TSA Won't Let Parents Bring Extra Baby Food In Anticipation Of Delays [Fear]

 

 

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TSA Won't Let Parents Bring Extra Baby Food In Anticipation Of Delays [Fear]

via Consumerist by Chris Walters on 2/20/08

Two Boston doctors brought, by their admission, "probably two and a half times as much as we'd need" of baby food on a recent flight from Chicago Midway Airport to Manchester, N.H. The TSA agent told them it was above the official limit and confiscated it. The parents argued that in light of record delays, winter weather, and stranded-on-the-tarmac stories, they wanted to be fully prepared. The TSA officers told them they'd need a doctor's note to bring that much food on board—but, um, from another doctor who wasn't one of the parents.

Dr. Soni said he was raising the objection publicly because "I feel the message needs to be put across. I don't think the T.S.A. has the training to exert judgment on what the nutritional needs of a baby are" for a 2 ½ hour flight, not to mention a possible long delay.

Dr. Soni stressed that he and his wife have no quarrel with the T.S.A. officers, but would like to see a rule allowing parents more discretion. He also suggested that airport shops inside the security zones consider selling baby food.

Hell, why don't we just open supermarkets on the other side of the security checkpoint? Only then will our fear of death be fully defeated, when we can strip nude in the front of the airport, emerge from a cleansing security bath on the other side, and then go on an overpriced shopping spree to re-supply our lives with meaning.

"Bringing Along Baby Food? Not Too Much, Rules Say" [New York Times]

 

 

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College Grad Succeeds With $25 And A Gym Bag [Money]

 

 

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College Grad Succeeds With $25 And A Gym Bag [Money]

via Consumerist by Ben Popken on 2/19/08

This college grad decided to live on the streets with just $25 and a gym bag to see if he could make it without any of the trappings of his upbringing, privileges, or contacts. After 10 months, he was moving into an apartment, bought a pickup truck, and had a savings of around $5,000. The point of the story is supposed to be that people are poor because they have bad attitudes. Which is technically true, but maybe he should do an experiment to see what being born poor will do for your "positive outlook."

(Thanks to Scott!) (Photo: CSmonitor)

 

 

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Toys "R" Us Announces New Safety Guidelines [Safety]

 

 

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Toys "R" Us Announces New Safety Guidelines [Safety]

via Consumerist by Meg Marco on 2/19/08

Reader and commenter jurijuri says:

Just got this email from Toys 'R' Us in my inbox and thought you'd be interested. I'm normally pretty skeptical about corporate promises like this, but if they implement these changes I'm going to be pretty impressed.

Keep up the good work!Here's what Toys "R" Us has to say:

February 15, 2008

A Message From Gerald L. Storch,
Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Dear Valued Guest,

At Toys"R"Us, Inc., kids are central to who we are and to what we do. Our commitment to their safety is non-negotiable. I wanted to share with you today some of the decisive and proactive changes we have made recently to our already rigorous quality assurance standards:

NOTIFICATION TO MANUFACTURERS OF INCREASED QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS AND OVERSIGHT:

We have instructed all manufacturers who produce items for Toys"R"Us, Inc. that products shipped to the company on or after March 1, 2008 must comply with strict new standards, which include:

Significantly increasing the frequency of third-party testing, including each batch of product imported to the United States by Toys"R"Us, Inc.;

Ensuring all product samples submitted for testing are selected by the company's third-party, certified laboratory;
Date-coding all products;

Applying a more stringent standard of 90 ppm for lead in surface coatings versus the current federal standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc.;

Requiring substrate materials to meet a standard of 250 ppm for lead versus the company's current standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc.; and

Using lead-screening equipment to conduct company auditing of all products at their point of origin and at various points in the supply chain.

REDUCTION OF PHTHALATES AND POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) USE:
All manufacturers have been notified that by the end of 2008 juvenile products sold in any Toys"R"Us or Babies"R"Us store in the United States must be produced without the addition of phthalates that have raised concerns about infant safety.

Additionally, as we move closer to our goal of offering PVC-free products, we have already begun replacing PVC and phthalates in juvenile products manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc.

