A Trampoline • Hacker News Board

Re: A Trampoline

#51

Post by femto » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 5:16 AM UTC

Theodores wrote: post #5

If I was their mischievous uncle, I would get them a full feature drum set, maybe with extra percussion instruments. Hopefully the kids will show the same enthusiasm for it, before the parents let them play the drums in the bath or the rain, in a deliberate effort to get the kids to destroy the drum set.

Best I heard was someone who taught their "friend's" young child to screech like a cockatoo [1]. You can take a drum kit away, but you can't take a cockatoo screech away. The recording doesn't give true justice to the volume.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAJ75uECWHw

Re: A Trampoline

#52

Post by jsmo » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 5:36 AM UTC

oh my god, tramapoline, trambapoline!!!

Re: A Trampoline

#53

Post by bobsmooth » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 5:46 AM UTC

y7 wrote: post #50

eweise wrote: post #22

I sweated the years we had a trampoline. It was visible from the street so anyone could have jumped on it and broke their neck. One of my children's friends did get hurt but fortunately, not enough to become an issue. They're a huge liability and not sure insurance covers them.

How did this common-sense-defeating liability culture actually start in the US? From a European perspective it is really strange to be liable in situations like this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attractive_nuisance_doctrine

Re: A Trampoline

#54

Post by rao-v » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 6:02 AM UTC

bobsmooth wrote: post #53

y7 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did this common-sense-defeating liability culture actually start in the US? From a European perspective it is really strange to be liable in situations like this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attractive_nuisance_doctrine

Wait it only applies in 14 states? Why do people act like it’s true of the entire country?

Re: A Trampoline

#55

Post by jimnotgym » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 6:28 AM UTC

At my nieces birthday party she had a new trampoline, but didn't know what it was, as my bothers were assembling it for her. She kept asking and they kept deliberately evading.

Then suddenly she realised what it was.

"It's a bounce-a-trine" she announced. It rather stuck with the family, that one did.

Re: A Trampoline

#56

Post by mingusrude » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 6:29 AM UTC

astura wrote: post #39

zzzeek wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Insurance does not cover them and if they find out you have one they are likely to cancel your coverage. I'm not sure why "you can lose your home insurance for having one of these" isn't being brought up more.

It gets worse - if you make an unrelated insurance claim while owning an undisclosed trampoline then insurance company can deny your claim due to having the trampoline even if the claim has nothing to do with the trampoline. Not sure how common that is, but it's definitely a possibility. My cousin is an insurance adjuster and he said he denies claims for misrepresentation all the time. So all you trampoline owners I…

> ...while owning an undisclosed trampoline...

This is the weirdest combination of words I have seen this week. If I own a trampoline, why would my insurance company care? And if they care, why doesn't the market fix this, parents with trampolines would certainly choose other companies.

Re: A Trampoline

#57

Post by whoamii » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 6:35 AM UTC

aeontech wrote: post #45

whoamii wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Insurance… lawyers… No wonder most kids these days are glued to screens: liability free! Went to an “amusement” park the other day (US). Throughput of people going down a waterslide at about 2 kids per minute. Insane. Wavepool? Cleared out every 15 minutes or so. Non-stop whistling by an army of lifeguards. Insane. A kid got whistled at because they had a kid on their shoulder. Okay… At least the cop walking around t…

I was at a trampoline park last weekend (regular kind of place, everything padded for safety, as you'd imagine). A ten year old kid left in an ambulance, neck injury, one side of the body paralyzed at the time of the event. I really hope the kid recovers... but I don't think I'll ever forget that image. Yes, everything in life has risks, but I don't even want to imagine how I'd feel if my kid, or my kids' friend had…

Would you feel better if their life-changing event came from a car wreck? Tragic things are unfortunately part of life.

Re: A Trampoline

#58

Post by randerson » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 7:01 AM UTC

whoamii wrote: post #57

aeontech wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was at a trampoline park last weekend (regular kind of place, everything padded for safety, as you'd imagine). A ten year old kid left in an ambulance, neck injury, one side of the body paralyzed at the time of the event. I really hope the kid recovers... but I don't think I'll ever forget that image. Yes, everything in life has risks, but I don't even want to imagine how I'd feel if my kid, or my kids' friend had…

Would you feel better if their life-changing event came from a car wreck? Tragic things are unfortunately part of life.

In most of the USA getting around by car is mandatory. Trampolines are optional.

Trampolines are one of the top avoidable causes of ER visits.

Re: A Trampoline

#59

Post by bart3r » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 7:24 AM UTC

haha. this made me laugh.

I didn't want a trampoline either and later realised that it was the best investment of my life. Do not buy the play-frame though - that's a waste of money.

Re: A Trampoline

#60

Post by danw1979 » Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 7:29 AM UTC

I had exactly the same thoughts when I had my arm twisted to buy one for my 6 year old son.

10 years later, it’s still out there, netting ripped, legs all rusty, plastic getting brittle. And my 16 year old son still loves to bounce around on it with his 9 year old brother.