Oh ! the Horror

[Jeffhs]

Liking antique/vintage electronics as I do (I have several vintage Zenith and Sony radios here; no room for vintage TVs, except perhaps small 5" portables, in my small apartment), I cannot see the sense, either, in why kids like smashing old sets found on treelawns, curbs, etc. on trash collection day. When I lived in suburban Cleveland, I would see a TV every once in a while with the neck broken off the CRT or even the screen bashed in. I even saw kids pitching rocks at the screens of vintage TVs; it's a wonder the tube didn't implode. If one ever did, I'm sure those kids would run like sixty, hoping to avoid being cut severely by flying glass (all CRTs are under tremendous vacuum pressure; when that lets go, look out!). On the other hand, I'm sure some kids were injured badly by flying glass from a broken CRT; I bet that put an end to their rock-throwing (at least at televisions) forever.