Using straws in the car... or not???

[JoyfulMama]

Reading my safety info again to prepare for the upcoming year, and I came across this comment:

"Avoid use of sharp objects in the car, including straws."

 

:001_huh:Really? Straws? The plastic, bendy kind? Anyone have any additional information on this for me???

[Dobela]

Not only do we use straws, I also do my knitting whenever possible in the car. I guess I like to live dangerously on the edge...

[Denisemomof4]

Not only do we use straws, I also do my knitting whenever possible in the car. I guess I like to live dangerously on the edge...

 

:lol:

 

I use straws but have had them nearly go up my nose. Violently. :001_unsure:

[~Jo]

Well we use straws....but I can see why someone might suggest that you don't.

 

My dd, when she was much younger, was sipping a drink with a straw and she did something (I can't remember exactly how it happened -it was a long time ago);) BUT I do remember the straw hitting her on the roof of her mouth and taking out a HUGE strip of skin. It took forever to heal and she has a scar. She is 20 now.

 

But that doesn't stop her or any of us from using them...I don't like my children walking around with them in their mouths though.

[Cinder]

Not only do we use straws, I also do my knitting whenever possible in the car. I guess I like to live dangerously on the edge...

 

This is me, too. Love straws and keep a pack in the car. Toothpicks, too. And pens and pencils . . . :D

 

Cinder

[Mommyof4ks]

We use straws in the car, and I can only see an issue if there were a wreck. At that point I would be more concerned about the CDs, pens, and GPS than straws, but we are willing to take the chance of having those things in our vehicle.

[DarlaS]

I get a little (Okay, a LOT) freaked out about stuff that could impale the back of the throat. It's a rather delicate place.

 

Anyone recall the TV show Rescue 911? There was an episode (I think that was the show anyway.) with a little kid of about 2 impaling his throat with a toothbrush. He took off to play a game of chase with his mom when he was brushing his teeth, and fell down shoving the toothbrush through the back of his throat. I'll never forget that! He was okay, but she had to keep the toothbrush there (Pulling it out could have killed him.) and call 911. At least one hospital transfers and surgery later, the kiddo was all right--but what a way to learn that lesson!

 

Not one of my kids has escaped the mealtime "put the fork in and then take it right back OUT" lecture. I tolerate no horseplay with eating utensils. Same goes for toothbrushes. They are instructed to never walk out of the bathroom with it in their mouth. Ever. This is a zero tolerance rule, with no one who is too young to understand being unsupervised while brushing. I am pretty laid back about a lot of things, but this is not one of them. There is a major artery (carotid) in the neck, and we are 20 minutes from a hospital at the very most optimistic guesstimate.

 

That said, I never even thought about straws in the car. I'm more worried about the much more likely trip and fall incident than the car crash one. We also don't really do drive through much. All the more reason to bring bottled water I guess.

Edited August 5, 2010 by darlasowders
I can't seem to spell today...

[Mom2boys]

I get a little (Okay, a LOT) freaked out about stuff that could impale the back of the throat. It's a rather delicate place.

 

Anyone recall the TV show Rescue 911? There was an episode (I think that was the show anyway.) with a little kid of about 2 impaling his throat with a toothbrush. He took off to play a game of chase with his mom when he was brushing his teeth, and fell down shoving the toothbrush through the back of his throat. I'll never forget that! He was okay, but she had to keep the toothbrush there (Pulling it out could have killed him.) and call 911. At least one hospital transfers and surgery later, the kiddo was all right--but what a way to learn that lesson!

 

Oh my gosh! I remember the exact episode you are talking about. it made a big impression on me too!

[Mesa]

I remember that episode too!!! I also have a zero tolerance rule about walking with objects in the mouth.

I think about that episode nearly everyday, when it's time to brush the kiddos teeth... *shudder*

[mhg]

When I was in 8th grade (many moons ago) we were traveling in a van (me and three girlfriends) with the friend's parent driving. The father made a not-too-abrupt stop and the straw pierced the back of her throat (near uvula). It went in about an INCH and I'd never seen so much blood. Her (pharmacist) father had to yank it out and she cried as if she'd lost an arm. Made quite an impression...but I still let my son use one in car.

[Murphy101]

No straws here. We use water bottles or our awesome handy dandy no spill travel mugs. Dh calls them sippy cups for adults. Lol

 

I hate it when people give infants/toddlers suckers knowing they are getting in the car. I think they are one slam on the breaks from choking to death.

 

Pencils, pens, bowling balls, ice skates, infants shoes... All these I have in the car but no hard candy or straws.:tongue_smilie:

 

I am never more than a few feet from my toothbrush. As soon as I'm done eating, I'm brushing. I hold out until we leave restaurants, but I'm brushing before we are out of the parking lot.

[Margo out of lurking]

Oh my gosh! I remember the exact episode you are talking about. it made a big impression on me too!

 

Me too! When my kids were little, I always made them HOLD ON TO and NEVER even WALK with their toothbrush!

 

I guess that family can be thankful that they prevented so many other potential accidents.

