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joenick
Us
Member since 6/06 9370 total posts
Name:
Valerie...aka...Do Me A Favor?
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Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Pauline (Rose825) and I worked in a children's party place years ago and can attest to the filth in ball pits. The following is an email I received and it is truly scary. Please read...and be careful where you have your children's birthday parties and where your children play! 
MDonalds, Chuck E Cheese, Discovery Zone...
Ball Pits!
Some of you might not be parents, but you may have nieces, nephews, grandchildren or friends with children. This will pertain to you too.
As I read the following, my heart sank. I urge each and every one of you to pass this on to as many people as you can. I cannot stress how important this is!
This is very disturbing news. In addition to the following true story...
One son lost his watch, and was very upset. We dug and dug in those balls, trying to find the watch.
Instead, we found vomit, food, feces, and other stuff I do not want to discuss. I went to the manager and raised hell. Come to find out, the ball pit is only cleaned out once a month. I have doubts that it is even done that often. My kids will never play in another ball pit. Now read this:
PRETTY SCARY!!
Hi. My name is Lauren Archer, my son Kevin and I lived in Midland,TN. On October 2nd, 1999 I took my only son to McDonald's for his 3rd birthday.
After he finished lunch, I allowed him to play in the ball pit. When he started whining later on, I asked him what was wrong, he pointed to the back of his pull-up and simply said "Mommy, it hurts." I couldn't find anything wrong with him at that time. I bathed him when we got home, and it was at that point when I found a welt on his left buttock. Upon investigating, it seemed as if there was something like a splinter under the welt. I made an appointment to see the doctor the next day, but soon
he started vomiting and shaking, then his eyes rolled back intohis
head.
From there, we went to the emergency room. He died later that night. It turned out that the welt on his buttock was the tip of a hypodermic needle that had broken off inside. The autopsy revealed that Kevin had died from a heroine overdose. The next week, the police removed the balls from the ball pit. There was rotten food, several hypodermic needles: some full, some used; knives, half-eaten candy, diapers, feces, and the stench of urine.
If a child is not safe in a child's play area then where? You can find the article on Kevin Archer in the October 10,1999 issue of the Midland Chronicle.
Please forward this to all loving mothers, fathers and anyone who loves and cares for children!
Don't think it's just McDonald's either or that this is something that just started. When my oldest son who is now 9 was small the area Burger King closed their play area for awhile for "remodeling" because in another town there had been an incident similar to the one described above that happen @ a Burger King.
A little boy had been playing in a ball pit & started complaining of his legs hurting. He later died too. He was found to have snake bites all over his legs & buttocks. When they cleaned the ball pit they found that there was a copperhead nest in the ball pit. He had suffered numerous bites from a very poisonous snake.
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Posted 9/18/06 5:42 PM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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MrsERod
Praying for Everyone.
Member since 5/05 26170 total posts
Name:
MrsERod™®
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
this is why i NEVER EVER EVER let my girls play in ball pits!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
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| Posted 9/18/06 5:53 PM |
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joenick
Us
Member since 6/06 9370 total posts
Name:
Valerie...aka...Do Me A Favor?
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Same here. I am actually sooooooo neurotic about this (due to my prior knowledge of ball pits) that when my son is invited to a party, I ask if there are ballpits. If there is ...we don't go. I'm sorry, the health of my child comes first!
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| Posted 9/18/06 5:54 PM |
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RyansMommy
LIF Infant
Member since 5/05 373 total posts
Name:
Mom of 2
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
although they can be gross...the story is not true:
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/parental/archer.asp
http://www.scambusters.org/urban-legends/mcdonalds.html
Message edited 9/18/2006 6:03:57 PM.
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| Posted 9/18/06 6:02 PM |
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MrsSchwags
Soccer Baseball Lax Mom
Member since 10/05 11240 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
i worked at chuck e cheese when i was in high school and the ball pit was gross.
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| Posted 9/18/06 6:02 PM |
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joenick
Us
Member since 6/06 9370 total posts
Name:
Valerie...aka...Do Me A Favor?
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Oh sorry...didn't know it was false (who would make up such horrible stories anyway). BUT...it is not far from the truth. Those pits are disgusting. I don't care if the workers tell you it's cleaned routinely...cause they're probably not. It is sucha PITA to empty the pit, vaccuum it out and disinfect the balls. Trust me>>>>I unfortunately know.
Here's what I did find on that snopes site:
Though the tragedy described in "Lauren Archer's" e-mail is fictional, the danger of a tot coming into contact with a discarded syringe in one of those play nests is surprisingly real. Ball pit play areas aren't always kept in the best condition. Before letting your child loose in one, make sure the play area's maintenance staff spot cleans the pit once a day and washes all the balls every week. Diapers come off in ball pits, and half-eaten candy is routinely found in there. More disturbingly, syringes and knives have turned up in ball pits.
