Hello all, Missouri is getting another blast of winter this week.

Question of the day....my sister-in-law is paranoid about a news story she heard recently about an ATV exploding. She didn't get any details such as which manufacturer or any circumstances.

We have a Polaris Sportsman 500, and often give helmeted kids, her's included, safe rides around the farm. Now she doesn't want them on it if ours is the kind that had the problem.

Anyone know the details on this? I couldn't find anything on the National Safety Coucil site, or some of the ATV industry sites.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Rickstir

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), March 25, 2002

Answers

I couldn't find anything either. I guess it's possible that 1 atv out of the millions out there did explode but most likely because of operator error.

Does your sister-in-law ride in cars? Does she have any gas appliances in her home?

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002.

We will never be safe until we are all wrapped in steril cotton firmly attached to bedrock far from any fault lines, with a tube of non-alergenic mush available with the perfect nutrient balance.

The govt seems to want to mandate that we do this, adding more & more rules to consumer products, and forcing us to toss out perfectly useable products we own. (20# LP tanks, for example.)

In responce, we humans seem to try to buy the most dangerous products that are still offered, and modify what we have to make them more exciting, fun - and dangerous.

Maybe the govt should get a clue, and try to find a zone of safety, but not stupidity. People want to be alive, and one way to feel alive is to risk a little, get a thrill. As the govt takes more of that away, more people will jump off buildings (with bungie cord), ski mountains, ATV & snowmobile dangerous locations, etc. What gets a higher TV rating, a chess match or Fear Factor? People want some thrill & danger in their life.

As to the ATV exploding - duh. How many thousands of ATV injeries are there every year, and she is scared because one exploded somewhere? Sounds more like she just doesn't want her kid on the ATV, and sees this as an excuse.

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002.

I agree with Paul. A fellow I know went canoeing with his wife. They put in, paddeled upstream and then coasted back down. A hundred yards or so from the landing he saw a car burning merrily near the road. Woah! Some poor sob, not us, he thought. They landed but there was no car. It was up the road in the final stages of crispiness, still locked, windows black but unbroken and their stuff inside and ruined. According to the cop, insurance agent and his mechanic, it happens, not often but occasionally. No one gave an explanation, but the comprehensive covered most of it (no collision). Life just ain't safe.

-- MartyB (mebtn@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002.

I think if a Atv exploded it was because of e fuel leak that you could smell and could have been repaired with a small amount of effort.

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), March 25, 2002.

When I was a child our old chevy caught fire while my folks and little brother were driving down the road. They pulled over and baled out in time so no one was hurt, but I still kind of expect the car to go up in smoke at any moment! LOL

-- kim in CO (kimk61252@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.