Serious question to forum members outside the US.

[Shadow]

Why do so many of y'all think garbage disposals are scary? Almost any time someone mentions them, all these people talk about how scary they are, but why? They're just kinda noisy and, okay, I don't want to stick my hand down there, but that's cuz the disposal is slimy and smells weird. And yet I just read a bunch of posts about people being scared of garbage disposals eating their kids??? Just...what?? Why?

...any light you guys can shine on this? -lost-

 

[Viper]

I've seen these garbage disposal things in movies and frankly I never gave it much thought.
I gather with kids being very curious, people are scared they will stick their hand into one and terrible things will happen.
The disposal eating a whole kid is most likely just a joke.

I'm just worried how hygienic having that thing is? You said it's slimy and smells weird... do you wash it every few days with something strong? You know, to get all the bacteria neutralized.

 

[Lain]

Garbage disposals...scary? I've never heard that one before.

 

[Rebel Dynasty]

Aside from seeing the really hokey scenes in horror films where someone gets caught in it up to their elbow and it turns them into bloody mulch? I've never given it much thought. I can see people's concern about their children's safety being legit, but not to that extreme; more like they'd be worried about them losing a finger or two. ^^;

Mostly, the thought of them just grosses me out. If it's rank when I accidentally drop food down our sinks here, disposal-free, then I can just imagine how nasty the disposals themselves smell. :hungover:

 

[Shadow]

Honestly, I'd never seen anything about them being scary until recently and now I keep seeing people fretting about them. @_@ Makes sense it comes from horror movies, though...it's just weird to me. x_x Makes me wonder how someone came up with it for the movies to begin with....

Regarding the smell: I just pour the left overs of whatever I've been cleaning with in and that usually takes care of the smell...or stick half a chopped up lemon in there and...yeah. Can't do much about the slime, though...just avoid sticking your hand in there. (I think they can be opened up and cleaned out?? I duno....) We also have a little grate...food catchy thing that keeps food (or, more specifically, silverware) from falling in.

 

[Dante's Stalker]

XDDDD
Sounds like ignorance to me, rather than actual concern for the wellbeing of a kid. We had a garbage disposal at one stage a few years back. At first I was like WHOA man this thing is scary, doesn't it turn people's arms into minced meat or something?
Yeah, nah. The blades are not that sharp, ours were pretty blunt (like a butter knife).
Are they scary? No.
Are they disgusting? Oh yeah.
I think if anyone would have dared me (about 15 years ago, I might add, I'm slightly more sensible now) to put my hand down into one, I would have. I'd probably have had a bloody mess of broken/mangled hand/fingers afterward, but I highly doubt anyone could get their entire forearm chopped up in it. :dead:

 

[Angel]

I want one.

 

[Sparda's Rebellion]

Why do so many of y'all think garbage disposals are scary? Almost any time someone mentions them, all these people talk about how scary they are, but why? They're just kinda noisy and, okay, I don't want to stick my hand down there, but that's cuz the disposal is slimy and smells weird. And yet I just read a bunch of posts about people being scared of garbage disposals eating their kids??? Just...what?? Why?

...any light you guys can shine on this? -lost-

I didn't realize that was a fear outside of the US, that's weird.