Yes, elementary schools in Richland, Washington, are bidding farewell to the venerable swing set. The Richland school district is removing the swings from elementary school playgrounds because they are too dangerous — or to be precise, too injurious for the district's insurance companies. And swing sets are probably more dangerous than you realized: About 200,000 kids in the U.S. go to the emergency room each year from swing-related playground injuries, The Associated Press reports, usually from walking in front of or behind a swing in motion.
"It's just really a safety issue," district spokesman Steve Aagard tells KEPR News. "Swings have been determined to be the most unsafe of all the playground equipment." Some parents are supportive of the move to take out the menacing insurance liabilities. Others remember the joy of learning to pump and soar high in the air — and also perhaps the important life lessons from the bumps and scrapes of childhood. Richland is in south-central Washington, west of Walla Walla.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
7 drinks for every winter need possibleThe Week Recommends Including a variety of base spirits and a range of temperatures
-
'We have made it a crime for most refugees to want the American dream'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?Today's Big Question Multiple sources claim Russian anti-aircraft missile damaged passenger jet, leading to Christmas Day crash that killed at least 38
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
