Children and Buckets

I take great exception to the photo of the little girl sitting in a bucket that you printed on page B3 on June 19.

At first glance it appears to be a cute, innocent, slice-of-life photo. But look more closely at the photo. Do you see the warning of possible death to toddlers on the bucket?

Young children just learning to walk can tip head-first into buckets such as these and drown in mere inches of any fluid. I can imagine many parents seeing this “cute idea” at the beginning of a long, hot summer and copying it because they saw it in The Times.

A very poor photo choice at best; a deadly one at worst.

GREG HRONEK, Newbury Park

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I was shocked when I opened the Ventura County News section on June 19 and saw the photo entitled “Pail Rider.”

Look at the picture. See the young child sitting in the water-filled bucket. How irresponsible are you people to show such a picture and fail to notice the clear warning label against young children being allowed to play with these buckets.

Did you wonder how many children died before these labels were put in place? Did your need to fill space override the risk that others seeing your picture will allow their toddlers to play with these dangerous “toys”? When a child slips into these buckets they do not cry out. No parent is alerted to their plight. They drown.

All home safety, from matches to firearms, starts with parents who educate their children to the real dangers and responsibilities that go with having these items around our homes and children.

Better if you had used the space to reinforce and educate parents to the dangers these buckets pose.

SCOTT ALBERT, Simi Valley