This would be funny if it wasn't a matter of life and death

[Kara]

Not really SC issue, but kind of a sucky worker issue. I was at Target the other day and all the associates carry around walkie-talkies to communicate with (don't know if all locations do this, but the ones in my area do).

There was someone's wakie-talkie sitting on a ladder over in the clothing section I was shopping in, when I heard this exchange take place. It just about floored me.

MAN#1: Uh, hey. You know those little packets in the shoeboxes that say "Do Not Eat?" What, uh, what happens if someone eats them?
MAN#2: I think you die.
WOMAN#1: Shut up! You don't die, you just get sick. Don't tell me somebody ate one?
MAN#1: Yeah, they did.
MAN#2: Just, like, a few pieces of the stuff inside?
MAN#1: I think...hang on. *muffled* Yeah, he ate all of it.
WOMAN#1: Well, I guess you should call poison control or something.
MAN#1: Ok. Uh, what's the number?
MAN#2: Dude, just look it up.
WOMAN#2 (I assume a manager): Wait, what's going on, now?
MAN#1: Uh, somebody ate one of those little packets that says "Do Not Eat."
WOMAN#2: A customer?
MAN#1: Yeah. Their kid. He's, like, uh, 4.
WOMAN#2: A kid? Oh sh*t! What are you wasting time for? CALL 911 RIGHT NOW!

[CanadaGirl]

Little kids swallowing strange objects is never funny.

[SongsOfDragons]

What's actually in there and what does it do, both in practice and to the body? I never found out.

[Acolyte]

Ouch.

Kids eat everything they can fit in their mouths.

Seriously, why didn't these tools call 911?

[Kara]

Yeah, that's where I realized how terrible it was. I thought they were just playing around at first, then I thought of this guy I used to work with who would eat anything for $1, and thought some dumb teenager ate one to impress his friends, then they said it was a kid. I hope the manager ripped the guy a new one for not calling 911 to begin with. It's entirely different if someone consuming harmful materials is a child.

And the packets are filled with little pellets of Silica Gel. They absorb moisture. The former coworker I mentioned claimed he ate a couple of packets worth once, and said he threw up for hours.

[Daskinor]

What's actually in there and what does it do, both in practice and to the body? I never found out.

Silica gel, it is a high end desiccant. It is made up of silicon and oxygen. In reality it can not poison you. However it can absorb high quantities of water literally drying you out from inside. You would have to eat a large about to cause death. Since it is not poisonous it is approved for food use. It is found in everything from paper, leather, beef jerky, pill bottles and electronics that can be damaged from humidity.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Kid will more than likely pass a bunch of gross, clear "jelly." Probably won't hurt him in the long run.

[BookstoreEscapee]

After a little googling, I have learned that silica gel by itself won't kill you, most likely you will have an upset stomach. But sometimes it may be coated with another chemical as a "moisture indicator" that can be harmful, so if it is labeled poisonous, that may be the reason.

I vaguely remember hearing that it will turn your lips blue, but I don't know if that's true. Nor am I curious enough to find out.

[ContraCorriente]

I ate a packet of silica gel when I was two or three. I remember my mom telling me she called poison control. *shrug*

[angelkirie]

The conversation is funny tho, That's precisely why we have "radio etiquette" at my store, though there have been quite a few funny radio conversations in the past. Unfortunately I can only remember one of my own: (but I will have to look up the others to see if they're worth posting)

Backstory: I was working in the babysitting area, which we called the Ball Room at the time because there was a ballpit involved. Anyway, one of the printers jammed and our fancy bracelets that had all the parents information on them were wrapped around the innards of the printer. On this particular day we were at capacity, 72 children to 8 coworkers and there was lots of children screaming in the background.

Me: "Maintenance come in please?"
Maintenance: "Go ahead"
Me: "Can someone please bring something sharp to the Ball Room?"

.... ...

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Doing a little googling myself it seems that the bigest danger is a choaking hazard from the size of the bag.

As for the stuff itself they suggest drinking some water to clear out the bad taste and to help with stomach upset.

As for the story by angelkirie, this is why we would say something to the effect of "the paper bracelets for the children jammed the printer. We need something brought to us to cut them out of the printer."

Thus clearing up any confusion to any bystanders who might hear the radio.

M

[Tria]

What's actually in there and what does it do, both in practice and to the body? I never found out.

If it's the things you find in shoes. They're nontoxic.

[Demonoid Phenomenon]

In reference to another post currently making the rounds...

You say:
DO NOT EAT

They hear:
Yum!