Slide recalled, will be removed from Myrtle Reservoir Park

| Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Landscape Structures Inc., announced a voluntary recall of the Slalom Glider slide. This slide is located in two Seattle parks. Landscape Structures Inc. will be working at Ross Playground and Myrtle Reservoir Park on Monday, February 20, 2012 to remove the recalled slide.

Landscape Structures is requesting consumers to immediately stop children from using the recalled gliders.

The slide is a playground slide that lacks a transition platform on the top and sides of the chute. The Slalom Glider is a distinctive 6-foot high slide that is curved in shape and made from molded plastic. It includes an arched, tubular steel access ladder. The recalled product comes as a stand-alone slide or as an attachment to other playground equipment.

Ross Playground is located at 4320 4th Ave. NW in the Fremont neighborhood and Myrtle Reservoir Park is located at 6900 35th Ave SW in West Seattle. Seattle Parks and Recreation is working with Landscape Structure Inc. to select and install an appropriate replace play element as soon as possible.

ADDED 7:26 PM: The recall was announced nationally yesterday, with at least 16 injuries blamed on the slide, according to this Associated Press story published by our partners at the Seattle Times.

Bryan February 17, 2012 (5:46 pm)

Makes sense that thing was crazy, my wife and I jokingly called it the “Armbreaker 6000”!

Jennifer February 17, 2012 (5:47 pm)

Bummer, the kids and I *love* that slide, especially because it flies in the face of today’s over-padded, over-protected playgrounds.

Kristin February 17, 2012 (6:05 pm)

It was fun for the bigger kids I bet, but man it freaked me out with my preschoolers and toddlers. I was not a fan of that one.

Diane February 17, 2012 (6:08 pm)

I heard most call it the ‘tongue’
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never could understand it; only daring kids of limited age groups could even try to go down that thing; and without another real slide at Myrtle, except the tiny one for toddlers, made no sense; glad to see it going away; will it be replaced with a real slide?

Debra February 17, 2012 (7:18 pm)

Gee, and to think I went down wooden slides with splinters in them and broken metal slides from the time I could sit up….And. I. Still. Lived! Imagine that in this day and age of such over protection. I live in Salem, Oregon and they just installed this slide in our neighborhood park. I just knew some freaky scared mother or dad would end this one soon. Good grief. Let’s put our kids in bubblewrap before we let them outside!

WSB February 17, 2012 (7:24 pm)

Gosh, I don’t know that 16 reported injuries, including broken bones, equal “freaky scared mother or dad” … just got around to looking up more background beyond what the city included in its announcement, and found this:
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017527384_apuschildrensslidesrecall.html

?? February 17, 2012 (7:22 pm)

I always thought that looked like a death trap, but then thought maybe I was being a helicopter parent. But I guess the vote is in for death trap.

Oliver February 17, 2012 (7:30 pm)

Debra – recalls like this happen typically happen after multiple severe or deadly injuries. Plenty of us survived childhood without car seats and seatbelts, but that doesn’t mean I’m being a freaky scared mom because I require that my kids use them.

KM February 17, 2012 (7:35 pm)

Without another slide alternative it was sad that the smaller kids had nothing to use. My daughter fell off it twice before SHE realized it wasn’t a good idea. I’m not an over protective parent, but having had an 18 month old in a hard cast from a slide accident (different slide- fluke accident) I try to spot broken bones before they happen.

Rick February 17, 2012 (8:12 pm)

Better break out those cradle to grave plastic bubbles.

Walnut February 17, 2012 (8:37 pm)

And in a related story, air is recalled due to various asthma attacks in the area.

rob February 17, 2012 (8:38 pm)

Aren’t these sets meant for bigger kids?

I can’t recall if i saw a placard on this set saying so, but the one at Gatewood Elementary has one on it saying its meant only for older kids. Don’t recall the age range it specifies, but if I do remember it being way older than preschool.

Jennifer February 17, 2012 (9:16 pm)

Yes, there is a posted recommended age range on the structure, but I doubt many people notice it. There is also a separate toddler structure with a slide appropriate for smaller kidlets at the park. We are really going to miss the tongue slide and plan on taking our last runs tomorrow :(

datamuse February 17, 2012 (10:40 pm)

Wonder how many of the people deriding this are parents. Geez, people.

A February 18, 2012 (7:24 am)

I had a funny moment trying to figure out how it worked and almost fell off myself! I think I traumatized my 4 year old because he wanted nothing to do with it after that. It’s just awkward…plain and simple.

Cheryl February 18, 2012 (11:08 am)

We always thought the “tongue” looked really cool, but my Kindergarten kiddo had no interest in actually going down it (“too scary” she said).
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My biggest fear about it wasn’t the lack of walls on the sides, but how close the exit from the slide was to the fencing. In any case, I really DO hope they replace it with another (safer) slide, b/c slides and swings are the best thing ever (at least in my daughters world).

JoanE February 18, 2012 (11:35 am)

This was just a bad design. My husband and I rode it and the only way to keep from falling off the sides was to sling a leg over each edge and go down the board spread eagled. Sincerely hoping my husband’s wicked sense of humor didn’t tempt him to make a video of that indelicate ride …

david February 18, 2012 (3:06 pm)

Now has yellow tape wrapped around it. No more “goodbye” runs…

Jim P. February 18, 2012 (3:19 pm)

Normally, I shudder at the panic and hysteria over some things that surround children these days, but looking at the number and level of injuries on this one causes me to say I’d have to think this is probably not the best playground thing ever installed.

Children will get bumps and bruises and occasional broken things growing up and learning how the world works (I still recall a girl in Kindergarten coming in with a broken arm and the realization that we break) but this seems a good call on this item.

Pity though, it looks like a cool slide and most playground stuff these days appears to have been designed for those kids and adults who have to have caretakers and wear helmets all the time.

WSB February 19, 2012 (8:52 am)

Flagged to this. We do have a rule against comment threads going completely offtopic and while it’s not always invoked, in a case where people might actually be trying to get information related to a safety problem, it is entirely inappropriate, so I’m deleting those comments. If you want to talk about politics when there’s no political story in play here in the news section, we have a quite vigorous discussion area devoted to politics in the WSB Forums – https://westseattleblog.com/forum (or follow the tab at top right) … thanks, TR