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| Posted 9/18/06 6:06 PM |
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MrsERod
Praying for Everyone.
Member since 5/05 26170 total posts
Name:
MrsERod™®
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
true or not - they're still gross!!!
just the thought of dirty socks, sick, drooling, vomiting kids - not to mention soiled diapers that need changing - being all up in there is enough for me to steer FAR away from any and all ball pits!!!!!!!!!!!
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| Posted 9/18/06 6:15 PM |
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Tanaholic
My Big Boy!
Member since 10/05 2383 total posts
Name:
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Even if not true, I can only imagine the germs in those things! I doubt they are ever cleaned.
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| Posted 9/18/06 6:19 PM |
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MelToddJulia
Love my Family!
Member since 7/05 29064 total posts
Name:
Mel
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
I would never let Julia play in the ball pit, its so nasty in there!! I feel so bad for that poor kid. 
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| Posted 9/18/06 6:30 PM |
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monkeybride
My Everything
Member since 5/05 20541 total posts
Name:
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
I was going to say the same thing. I got this in an email the other day.
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| Posted 9/18/06 6:31 PM |
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antoinette
boy mamma
Member since 5/05 2975 total posts
Name:
Antoinette
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
wow!
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| Posted 9/18/06 6:40 PM |
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Samlove
Member since 5/05 4729 total posts
Name:
Shari
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
WOW now I know why Discovery Zone closed down. I will never let my kids ina ball pitt again. I even hate those climbing things at Burger King .
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| Posted 9/18/06 7:23 PM |
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JoCaCoLa
Brothers For Life
Member since 5/05 1536 total posts
Name:
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Even though the story is not true, I still wouldn't let my DS play in a ball pit. I feel it's a complete germ fest and completely avoidable!! 
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| Posted 9/18/06 8:03 PM |
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Marcie
Complete Happiness :)
Member since 5/05 27789 total posts
Name:
LOVE being a Mommy!
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
I just got sick
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| Posted 9/18/06 8:08 PM |
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SoinLove
Making big changes
Member since 5/05 16541 total posts
Name:
Kristin
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
At least it's not true, but those things are still disgusting!
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| Posted 9/18/06 9:00 PM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
Name:
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
True or not, they're disgusting. All you need to picture is a drooling kid in the ball pit. I'm sure you're all still tramutized from cox sackie & don't need the remind.
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| Posted 9/18/06 9:18 PM |
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rose825
Best Friends
Member since 6/05 10228 total posts
Name:
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Val's right, they are gross. When we would "clean them" it was every few months and you would not believe the things we would find. Dirty diapers, old pizza. Once a kid had diarrhea in the ball pit. And cleaning was hosing the balls off in garbage bags.
I wont let Ryan in ball pits either.
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| Posted 9/18/06 9:52 PM |
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Texas4Good
My Boys
Member since 6/05 1019 total posts
Name:
Anne
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
OMG, just last week my girlfriend was telling me about this as we walked into the local "Chucky Cheese". I had never heard of this, but now reading about it as well...really is eye opening. So, so, sad... I don't see why they just don't do away with those things.
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| Posted 9/18/06 11:08 PM |
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lmb03
Stop kissing me!
Member since 5/05 2636 total posts
Name:
L
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Posted by MrsSchwags
i worked at chuck e cheese when i was in high school and the ball pit was gross.
I did as well. I always swore my kids would never play in one.
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| Posted 9/19/06 6:40 AM |
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AndreaLMT
:)
Member since 5/05 6856 total posts
Name:
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Although that email is an "urban legend", I still think they are nasty & wouldn't let Alex play in one.
Message edited 9/19/2006 7:53:32 AM.
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| Posted 9/19/06 7:53 AM |
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MrsBumbleb
it's me
Member since 5/05 11234 total posts
Name:
Christine
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Ball pits and sand boxes totally gross me out
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| Posted 9/19/06 2:52 PM |
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KangaMom
...
Member since 1/06 4593 total posts
Name:
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Posted by MrsBumbleb
Ball pits and sand boxes totally gross me out
Yes both are nasty and DD will steer clear from them 
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| Posted 9/19/06 3:01 PM |
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Tany
Becoming a different woman
Member since 5/05 24460 total posts
Name:
Tania
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
I'm sick reading this.
Thanks for posting this.
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| Posted 9/19/06 4:19 PM |
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Ladybug63
Ohh... baby
Member since 5/06 2527 total posts
Name:
D
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Re: Ball Pits!!!!!!!!! Please Read---Scary Info
Ewww...I Hate ball pits & BTW chucky cheese in Commack doesn't even have one anymore. I can't imagine why?
P.S, In the beginning of the email she says she took her ONLY son to the ball pit and later talks about taking her oldest 9yo son to a BK???
Message edited 9/19/2006 6:43:23 PM.
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| Posted 9/19/06 6:42 PM |
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