Got a email about this stuff. It's called DUST OFF. It's used to blow dust off computers, camera lenses etc. Comes in a spray can.
Kids use this to get high. The propellant, something called R2 is a heavy gas. It sits in the lungs so O2 can't get to the brain. Kid feels dizzy. Really popular in schools Problem is, a little too much heavy gas, kid dies. No oder. No warning. You just keel over, dead.
If you have this crap in a computer lab, or at home, toss it. Kids are dieing. I got the email from a cop whose kid died from inhaling it.
I know the stuff has been around for years. I used it on my Nikon lenses years ago.
"nuff said.
D
Health Hazard Warning
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore
-
Bob A. Booey
- Rank 2
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 9:13 pm
- Location: Twisted Steel and Sex Appeal dipped in a fun candy shell of volumptuicity.
Re: Health Hazard Warning
SO I have to start throwing out things in case my kids want to huff them? Come on.
You will also want to toss out your Motorcylces, cars, draino, knives, and toaster ovens. They also can kill teenagers.
You will also want to toss out your Motorcylces, cars, draino, knives, and toaster ovens. They also can kill teenagers.
NO EXCUSES.
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Hey Bob....just drawing attention to a potential hazard most don't know about. Thanks for your intelligent remarks. Pretty typical.
Only on an aviation web site, could you post something as a "public service" and get somebody "argue" about it. But, I guess some people just have to be confrontational about everything. Gee Bob, I'm really sorry I insulted your.....whatever.
Only on an aviation web site, could you post something as a "public service" and get somebody "argue" about it. But, I guess some people just have to be confrontational about everything. Gee Bob, I'm really sorry I insulted your.....whatever.
-
Bob A. Booey
- Rank 2
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 9:13 pm
- Location: Twisted Steel and Sex Appeal dipped in a fun candy shell of volumptuicity.
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Glass houses on the intelligent comments remark.
I'd prefer to make sure my kids weren't huffing anything instead of just tossing out the stuff that'll kill them. Apparently we're not supposed to let them have unsupervised access to cold medicine anymore either.
I'd prefer to make sure my kids weren't huffing anything instead of just tossing out the stuff that'll kill them. Apparently we're not supposed to let them have unsupervised access to cold medicine anymore either.
NO EXCUSES.
Re: Health Hazard Warning
In 1994 I had pneumonia, and I was on my back for 2 weeks. It was boring, the only thing on tv was the OJ Simpson trial.
So I drank an entire bottle of Robitussin DM. And I can assure you that it gets you completely ripped to the point of hallucinating. I was completely 'tussed, and it was awesome.
For those of you who care, it's the DM part that does the trick (Dextromethorphan)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextromethorphan
From Wiki:
"When taken at doses higher than are medically recommended, dextromethorphan acts as a dissociative hallucinogenic drug. It is classified neurochemically as an NMDA receptor antagonist, producing effects similar to those of the controlled substances ketamine and phencyclidine (PCP),[2] which affords it a significant potential for abuse."
The hangover was a bitch though.
So I drank an entire bottle of Robitussin DM. And I can assure you that it gets you completely ripped to the point of hallucinating. I was completely 'tussed, and it was awesome.
For those of you who care, it's the DM part that does the trick (Dextromethorphan)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextromethorphan
From Wiki:
"When taken at doses higher than are medically recommended, dextromethorphan acts as a dissociative hallucinogenic drug. It is classified neurochemically as an NMDA receptor antagonist, producing effects similar to those of the controlled substances ketamine and phencyclidine (PCP),[2] which affords it a significant potential for abuse."
The hangover was a bitch though.
-
unknowingly upsidedown
- Rank 2
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:40 pm
Re: Health Hazard Warning
or....don't let any dumbass teenager sneak away with your dust offDoc wrote: If you have this crap in a computer lab, or at home, toss it. Kids are dieing.
D
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Exactly... I used that stuff to dust off slides at my old work, and it sure as hell worked well! There's no way I'd settle for something else.unknowingly upsidedown wrote:or....don't let any dumbass teenager sneak away with your dust offDoc wrote: If you have this crap in a computer lab, or at home, toss it. Kids are dieing.
