Replacing a broken set of blinds in my house and apparently no one sells the old standard kind where you pull the cord to raise them, I guess because kids and/or pets could tangle in the cord? Bit of an education in miniblinds today.

  • UncleGrandPa@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    About 9 children die every year , strangled by mini blinds. 3500 children are killed by guns every year.

    Why did we only fix the most unlikely one?

  • TheRedSpade@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    I didn’t even realize they were called "mini"blinds until I moved in to my current place and there was some kind of rule that mentioned them. I’d only heard them referred to as “blinds” my entire life up to that point. This implies the existence of larger blinds which I’ve yet to see.

    Edit: I’ve definitely seen them. Apparently my brain is underclocked today.

  • MNByChoice@midwest.social
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    5 days ago

    I used to think it was “only” toddlers. Tragic stories of 12 year olds dying from the pull cords. Fucking horrible.

    • kungen@feddit.nu
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      5 days ago

      Am I misunderstanding what pull cords are, or why not have it so the two strings can separate easily? The two strings in my blinds “snap” together so that it’s easy to raise/lower the blinds, but the strings separate very easily from each other if applying force in any other kind of way (would be impossible for a child to accidently hang themselves with it for example)

      • kn33@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        It’s not just going between the cords. There’s also a problem that under the wrong circumstances, the cord can whip around the neck and become tangled on the tassel, around the neck.

        • cadekat@pawb.social
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          4 days ago

          I’m going to need to see a reenactment or video before I believe this.

      • MNByChoice@midwest.social
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        5 days ago

        The strings come off the “screwed in” part?

        I don’t think politicians came up with the new design, but embraced the new design. This has been an issue for decades and the ban is newin USA.

    • Elkenders@feddit.uk
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      5 days ago

      I know a family whose baby hung themselves on the cord. Must be common enough that they just banned them.