ELIMINATION OF NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES FROM ALL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED EXCLUSIVELY FOR TOYS"R"US, INC.
We have instructed manufacturers to immediately take steps to eliminate the use of nickel-cadmium batteries from all items manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc. This process is expected to be complete by the end of 2008.

We know that you trust and expect that we will always do the right thing when it comes to the safety of children, and we take that responsibility very seriously. At every turn, we will continue to look for ways to provide the safest shopping environment for the children and families we serve. We love kids and babies - and safety in all we do for them, and for you, is an imperative.

Sincerely,

Gerald L. Storch
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Toys"R"Us, Inc.

What do you think?

(Photo:TheBeeGirl)

 

 

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1-800-Flowers Sends Box Of Chocolate Peanuts From Walmart For $14.99 [Scam]

 

 

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1-800-Flowers Sends Box Of Chocolate Peanuts From Walmart For $14.99 [Scam]

via Consumerist by Meg Marco on 2/15/08

Reader Adam isn't pleased with the peanuts his wife got from 1-800-Flowers:

When I ordered flowers for my wife, I added a $14.99 box of chocolates, but got an .88 cent box of peanuts

- I've attached the photo from 1-800-Flowers of the item your promised. (A standard box of chocolates for $14.99)
- I've also attached a photo of what I really got. (A box of chocolate covered peanuts that retail for .88 cents at Wal-Mart)

Not only is this a rip-off, but my wife doesn't eat peanuts. I tried to call 1-800-Flowers, but you get a message to the effect of "We're too busy" then the line hangs up. We checked out the brand of peanuts you got Adam. They're not just available at Walmart. You can also get them at Ace Hardware, Family Dollar, and Dollar General. When 1800Flowers.com says "candy may vary," they are not kidding.

Quality issues aside: the 1800Flowers website says that a "small" is 8 oz. Not only did they send you crappy quality candy, they sent you a little more than half the amount you paid for.

Feel free to report this to your Attorney General and your state's Department of Weights and Measures.

 

 

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Glass Baby Bottles Hit The Market To Answer Concerned Parents' Fears Of Plas...

 

 

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Glass Baby Bottles Hit The Market To Answer Concerned Parents' Fears Of Plastic [Babies]

via Consumerist by Chris Walters on 2/15/08

Earlier this month, several consumer groups announced that heated plastic baby bottles leach bisphenol A "in amounts that were within the range shown to cause harm in animal studies." Now a reader writes in to tell us that companies are already starting to respond to the issue with announcements that they'll be releasing glass bottles in addition to plastic versions.

David writes, "I'd be interested to hear if Babies R Us and other retailers (or the bottle companies) would offer an exchange to concerned parents." Somehow we doubt that will happen unless there's an official plastic bottle recall in the future.

"Plastic baby bottles may pose danger" [MarketWatch]

RELATED
Press Release: "Dr. Brown's New Glass, Polypropylene Bottles Provide More Options For Parents" [Dr. Brown's]
"Chemicals In Baby Products May Be Dangerous"
(Really cute baby photo: pfly)

 

 

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Save Money by Learning Target's Sale Secrets [Saving Money]

 

 

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Save Money by Learning Target's Sale Secrets [Saving Money]

via LH -mac -news -roundup -sponsors on 2/6/08

Budget blog Wise Bread points out a number of ways to save money next time you're planning to hit your local red-themed big box store. Turns out there's a number of ways to get huge discounts on items nobody may know are on sale at Target. Some items end up on "secret clearance," so bringing your bigger purchases to the self-scanners might reveal hefty discounts. There's also a semi-secret weekly schedule of discounts in certain departments:

• Monday - Electronics, Kids Clothing and Stationary (Cards, GiftWrap, etc.)
• Tuesday - Domestics, Women's Clothing, Pets and Market (food items)
• Wednesday - Men's Clothing, Toys, Lawn & Garden, Health and Beauty items
• Thursday - House Wares, Lingerie, Sporting Goods, Shoes, Music / Movies, Books, Decor and Luggage
• Friday - Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, and Jewelry

Know any discount secrets from your own experience, whether from shopping or working retail? Share the wealth in the comments.

Tips for Perimeter Perusing at Target [Wise Bread via The Simple Dollar]

 

 

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