D
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Where ya been? that email has been around at least a couple of years. If memory serves me correctly the cop who wrote it is from Calgary
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Yea, I did something similar in 97, but on purpose. The high rocks, puking purple a couple hours later doesn't though.Sulako wrote:In 1994 I had pneumonia, and I was on my back for 2 weeks. It was boring, the only thing on tv was the OJ Simpson trial.
So I drank an entire bottle of Robitussin DM. And I can assure you that it gets you completely ripped to the point of hallucinating. I was completely 'tussed, and it was awesome.
no sig because apparently quoting people in context is offensive to them.
Re: Health Hazard Warning
I just stubbed my toe getting out of bed. THROW YOUR BEDS AWAY IMMEDIATELY!
Re: Health Hazard Warning
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/d/dustoff.htm
Kyle, the 14-year-old Who Died From Inhaling Dust-Off-Truth!
Summary of the eRumor
The email is a long letter from a grieving father warning others about the potentially lethal effects of inhaling the compressed air product "Dust-Off."
It describes the death of his 14-year-old son.
The Truth
The "Jeff" of this email is Jeff Williams of Painesville Township, Ohio.
His son Kyle died on 3/2/05 after learning from friends about the brief high that can be experienced from inhaling the compressed air that spews from a can of Dust-Off, which is frequently sold at computer stores and used for cleaning hard-to-reach places in or on computers.
Williams first posted his note on a web site then gave an interview to the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.
Dust-Off is from Falcon Safety Products, which has posted a warning about misuse of Dust-Off.
Click Here for that page.
Dust-Off is just one of numerous products that is used by those who are involved in what is called "inhalant abuse."
The National Institutes of Health has an extensive listing about it.
Click Here for that report.
Last updated 6/6/05
A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:
Dust Off- A Serious Fatal Hazard
First I'm going to tell you a little about me and my family. My name
is Jeff I am a Police Officer for a city which is known nationwide
for its
crime rate. We have a lot of gangs and drugs. At one point we were #
2 in
the nation in homicides per capita. I also have a police K-9 named
Thor
He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 years
old
because he was shot in the line of duty. He lives with us now and
I still train
with him because he likes it. I always liked the fact that there
was no
way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn't allow it. He would
tell on
you. The reason I say this is so you understand that I know about
drugs. I
have taught in schools about drugs. My wife asks all our kids at
least
once a week if they used any drugs. Makes them promise they won't.
I like building computers occasionally and started building a new
one
in February 2005. I also was working on some of my older computers.
They
were full of dust so on one of my trips to the computer store I
bought a 3
pack of DUST OFF. Dust Off is a can of compressed air to blow dust
off a
computer A few weeks later when I went to use them they were all
used. I
talked to my kids and my 2 sons both said they had used them on
their computer
and messing around with them. I yelled at them for wasting the 10
dollars
I paid for them. On February 28 I went back to the computer store.
They
didn't have the 3 pack which I had bought on sale so I bought a
single jumbo can
of Dust Off. I went home and set it down beside my computer.
On March 1st I left for work at 10 PM. At 11 PM my wife went down
and
kissed Kyle goodnight. At 530 AM the next morning Kathy went
downstairs to
wake Kyle up for school, before she left for work. He was sitting
up in
bed with his legs crossed and his head leaning over. She called to
him a few
times to get up. He didn't move. He would sometimes tease her like
this and
pretend he fell back asleep. He was never easy to get up. She went
in and
shook his arm. He fell over. He was pale white and had the straw
from the Dust
Off can coming out of his mouth. He had the new can of Dust Off in
his hands.
Kyle was dead.
I am a police officer and I had never heard of this. My wife is a
nurse and she had never heard of this. We later found out from the
coroner,
after the autopsy, that only the propellant from the can of Dust
off was in his
system No other drugs. Kyle had died between midnight and 1 Am.
I found out that using Dust Off is being done mostly by kids ages 9
through 15. They even have a name for it. It's called dusting. A
take off
from the Dust Off name. It gives them a slight high for about 10
seconds. It
makes them dizzy. A boy who lives down the street from us showed
Kyle how
to do this about a month before. Kyle showed his best friend. Told
him it
was cool and it couldn't hurt you. It's just compressed air. It
can't hurt
you. His best friend said no.
Kyle's death
Kyle was wrong. It's not just compresses air. It also contains a
propellant.
I think its R2. It's a refrigerant like what is used in your
refrigerator.
It is a heavy gas.-Heavier than air. When you inhale it, it fills
your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen, out. That's why you
feel dizzy,
buzzed.
