01.19.10
Poutine yourself at risk
It’s a classic story for the ages: girl meets poutine, they fall in love, girl has a seizure, poutine savagely burns girl, parents sue makers of the poutinespeak out against the makers of the poutine.
An Acton teen was left with second-degree burns Saturday after having an epileptic seizure inside a KFC outlet and landing face-down in her piping-hot poutine.
Her irate father told the Sun Monday he’s not after a multi-million dollar lawsuit, he just wants to speak out to warn others and perhaps get the Colonel to turn the temperature down on the cheese and gravy.
Granted, this isn’t that different from the famous Liebeck McDonald’s coffee case — it does sound as if KFC’s poutine is dangerously hot, and while making it tepid and lukewarm would be a major overcompensation, what value is there in serving something so hot that it can’t be safely consumed for several minutes anyway?
CORRECTION: Earlier I wrote that the parents were suing KFC, but that is what happens when I hastily misread an article with an American mindset. They actually aren’t suing KFC, they’re just seeking to politely ask KFC to turn down the temperature on the poutine. Of course, that was the first course of action taken in the Liebeck case (with the addition that she wanted McDonalds to cover her medical expenses, but of course Canada has social medicine so that’s probably not even applicable here – any Canadians care to explain?), but some combination of “McDonalds” and “in America” made it have to blow up into a gigantic lawsuit. Mea culpa.
(Thanks, Sarusa)