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 [6 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 [6 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 [6 favorites]
Afghanistan is where The Kite Runner takes place.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 1:08 PM on August 28 [6 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 [4 favorites]
The neck, to be clear.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:41 PM on August 28 [4 favorites]
“ 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 [3 favorites]
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 [3 favorites]
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 [1 favorite]
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 [1 favorite]
I'd heard of fighter kites before, but didn't realize how dangerous they could be. I just read the AP article and don't know if it was just who they interviewed, but it was interesting to see that no one was calling for a complete ban of the sport. Instead everyone was like, they need to move to an area where they won't hurt people with them.
posted by Art_Pot at 7:28 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
posted by Art_Pot at 7:28 PM on August 28 [1 favorite]
Mod note: Thanks for posting this, it's been added to the sidebar and Best Of blog!
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:39 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:39 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
Great post title, too.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:03 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:03 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
→
Yup, but there hadn't been in Toronto two decades back, but they banned all kite flying in parks anyway. Which pushes people to fly kites in hydro corridors, which generally don't have "no kites" signs 'cos you'd think people wouldn't fly kites near 230 kV power lines ... but no.
TFA, I had read it.
posted by scruss at 8:17 AM on August 29 [2 favorites]
TFA states there have been several deaths and serious injuries
Yup, but there hadn't been in Toronto two decades back, but they banned all kite flying in parks anyway. Which pushes people to fly kites in hydro corridors, which generally don't have "no kites" signs 'cos you'd think people wouldn't fly kites near 230 kV power lines ... but no.
TFA, I had read it.
posted by scruss at 8:17 AM on August 29 [2 favorites]
The article actually has a picture of a competition happening under hydro lines.
I'd heard of how dangerous this sport was but I didn't realize a lot of the danger was to random passerbys.
The fact that motorcyclists are modifying their bikes with mitigation measures shows how wide spread a problem this is perceived to be.
posted by Mitheral at 9:57 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
I'd heard of how dangerous this sport was but I didn't realize a lot of the danger was to random passerbys.
The fact that motorcyclists are modifying their bikes with mitigation measures shows how wide spread a problem this is perceived to be.
posted by Mitheral at 9:57 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
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posted by Czjewel at 11:20 AM on August 28 [2 favorites]