It decreases the oxygen to your brain, to your heart. Kyle was
right.
It can 't hurt you. IT KILLS YOU. The horrible part about this is
there is no
warning. There is no level that kills you. It's not cumulative or an
overdose; it can just go randomly, terribly wrong. Roll the dice and
if your number comes up you die. IT'S NOT AN OVERDOSE. It's Russian
roulette.
You don't die later. Or not feel good and say I've had too much.
You
usually die as your breathing it in. If not you die within 2
seconds of finishing
"the hit." That's why the straw was still in Kyle's mouth when he
died.
Why his eyes were still open.
The experts want to call this huffing. The kids don't believe its
huffing.
As adults we tend to lump many things together. But it doesn't fit
here. And that's why it's more accepted. There is no chemical
reaction. no
strong odor It doesn't follow the huffing signals. Kyle complained
a few days
before he died of his tongue hurting. It probably did. The
propellant causes
frostbite . If I had only known.
It's easy to say hay, it's my life and I'll do what I want. But it
isn't. Others are always affected. This has forever changed our
family's
life. I have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be fixed.
The pain is
so immense I can't describe it. There's nowhere to run from it. I
cry
all the time and I don't ever cry. I do what I'm supposed to do but
I don't
really care. My kids are messed up. One won't talk about it. The
other will
only sleep in our room at night. And my wife, I can't even describe
how
bad she is taking this. I thought we were safe because of Thor. I
thought we
were safe because we knew about drugs and talked to our kids about
them.
After Kyle died another story came out. A Probation Officer went to
the school system next to ours to speak with a student. While there
he
found a student using Dust Off in the bathroom. This student told
him about
another student who also had some in his locker. This is a rather
affluent
school system. They will tell you they don't have a drug problem
there. They
don't even have a dare or plus program there. So rather than tell
everyone
about this "new" way of getting high they found, they hid it. The
probation
officer told the media after Kyle's death and they, the school, then
admitted to it. I know that if they would have told the media and I
had heard, it wouldn't have been in my house.
We need to get this out of our homes and school computer labs.
Using Dust Off isn't new and some "professionals" do know about. It
just isn 't talked about much, except by the kids. They know about
it.
April 2nd was 1 month since Kyle died. April 5th would have been his
15th birthday. And every weekday I catch myself sitting on the
living room
couch at 2:30 in the afternoon and waiting to see him get off the
bus. I
know Kyle is in heaven but I can't help but wonder If I died and
went to Hell.
Jeff
Kyle, the 14-year-old Who Died From Inhaling Dust-Off-Truth!
Summary of the eRumor
The email is a long letter from a grieving father warning others about the potentially lethal effects of inhaling the compressed air product "Dust-Off."
It describes the death of his 14-year-old son.
The Truth
The "Jeff" of this email is Jeff Williams of Painesville Township, Ohio.
His son Kyle died on 3/2/05 after learning from friends about the brief high that can be experienced from inhaling the compressed air that spews from a can of Dust-Off, which is frequently sold at computer stores and used for cleaning hard-to-reach places in or on computers.
Williams first posted his note on a web site then gave an interview to the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.
Dust-Off is from Falcon Safety Products, which has posted a warning about misuse of Dust-Off.
Click Here for that page.
Dust-Off is just one of numerous products that is used by those who are involved in what is called "inhalant abuse."
The National Institutes of Health has an extensive listing about it.
Click Here for that report.
Last updated 6/6/05
A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:
Dust Off- A Serious Fatal Hazard
First I'm going to tell you a little about me and my family. My name
is Jeff I am a Police Officer for a city which is known nationwide
for its
crime rate. We have a lot of gangs and drugs. At one point we were #
2 in
the nation in homicides per capita. I also have a police K-9 named
Thor
He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 years
old
because he was shot in the line of duty. He lives with us now and
I still train
with him because he likes it. I always liked the fact that there
was no
way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn't allow it. He would
tell on
you. The reason I say this is so you understand that I know about
drugs. I
have taught in schools about drugs. My wife asks all our kids at
least
once a week if they used any drugs. Makes them promise they won't.
I like building computers occasionally and started building a new
one
in February 2005. I also was working on some of my older computers.