 

I'd never worry about straws in the car. Like other posters, I do sometimes consider the GPS, or what would happen to my phone (which is sometimes in my lap), and other possible projectiles.

[ChristusG]

Wow....I had absolutely NO idea that the back of the throat was so sensitive and easily pierceable! You guys have officially freaked me out and given me another (to add to my extra long list) kid-related thing to worry about!

 

DD scratched the back of her throat with something when she was around 3 years old. I can't remember what it was though. It didn't pierce it though.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I would guess that straws are dangerous, but I use straws in the car. I'm sure I do all sorts of things that are considered dangerous. For example, I'm going to drive to work in a the city in a few minutes. LOL

[JoyfulMama]

When I was in 8th grade (many moons ago) we were traveling in a van (me and three girlfriends) with the friend's parent driving. The father made a not-too-abrupt stop and the straw pierced the back of her throat (near uvula). It went in about an INCH and I'd never seen so much blood. Her (pharmacist) father had to yank it out and she cried as if she'd lost an arm. Made quite an impression...but I still let my son use one in car.

:001_huh:

 

No straws here. We use water bottles or our awesome handy dandy no spill travel mugs. Dh calls them sippy cups for adults. Lol

 

I hate it when people give infants/toddlers suckers knowing they are getting in the car. I think they are one slam on the breaks from choking to death.

 

Pencils, pens, bowling balls, ice skates, infants shoes... All these I have in the car but no hard candy or straws.:tongue_smilie:

 

 

Now, wouldn't a fill sippy cup or travel mug be a more dangerous projectile? I don't do lollipops in the car, either.

[Murphy101]

I don't think the danger of the straw is projectile situations. It's the you are taking a drink and and it is shoved into the back of your throat or nose or eye situation. Travel mug probably wouldn't pierce anything, but might give a solid lump to the head. Can't be worse than the airbag though. I hate airbags. I have felt my head hit the steering wheel or dash and I have felt my head hit by airbag. Give me the dash or wheel over the supposed cushion of airbag tyvm. A limp on my forehead vs a full face and chest smack down is preferred for me.:glare:

[Hannah C.]

I use straws in the car. I've also almost had them stab me if I'm sipping my drink at the wrong time. I've also gently bumped my mouth/teeth against water bottles if I'm drinking at the wrong time. This is in the course of safe, normal driving, not anything crazy. So I could see how straws could be quite dangerous if one happens to be drinking from a straw and there's an accident.

[Parrothead]

What are people doing with the straws that they end up in the back of the throat? Are they being use inappropriately?

 

When we get drinks that require straws (fast food cups) there is only about an inch or two of the straw exposed at the top of the cup. Lips around the very tip, and even during the largest pothole bump there is more worry about spilling that ice cold liquid all over self than jabbing the straw in the back of the throat. How much straw does the average person put into their mouth to drink?

 

I can't imagine not having to mash one's face into the plastic lid of the cup pretty severely causing total paper cup failure to get the straw to the back of the throat.

[Murphy101]

What are people doing with the straws that they end up in the back of the throat? Are they being use inappropriately?

 

When we get drinks that require straws (fast food cups) there is only about an inch or two of the straw exposed at the top of the cup. Lips around the very tip, and even during the largest pothole bump there is more worry about spilling that ice cold liquid all over self than jabbing the straw in the back of the throat. How much straw does the average person put into their mouth to drink?

 

I can't imagine not having to mash one's face into the plastic lid of the cup pretty severely causing total paper cup failure to get the straw to the back of the throat.

 

 

You are assuming a big gulp type drink. It's rare that we have a drink as tall as the straw like you describe. That's a big drink, especially for kids. When we order water through a drive through, the cup is about half the size of the straw.

[Parrothead]

You are assuming a big gulp type drink. It's rare that we have a drink as tall as the straw like you describe. That's a big drink, especially for kids. When we order water through a drive through, the cup is about half the size of the straw.

No, I was thinking regular size (what ever size medium is) cup.

 

From the stories posted I was under the impression that the folks who experienced trouble were of the medium cup size crowd:

 

 

I've also almost had them stab me if I'm sipping my drink at the wrong time.

When I was in 8th grade (many moons ago) we were traveling in a van...

I use straws but have had them nearly go up my nose. Violently.

I wouldn't just hand over a paper cup like that to a little kid in the back seat of my car. Not because of the straw, but because of the potential to spill all over themselves, my backseat and whatever I have riding along back there.

 

Thinking back I can not think of a time that dd did not have either a juice box (with very little straw showing) or carton of milk. We are not water people. And still I didn't just hand it over to her.

 

And I'm realizing that I often cut the extra straw off for milk carton (and some odd times she got a bottle of juice) to make it easier for dd manage . I now remember complaining to dh about not having little straws for little cups.

[Desert Rat]

No straws in the car for kiddos. My x-boyfriend's sister had a wicked speech impediment caused by puncturing her soft palet with a straw. If I hadn't had that knowledge, I'd probably be fine with straws in the car. (And I still use them.)

[Mrs. Frankweiler]

You all are grossing (and freaking) me out!

 

Out go the straws....

 

With threads like this, I'm going to end up living in a bubble. :scared: