Are we being charged for Stupidity?

Last month, a man died while charging his iPhone in the bath. Normally, you would think that electricity and water do not mix, and laugh at the man’s idiocy and lack of common sense and get on with your life. But now a coroner has decided that future products should come with warnings about how they are not to be used. This is madness. If it becomes law, manufacturers will now have to think of every situation where their products are not suitable for use and ensure that suitable warnings are in place. Chainsaws should not be used to swat flies. You should not use a stapler to pierce your ears. And I’m pretty sure that nowhere in my car’s manual does it say: ‘do not drive underwater’. Potentially, similar phones would have to come with a giant book which is three times as big as the phone itself; or ensure suitable warnings are displayed when the phone is plugged in, or write it into its user agreement. And who’s going to have to foot the cost? The consumer. Because manufacturers will have to think of every possible misuse of their products to protect themselves from legal implications.