They
were full of dust so on one of my trips to the computer store I
bought a 3
pack of DUST OFF. Dust Off is a can of compressed air to blow dust
off a
computer A few weeks later when I went to use them they were all
used. I
talked to my kids and my 2 sons both said they had used them on
their computer
and messing around with them. I yelled at them for wasting the 10
dollars
I paid for them. On February 28 I went back to the computer store.
They
didn't have the 3 pack which I had bought on sale so I bought a
single jumbo can
of Dust Off. I went home and set it down beside my computer.
On March 1st I left for work at 10 PM. At 11 PM my wife went down
and
kissed Kyle goodnight. At 530 AM the next morning Kathy went
downstairs to
wake Kyle up for school, before she left for work. He was sitting
up in
bed with his legs crossed and his head leaning over. She called to
him a few
times to get up. He didn't move. He would sometimes tease her like
this and
pretend he fell back asleep. He was never easy to get up. She went
in and
shook his arm. He fell over. He was pale white and had the straw
from the Dust
Off can coming out of his mouth. He had the new can of Dust Off in
his hands.
Kyle was dead.
I am a police officer and I had never heard of this. My wife is a
nurse and she had never heard of this. We later found out from the
coroner,
after the autopsy, that only the propellant from the can of Dust
off was in his
system No other drugs. Kyle had died between midnight and 1 Am.
I found out that using Dust Off is being done mostly by kids ages 9
through 15. They even have a name for it. It's called dusting. A
take off
from the Dust Off name. It gives them a slight high for about 10
seconds. It
makes them dizzy. A boy who lives down the street from us showed
Kyle how
to do this about a month before. Kyle showed his best friend. Told
him it
was cool and it couldn't hurt you. It's just compressed air. It
can't hurt
you. His best friend said no.
Kyle's death
Kyle was wrong. It's not just compresses air. It also contains a
propellant.
I think its R2. It's a refrigerant like what is used in your
refrigerator.
It is a heavy gas.-Heavier than air. When you inhale it, it fills
your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen, out. That's why you
feel dizzy,
buzzed.
It decreases the oxygen to your brain, to your heart. Kyle was
right.
It can 't hurt you. IT KILLS YOU. The horrible part about this is
there is no
warning. There is no level that kills you. It's not cumulative or an
overdose; it can just go randomly, terribly wrong. Roll the dice and
if your number comes up you die. IT'S NOT AN OVERDOSE. It's Russian
roulette.
You don't die later. Or not feel good and say I've had too much.
You
usually die as your breathing it in. If not you die within 2
seconds of finishing
"the hit." That's why the straw was still in Kyle's mouth when he
died.
Why his eyes were still open.
The experts want to call this huffing. The kids don't believe its
huffing.
As adults we tend to lump many things together. But it doesn't fit
here. And that's why it's more accepted. There is no chemical
reaction. no
strong odor It doesn't follow the huffing signals. Kyle complained
a few days
before he died of his tongue hurting. It probably did. The
propellant causes
frostbite . If I had only known.
It's easy to say hay, it's my life and I'll do what I want. But it
isn't. Others are always affected. This has forever changed our
family's
life. I have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be fixed.
The pain is
so immense I can't describe it. There's nowhere to run from it. I
cry
all the time and I don't ever cry. I do what I'm supposed to do but
I don't
really care. My kids are messed up. One won't talk about it. The
other will
only sleep in our room at night. And my wife, I can't even describe
how
bad she is taking this. I thought we were safe because of Thor. I
thought we
were safe because we knew about drugs and talked to our kids about
them.
After Kyle died another story came out. A Probation Officer went to
the school system next to ours to speak with a student. While there
he
found a student using Dust Off in the bathroom. This student told
him about
another student who also had some in his locker. This is a rather
affluent
school system. They will tell you they don't have a drug problem
there. They
don't even have a dare or plus program there. So rather than tell
everyone
about this "new" way of getting high they found, they hid it. The
probation
officer told the media after Kyle's death and they, the school, then
admitted to it. I know that if they would have told the media and I
had heard, it wouldn't have been in my house.
We need to get this out of our homes and school computer labs.
Using Dust Off isn't new and some "professionals" do know about. It
just isn 't talked about much, except by the kids. They know about
it.
April 2nd was 1 month since Kyle died. April 5th would have been his
15th birthday. And every weekday I catch myself sitting on the
living room
couch at 2:30 in the afternoon and waiting to see him get off the
bus. I
know Kyle is in heaven but I can't help but wonder If I died and
went to Hell.
