Big Red Nine Does A Number On Boy's Noggin

(Flickr User WallyG)

Ivan Chermayeff's 10-feet-tall number nine sculpture has been a midtown icon for over three decades, appearing in feature films, TV shows, and Sesame Street (watch below). But while the red steel digit may seem like a colorful visual homage to John Lennon's favorite number (or something), this playful piece of sidewalk art is anything but harmless—as one 3-year-old boy allegedly found out the hard way.

The Post reports that little Kyle Lo and his mother were strolling by the nine during their visit from San Francisco when Kyle somehow sustained a "massive" gash on his skull. This happened back in 2009, but we're just hearing about it now because Kyle's mom, Lynn, is suing the management of the building at 9 West 57th Street. Her lawyer thinks the building owner is liable for injuries caused by the sculpture, which children routinely use as a jungle gym.

Lynn Lo insists her son wasn't even climbing on the nine, and got cut only because he brushed up against it. "My son was hurt, bleeding, and the guard was scolding me, asking why my son was jumping around [near the 9]!" she tells the Post. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, and at press time it was unclear whether this was an isolated incident, or if other litigious parents will come forward with nine-related horror stories. But maybe we should just be glad Chermayeff didn't go with his original idea for a giant number 4 made out of razor blades.

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By John Del Signore in Arts & Entertainment on September 5, 2011 4:15 PM

Comments [rss]

Emi Shinozaki

Check out the validity of this claim on our blog: http://www.lasisblog.com/2011/...

CurmudgeonNYC

Was the sculpture ok?

Philip

I'm checking with my lawyer now to see if I can sue this website, Microsoft (I have Windows 7) and Dell and Logitech. My finger slipped off the mouse as I was scrolling through the comments and it banged hard on the table and now it hurts when I move my finger.

robingee

Lynn Loooooo... sweet chaaaarioooot...

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

This is what happens when parents don't discipline their child. Entitlement runs rampant.
The world is not your playground, only a playground is a playground.

virgilstarkwell

i think they should redesign the sculpture so it's safer and harder for pedestrians to accidentally injure themselves... like make it 10 feet tall and bright red or something.

erinart

annoying beyond belief. EVERYTHING in this world is NOT child safe, and meant for your children to climb all over, or even touch. Pay attention and stop blaming the world for not bubble wrapping your daily experience.

OregonWiseGuy

Perhaps visitors need to pass an "I'm not a dumb-putz" test before being allowed to walk about in NYC. And, if they're seen doing something stupid, locals can 'flag' them for removal to NJ.

canofpeas

Millions of people have passed the 9 sculpture without hurting themselves. I think that says something about the mother of the rugrat who did.

PhotoHarris

Whose fault is it if this mother doesn't keep an eye on her spawn? She just wants to cash in on a good thing. I have no good words for people like this or their blood sucking lawyers.

santijose

Need to go to NYC and hit my head on this "9", I can use the money. Ouch, that hurts!

soothsayer

ugly, banal, corporate art.

Paco Garcia

if you walk into the edge of something hard and sharp, your skin will cut. this lawsuit is ridiculous. like suing a business because you walked into its closed doors and hit your head. the justice system doesn't insure your own stupidity!

Roger_the_Shrubber

We need tort reform desperately. A loser pays system like in the UK would stop a lot of these silly lawsuits dead in their tracks. It would also derail the gravy train for a lot of lawyers, so of course, it will never happen.

HarrietNYC

1) the judge will throw this out, we do have pre-answer motions for dismissal and motions for summary judgment and 2) people, no matter who much $ they have, have a right to their day in court. If each party paid their own costs, many viable suits would never be commenced, including ones against drunk drivers for killing small children, against manufactures of dangerous products i.e. moldy sheetrock, exploding cars, etc.

Inspector Spacetime

No one remembers how often the pre-trial process dumps these sorts of stupid cases. We only remember the handful of media-friendly ones that somehow get through.

100

I agree this is one is silly, but would making it harder to sue help our society? That is, is there a bigger problem with silly lawsuits or with businesses (and even people) getting away with harming people due to difficulty in assigning responsiblity? I think it's the latter - the fact that the Republican party is always going on about how important tort reform is indicates to me that the the idea is bogus, or at least no where near as important as it's made out to be.