Sender: jelson@server.cs.jhu.edu
Cc: jelson@server.cs.jhu.edu
Subject: Re: Mystery of the killer towels 
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Sun, 28 Feb 93 23:43:31 PST."
             <9303010743.AA28851@dante.lbl.gov>
Status: O


Terry - 

Here's the reference you wanted:

JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), Nov. 11, 1988,
p. 2697, "Soda Pop Vending Machine Injuries".

[Following summary by Jeremy Elson]

-------------

     3-NEVER, EVER, TRY TO GET A FREE DRINK BY ROCKING THE MACHINE.
Do not ignore this piece of advice!  Attempting to obtain a free
drink by rocking the machine back and forth can result in serious
personal injury or death!  An article in the Journal of the
American Medical Association (Nov. 11, 1988, p. 2697) documents 15
cases in which men trying to get a can out of the machine were
crushed.  3 died, the other 12 required hospitalization for
injuries such as fractures of the skull, toe, ankle, tibia, femur,
and pelvis; intercerebral bleeding; knee contusion; and one
punctured bladder.  The article states that because the sodas are
located in the upper half of the machine (so that they can fall
into the dispensing slot), the center of gravity of the machine is
abnormally high and the machine will fall after it has been tipped
only 20 degrees, a deceptively small angle.  A large, fully loaded
machine can weigh in excess of 1000 pounds.  I strongly advocate
the policy whereby all Juice Machines must display the label
"WARNING: Tipping this machine or any other unstable object
weighing in excess of 1000 pounds onto yourself can result in
serious bladder injury or death."