Jeff
-
Axial Flow
- Rank 7
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2004 6:00 pm
Re: Health Hazard Warning
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/dustoff.asp
Claim: Adolescents have died huffing from cans of Dust-Off brand compressed air.
Status: True.
Former Advocate for Floatplane Safety
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Dust-Off
CAUTION Container may explode if heated. Contents under pressure. Read back panel carefully
Important: Inhalant abuse is illegal and can cause permanent injury or be fatal. Please use our product responsibly
CAUTION KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. THE INTENTIONAL MISUSE BY DELIBERATELY INHALING CONTENTS MAY BE FATAL. Use in well ventilated area
it then goes on to say it can be ignited and its under pressure a second time, then first aid and directions. Like all products it has directions and a warning label, this warning label states twice that breathing it in could kill you. READ THE DAMN LABEL! They've given the warning, they've let you know the consequences. You don't have to ban the product, you just have to do what is says, read the label, and DON'T INHALE IT. As a gun owner I am taught that it is 100% my responsibility to let everyone in my household know, how to safely check a gun is unloaded and verify it safe, and how to unload and secure any firearm I own. There are plenty of things around a house to kill a kid. Electrical outlets, antifreeze, bleach, plastic bags take your pick. You teach your kids not to touch the stove when its on, don't stick a fork in the socket, don't drink antifreeze, add one more "hey don't huff dust off" A kid dying is horrible, but if he had drowned in a pool they'd blame the parents not the pool, if he had burned himself with a hot pan again the parents get the blame. A kid DELIBERATELY breaths in dust off to get high and dust off is to blame? The kid knows not to touch my gun, or my hunting knives (without my supervision and permission) he's been taught about poisons around the house, dust off is simply just another household poison I warn him about.
CAUTION Container may explode if heated. Contents under pressure. Read back panel carefully
Important: Inhalant abuse is illegal and can cause permanent injury or be fatal. Please use our product responsibly
CAUTION KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. THE INTENTIONAL MISUSE BY DELIBERATELY INHALING CONTENTS MAY BE FATAL. Use in well ventilated area
it then goes on to say it can be ignited and its under pressure a second time, then first aid and directions. Like all products it has directions and a warning label, this warning label states twice that breathing it in could kill you. READ THE DAMN LABEL! They've given the warning, they've let you know the consequences. You don't have to ban the product, you just have to do what is says, read the label, and DON'T INHALE IT. As a gun owner I am taught that it is 100% my responsibility to let everyone in my household know, how to safely check a gun is unloaded and verify it safe, and how to unload and secure any firearm I own. There are plenty of things around a house to kill a kid. Electrical outlets, antifreeze, bleach, plastic bags take your pick. You teach your kids not to touch the stove when its on, don't stick a fork in the socket, don't drink antifreeze, add one more "hey don't huff dust off" A kid dying is horrible, but if he had drowned in a pool they'd blame the parents not the pool, if he had burned himself with a hot pan again the parents get the blame. A kid DELIBERATELY breaths in dust off to get high and dust off is to blame? The kid knows not to touch my gun, or my hunting knives (without my supervision and permission) he's been taught about poisons around the house, dust off is simply just another household poison I warn him about.
Re: Health Hazard Warning
I'm scared. Hold me Doc. Hold me.
I just saw some draino in my cupboard. I thought it would be a tasty treat and might give me a buzz. Now I have a rumbly tumbly.
I just saw some draino in my cupboard. I thought it would be a tasty treat and might give me a buzz. Now I have a rumbly tumbly.
Re: Health Hazard Warning
if you crap red AND green, you're as good as dead.
Drinking outside the box.
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Tough audience, but look at it from another point of view. What teen couldn't easily excuse the presence of that stuff beside his or her PC...
You cut it...
-
corporate joe
- Rank 8
- Posts: 754
- Joined: Mon May 29, 2006 8:18 am
- Location: the coast
Re: Health Hazard Warning
The fact that this topic is stickied is a joke.
The 3 most important things to remember when you're old:
1) Never pass an opportunity to use a washroom
2) Never waste a hard on
3) Never trust a fart
John Mayer
1) Never pass an opportunity to use a washroom
2) Never waste a hard on
3) Never trust a fart
John Mayer
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Stickied or not I think the good doctor was just trying to make a public svc announcement. Aviation forum sure, is it relevant I dunno; I have kids too young for now, but I'll watch for the shit in the future, thanks Doc...
