Posted on 08/17/2016 7:43:01 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Three people, including two children, have died after their throats were slit by glass-coated strings used for flying kites on India's Independence Day.
...
Glass-coated strings are used to bring down competitors' kites, but they also end up injuring and killing people.
Many Indians fly kites to celebrate festivals and important occasions like the Independence Day, which is celebrated on 15 August.
But every year, there are reports of people dying or getting wounded from the kite strings - locally known as manja - treated with powdered glass or metal to sharpen them.
...
The Delhi government has now banned the use of sharpened manja to fly kites and promised to run campaigns to educate people about the dangers of using such strings.
Authorities said the sale, production and storage of nylon, plastic or any other glass or metal-coated manja would be prohibited in the capital city and those who violated the ban would have to pay a penalty of 100,000 rupees ($1,495; £1,148) and could be jailed for up to five years.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Who is the genius that came up with that one? What could possibly go wrong?
Probably some guy named No-Fingers Rajasha...
We used to do that when I was a kid.
Yikes!
I'm pretty sure I remember that from the Cub Scout book.
Albeit, the glass coating was a section towards the kite, and used to duel another kite, severing the other kite's string, rather than the throat of the other kite flier.
Or, anybody else, for that matter.
Probably the same guy who first realized that Roman Candles could make good anti-personnel weapons for fireworks wars...
Seems like every culture has its share of stupid.
exactly, read a book called Kite Runner, its what they do, sort of like a race i guess... though i dont see how you could cut THREE peoples throats...
Brings a whole new meaning to telling someone to “go fly a kite.”
We need kite-string control laws!!
“though i dont see how you could cut THREE peoples throats...”
==
Wind whipping it around several people?
Who is the genius that came up with that one?
Damn!...That’s probably the worst case of dumb luck I’ve ever heard of.
They put blades and razors on their kites to cut the strings of their opponents. The glass coating was the answer to prevent the string from being cut. Unfortunately it also effectively converts their string into a piano wire which is not a good thing to have flinging around on a windy day in a crowd.
Ever heard of kite fighting?
Seems a bit unlikely but I guess so :)
Glass-coated strings are used to bring down competitors’ kites
what ever happened to mounting Machine Guns on your kite ?
We did that as kids, but we hung fishhooks off of our kites. We also made a ton of bombs, rockets and flaming ordnance. We were stupid back then.
“What ever happened to mounting Machine Guns on your kite ?”
I know. Kids today, huh?
I had no idea kite flying could be such a cutthroat affair.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.