
j4

RC

Robatoy

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 6:57 AM

On Aug 12, 9:45=A0am, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
> >> mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. =A0We never had an=
y
> >> verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.
>
> > There may or not be any actual verification of someone losing a few
> > fingers,
> > but I don't doubt that somewhere, sometime, someone has used a lawn mow=
er
> > to
> > trim hedges. It's just too easy a thing to do (attempt) for someone not=
to
> > have tried it. When you consider some of the truly idiotic actions list=
ed
> > on
> > the Darwin Awards website, hedge trimming with a lawn mower has to fall
> > into
> > the very probable category.
>
> Maybe not, most lawn mowers are a bit too heavy to pick up and hold.

They also won't run on their side.. in most cases. Oil from the
crankcase getting slapped around by the bottom of the piston (unless
it's a two-stroke). and fuel starvation would be the most obvious
reason for it not to work. Most of those units are designed with
gravity in mind.

"Me, I'm just a lawnmower, you can tell me by the way I walk"

nn

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 9:22 AM

On Aug 12, 2:55 am, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
> RE: Subject
>
> Of course my lawnmower trims my hedges.
>
> Now if I could just get him to do it in the afternoon instead of
> starting at 07:00 on every Thursday morning.

Damnit, Lew.... if your gonna post something like that, a little
warning woul be good.

I need a rim shot, a cymbal crash, and a "I'll be here 'till the end
of the week!" warning.

Robert

JC

"J. Clarke"

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 4:51 AM

Lew Hodgett wrote:
> RE: Subject
>
> Of course my lawnmower trims my hedges.
>
> Now if I could just get him to do it in the afternoon instead of
> starting at 07:00 on every Thursday morning.

So ask him how much he'll charge to start after lunch.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

SM

"Stormin Mormon"

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

02/09/2008 8:59 AM

Does that mean you've seen Jesus? Is He still working in the San Diego area?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:zlbok.683$ZV1.632@trnddc07...
RE: Subject

Of course my lawnmower trims my hedges.

Now if I could just get him to do it in the afternoon instead of
starting at 07:00 on every Thursday morning.

Lew


TD

Tim Douglass

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

13/08/2008 12:11 PM

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:27:42 -0400, clare at snyder dot ontario dot
canada wrote:

>>Maybe not, most lawn mowers are a bit too heavy to pick up and hold.
>>
>Build a scaffold down each side of the hedge and "run it on rails"
>Good way to get the top smooth and even?

I remember seeing that very thing in a Popular Science or something
like that back in the late 60's. Probably one of those "Wordless
Workshop" ideas.

--
"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

RE

Richard Evans

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 11:28 AM

"Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote:

> My question to my dad was answered:
>
> Hi. Rick, I don't have any facts about the lawn mower story. That story
>made the rounds when Consumer Product Safety Commission was making all the
>rules on about every product imaginable, around 73-74. Some so called
>safety rules were ridiculous or self evident, and the lawn mower story was
>one used by opponents of the myriad of new rules. The thrust of the story
>was, "is a rule against using a lawn mower to trim a hedge really needed?
>( not that there was such a rule in the works, just an example of ridiculous
>rules) The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
>mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
>verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.


Urban legend.

http://www.snopes.com/legal/trimmer.asp

Lr

"Leon"

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 8:45 AM


"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
>> mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
>> verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.
>
> There may or not be any actual verification of someone losing a few
> fingers,
> but I don't doubt that somewhere, sometime, someone has used a lawn mower
> to
> trim hedges. It's just too easy a thing to do (attempt) for someone not to
> have tried it. When you consider some of the truly idiotic actions listed
> on
> the Darwin Awards website, hedge trimming with a lawn mower has to fall
> into
> the very probable category.
>

Maybe not, most lawn mowers are a bit too heavy to pick up and hold.

n

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 12:13 PM

I saw a "world's strongest redneck" clip on Country Fried Videos where
he used a lawnmower to trim hedges. No fingers lost, just a short
section of hedge trimmed. (Amazing what you'll watch in the wee hours
of the morning when you're in too much pain to sleep ;-) Unless
you're strong enough to lift the mower over your head, you probably
can't hold it in position to cut much hedge...

This is in the same category as the two-man chainsaw with a V8 engine:
proof that it can be done.

This guy also picks up the corner of a car for someone to change a
flat tire - no jack needed...

John

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:55:29 +0300, "Rick Samuel"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> My question to my dad was answered:
>
> Hi. Rick, I don't have any facts about the lawn mower story. That story
>made the rounds when Consumer Product Safety Commission was making all the
>rules on about every product imaginable, around 73-74. Some so called
>safety rules were ridiculous or self evident, and the lawn mower story was
>one used by opponents of the myriad of new rules. The thrust of the story
>was, "is a rule against using a lawn mower to trim a hedge really needed?
>( not that there was such a rule in the works, just an example of ridiculous
>rules) The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
>mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
>verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.
>
>

LM

"Lee Michaels"

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 12:38 PM


<[email protected]> wrote

> This is in the same category as the two-man chainsaw with a V8 engine:
> proof that it can be done.
>
I immediately thought of that one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Tamp2fHhg


Em

"Eigenvector"

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

13/08/2008 7:05 AM


"Robatoy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
On Aug 12, 8:27 pm, clare at snyder dot ontario dot canada wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:45:54 -0500, "Leon"
>
>
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
>
> >> "Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >>> The story was supposed to be actually true, that a guy used his
> >>> mower to trim his hedges and lost a couple fingers. We never had any
> >>> verification of the story, since it wasn't our bailiwick.
>
> >> There may or not be any actual verification of someone losing a few
> >> fingers,
> >> but I don't doubt that somewhere, sometime, someone has used a lawn
> >> mower
> >> to
> >> trim hedges. It's just too easy a thing to do (attempt) for someone not
> >> to
> >> have tried it. When you consider some of the truly idiotic actions
> >> listed
> >> on
> >> the Darwin Awards website, hedge trimming with a lawn mower has to fall
> >> into
> >> the very probable category.
>
> >Maybe not, most lawn mowers are a bit too heavy to pick up and hold.
>
> Build a scaffold down each side of the hedge and "run it on rails"
> Good way to get the top smooth and even?
> ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

..or this could work..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbKSgm3l9mE


_____________________________________________________________
Those RC Helicopters look pretty darn dangerous. Like they could easily
injure someone fatally with that blade.

LH

"Lew Hodgett"

in reply to "Rick Samuel" on 12/08/2008 5:55 AM

12/08/2008 7:55 AM

RE: Subject

Of course my lawnmower trims my hedges.

Now if I could just get him to do it in the afternoon instead of
starting at 07:00 on every Thursday morning.

Lew


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