You cut it...
Re: Health Hazard Warning
I have a warning (printed in Chinese) on my Norinco .45ACP. It warns that the weapon is not to be used while playing "Russian Roulette"... 
Drinking lots of coffee lately, at a nice safe jungle desk, wishing I were flying......
-
corporate joe
- Rank 8
- Posts: 754
- Joined: Mon May 29, 2006 8:18 am
- Location: the coast
Re: Health Hazard Warning
The 3 most important things to remember when you're old:
1) Never pass an opportunity to use a washroom
2) Never waste a hard on
3) Never trust a fart
John Mayer
1) Never pass an opportunity to use a washroom
2) Never waste a hard on
3) Never trust a fart
John Mayer
-
desksgo
- Rank 10
- Posts: 2850
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2004 12:05 pm
- Location: Toy Poodle Town, Manitoba
- Contact:
Re: Health Hazard Warning
Thanks DOC, having kids I always appreciate warnings about stuff like this, all it takes is one kid in your kids school who tried this and says to your uniformed son/daughter try this it's cool, you get a head rush with no chemicals,... so on. I will be talking with my kids after the read the whole article that I will be giving them to read. To those of you who gave him flack for sharing this you either A) don't have kids or B) are too stupid to realize a good warning that could save your kids life. Grow up!!!
Here's another one that my kids read and I have received via e-mail a few times from people that care enough to warn you. I have not ever received the dust off one. Thanks again doc
MYSPACE: A Must Read for All
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ ALL OF THIS and HAVE CHILDREN READ IT TOO!
After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:
ByAngel213:
Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!
GoTo123:
LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you?
Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
ByAngel213:
Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
GoTo123:
Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?
ByAngel213:
Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
GoTo123:
Did you have a softball game after school today?
ByAngel213:
Yes and we won!!
GoTo123:
That's great! Who did you play?
ByAngel213:
We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL
GoTo123:
What is your team called?
ByAngel213:
We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really cool.
GoTo1 23:
Did you pitch?
ByAngel213:
No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!
GoTo123:
Catch you later. Bye
Meanwhile.......GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.
Her name: Shannon
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
Age: 13
State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. Every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School . She had told him all this in the conversations they had on- line. He had enough information to find her now.
Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.
By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.
Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely.
He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.
After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her.
Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon 's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car.
Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon 's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.
Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room.
"Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa.
"Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."
Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today!
"Do you know who I am, Shannon ?" the man asked.
"No," Shannon answered.
"I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."
Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14. And he lives in Michigan !"
The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon , there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. You named the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."
Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan ?"
He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?"
She nodded.
"I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line.. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again. Tell others about this so they will be safe too?"
"It's a promise!"
That night Shannon and her Dad and Mom all knelt down together and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragic situation.
Here's another one that my kids read and I have received via e-mail a few times from people that care enough to warn you. I have not ever received the dust off one. Thanks again doc
MYSPACE: A Must Read for All
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ ALL OF THIS and HAVE CHILDREN READ IT TOO!
After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:
ByAngel213:
Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!
GoTo123:
LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you?
Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
ByAngel213:
Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
GoTo123:
Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?
ByAngel213:
Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
GoTo123:
Did you have a softball game after school today?
ByAngel213:
Yes and we won!!
GoTo123:
That's great! Who did you play?
ByAngel213:
We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL
GoTo123:
What is your team called?
ByAngel213:
We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really cool.
GoTo1 23:
Did you pitch?
ByAngel213:
No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!
GoTo123:
Catch you later. Bye
Meanwhile.......GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.
Her name: Shannon
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
Age: 13
State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. Every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School . She had told him all this in the conversations they had on- line. He had enough information to find her now.
Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.
By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.
Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely.
He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.
After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her.
Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon 's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car.
Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon 's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.
Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room.
"Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa.
"Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."
Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today!
"Do you know who I am, Shannon ?" the man asked.
"No," Shannon answered.
"I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."
Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14. And he lives in Michigan !"
The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon , there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. You named the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."
Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan ?"
He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?"
She nodded.
"I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line.. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again. Tell others about this so they will be safe too?"
"It's a promise!"
That night Shannon and her Dad and Mom all knelt down together and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragic situation.
"Stand-by, I'm inverted"
