ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - City officials were so concerned about the potentially dangerous properties of dihydrogen monoxide that they considered banning foam cups after they learned the chemical was used in their production.
Then they learned that dihydrogen monoxide - H2O for short - is the scientific term for water.
“It’s embarrassing,” said City Manager David J. Norman. “We had a paralegal who did bad research.”
The paralegal apparently fell victim to one of the many official looking Web sites that have been put up by pranksters to describe dihydrogen monoxide as “an odorless, tasteless chemical” that can be deadly if accidentally inhaled.
As a result, the City Council of this Orange County suburb had been scheduled to vote next week on a proposed law that would have banned the use of foam containers at city-sponsored events. Among the reasons given for the ban were that they were made with a substance that could “threaten human health and safety.”
The measure has been pulled from the agenda, although Norman said the city may still eventually ban foam cups. ►
City Falls Victim to Internet Hoax, Considers Banning Items Made with Water
I don’t know why, but that last sentence just strikes me as even funnier than the fact the city almost banned water.
“Well, I reckon we can’t ban water, so how’s about we just ban ... oh, how about foam cups?”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Ohhh. I can’t breathe.
UPDATE: Instalanche!!!
Comments:
“We had a paralegal who did bad research”?
Do they still have this paralegal?
CGHill :: Mar 14, 2004 10:46 AM
Pssshh! They probably promoted her.
McGehee :: Mar 14, 2004 11:07 AM
This is what happens when you let politicians make scientific policy without consulting qualified scientists first. This type of thing seems to be an epidemic in your country, what with the right’s “faith based science” policies and the extreme left’s “the world is doomed unless we save the spotted owl” attitude.
Robert McClelland :: Mar 14, 2004 1:59 PM
“We had a paralegal who did bad research”
They also have a paralegal - and a bunch of City Council members and staff - who didn’t pay attention in high school science class.
They don’t recognize the chemical name of water? Wotta buncha maroons.
Barbara Skolaut :: Mar 14, 2004 2:40 PM
“Dihydrogen monoxide” is okay . . . but, if you really want to scare the bejeebers out of folks with a background in Industrial Hygiene, you can use a slightly more-correct term: the corrosive-sounding “hydrogen hydroxide”.
—-David
David Gonzalez :: Mar 14, 2004 7:15 PM
It continues to astound and amaze me how easy it is to get people with that one. It’s been around for years, and still they don’t get it.
Makes me weep for the future it does.
Dean Esmay :: Mar 15, 2004 12:54 AM
Too bad they didn’t further describe dihydrogen monoxide as “an odorless, tasteless, industrial grade solvent” to further ratchet up the fear factor amongst the moronosphere.
charles austin :: Mar 16, 2004 6:44 PM
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