Now single up all lines!
August 28, 2024 11:08 AM Subscribe
Kites have a long history in Brazil and are particularly popular in Rio’s favelas, the poor neighborhoods often clinging to the mountains overlooking and surrounding the city, where a cottage industry uses bamboo and tissue paper to produce kites. For many, kites evoke childhood and light-hearted diversion. And some do fly kites simply to feel the wind’s tug upon a harmless cotton string. But attached to cutting lines, kites can be fatal, particularly when sweeping across highways where speeding motorists struggle to spot them. from Plaything or peril? Brazilian kites are endangering lives and prompting a push for a national ban [The Associated Press]
Glass-coated kites and cervical injuries: a serious threat to children and adults
Uso de cerol em pipas é um perigo e pode causar acidentes
O perigo das linhas de pipa com cerol
Kite Fight [NYT Op-Doc; previously]
Glass-coated kites and cervical injuries: a serious threat to children and adults
Uso de cerol em pipas é um perigo e pode causar acidentes
O perigo das linhas de pipa com cerol
Kite Fight [NYT Op-Doc; previously]
cw on the Kite Runner, for sexual violence.
We went through this oooh deadly glass-coated kite lines thing in Toronto two decades ago, and it basically turned out that (after banning kites from most parks) there had been no injuries but it was more of a racist scaremongering thing.
Yes, fighting kites are a thing, as are glassed lines. Motes and beams compared to automotive injuries, though.
posted by scruss at 12:34 PM on August 28 [4 favorites]
We went through this oooh deadly glass-coated kite lines thing in Toronto two decades ago, and it basically turned out that (after banning kites from most parks) there had been no injuries but it was more of a racist scaremongering thing.
Yes, fighting kites are a thing, as are glassed lines. Motes and beams compared to automotive injuries, though.
posted by scruss at 12:34 PM on August 28 [4 favorites]
Gosh, I had no idea. But this pastime is popular in Iran( or is it Iraq, maybe both)...An excellent movie is The Kite Runner. Do see it if you can.
Afghanistan is where The Kite Runner takes place.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 1:08 PM on August 28 [3 favorites]
Afghanistan is where The Kite Runner takes place.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 1:08 PM on August 28 [3 favorites]
Those injuries all sound really grim.
Fighter kites are really fun to fly, maneuverable as they are. I've never messed with competition, let alone string that can cut.
The kites aren't expensive, especially if you make it yourself--if you're at all kite-inclined, they're well worth messing around with.
posted by german_bight at 3:03 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
Fighter kites are really fun to fly, maneuverable as they are. I've never messed with competition, let alone string that can cut.
The kites aren't expensive, especially if you make it yourself--if you're at all kite-inclined, they're well worth messing around with.
posted by german_bight at 3:03 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
Glass-coated kites and cervical injuries
The neck, to be clear.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:41 PM on August 28
The neck, to be clear.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:41 PM on August 28
“ there had been no injuries but it was more of a racist scaremongering thing.”
TFA states there have been several deaths and serious injuries, and included pictures of one of the injuries and surviving family and death notices of one of the deaths.
posted by toodleydoodley at 3:44 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
TFA states there have been several deaths and serious injuries, and included pictures of one of the injuries and surviving family and death notices of one of the deaths.
posted by toodleydoodley at 3:44 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
We had this in Chile. It was banned.
When a kite got its line cut, it was called "irse cortado", which came to also mean to fail at something, or to orgasm.
posted by signal at 4:23 PM on August 28
When a kite got its line cut, it was called "irse cortado", which came to also mean to fail at something, or to orgasm.
posted by signal at 4:23 PM on August 28
« Older "...to have the last say from beyond the grave..." | mathematical marbling Newer »
posted by Czjewel at 11:20 AM on August 28 [2 favorites]