From: robf1000 [robf1000@alltel.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 10, 1999 6:18 PM
To: Charles Hymes
Subject: re:snake in ball pit- hoax?

The following is a message I received.  I researched it through the nrpa,
which led me to news releases.  I didn't find anything about this incident
and am guessing that it is a hoax.  I finally found an article at
www.myria.com  which claims it to be a hoax.  In all of the hoax/fraud/myths
sites, I couldn't find one reference.

Can you help shed some light on this story?  Also, may I quote you in an
article that I'm writing for a local paper in NY state.  I am trying to show
how easy it is to fall prey to hoaxes/myths.  I would like to show how
spreading these stories, in some cases, is slanderous.   Any help and
guidance in this will be appreciated.

Sincerely,
Robyn Fisher
robf1000@alltel.net


THIS HAPPENED IN MY CITY AT McDONALD'S. THIS IS WHY THEY HAVE INDOOR
PLAY
AREAS MOST TIMES NOW.
If you have small children or know someone with small children, this is
important to know about.
THIS IS NO JOKE.  BEWARE LATER ON

Subject:     You should know this!!

This is a true story...

About a week or so ago, a mother took her eager 3-year-old son to
Burger
King
for lunch.  After they ate their lunch, the mother said that the son
could go
and play on the playground for awhile since he ate all his lunch.

She watched as the boy played in the tunnels, slide and in the
ball-pit. The
boy played for about 10 minutes when he started to whimper slightly.
The
mother asked the boy what had happened and he merely replied, "Hurt
mommy."
The mother assumed that the little boy had  banged his elbow or
something
while playing.

They left to return home.  A half and  hour after they were home, the
mother
noticed some big red welts on the little boy's arms and legs.  Not being
able
to figure out what they were, the mother started to look at them closer.
Could
be red ant bites ... she did not know.

An hour later, the little boy died.  Come to find out, when returning
to
Burger King to see if there were red ants in the play area, in case the
little
boy had an allergic reaction.  She and Burger King employees discovered
that
there was a family of baby rattlesnakes living underneath the balls in
the
ball-pit area.

She has since found out that this happens more frequently than not. The
snakes will crawl into the ball pit because it is dark and warm in
there.
She
knows for a fact that another death has occurred because of this in
South
Carolina.

Please use caution when letting any children play in an outside play
area of
a fast food restaurant, this could happen anywhere.  Burger Kings are
now
building their play areas inside the buildings for a safer environment.
>>

--------- End forwarded message ----------

Cheers and strength to face the fears and thieves of the day, and good
writing to you.
____________________

robf1000@alltel.net
____________________