>
> > Poster: "Michael Jeffrey Looney" <barderic@mailcity.com>
> >
> > I'm sorry, again, for useing band width for this, but I think
> > this is somehting that everyone should read.
> > Thank you:
> >
> > >Date: Sun Nov 8 14:38:03 1998
> > From: a mother
> > Subject: ANYONE with children READ!!!!
> >
> > About a week or so ago, a mother took her eager 3 year old
> > son to Burger King for lunch. After they ate their lunch the
> > mother said that The son could go and play on the playground
> > for awhile since he ate all his lunch. She watched as the boy
> > played in the tunnels, slide and in the ball-pit. The boy
> > played for about 10 minutes when he started to whimper
> > slightly. The mother asks the boy what had happened and he
> > mearly replied,"Hurt mommy." The mother assumed that the
> > little boy had banged his elbow or something while playing.
> > They left to return home. A half and hour after they were
> > home, the mother noticed some big red welts on the little
> > boys arms and legs. Not being able to figure out what they
> > were, the mother started to Look at them closer. Could be red
> > ant bites...she did not know.
> >
> > An hour later, the little boy died. Come to find out, when
> > returning To Burger King to see if there were red ants in the
> > play area, in case the little boy had an allergic reaction.
> > Burger King employees and herself discovered that there was a
> > family of baby rattlesnakes living underneath the balls in
> > the ball-pit area. She has since found out that this happens
> > more often than not snakes crawl into the ball pit because it
> > is dark and warm in there. She knows for a fact that another
> > death has occurred because of this in South Carolina.
> >
> > Please use caution when letting any children play in an
> > outside play area of a fast food restaurant, this could
> > happen anywhere. Burger Kings are now building their play
> > area's inside the buildings for a safer environment.<
> >
> > Always,
> > Tristan
Alas, another URBAN LEGAND which is not. I happen to know a woman who was
there when the original incident happened in Florida a few years back at a
McDonalds. It was water moccasins that had gone into the ball pit which had
accumulated water during heavy storms. The little girl let everyone know
quite loudly when the biting started and was rushed to the hospital.
According to the lady I know, she still has a modicum of scarring and is
frightened of ball pits and water to this day, but a lump sum from ol' Ray
kept it out of court since they didn't need the bad press, but the movement of
reptiles (especially in that area of the country) is hardly Mc Donald's fault.
Brenna