Silly String - the Nuisance that Saves Lives

Silly String's not as old as play-doh nor as new as the I-Pod. It's neither Gen-X nor Gen-Y. It's from the era of bell-bottom pants, anti-war protests, and long hair. The colorful product, which comes in a can, came onto the market in 1969 when the presidency of the U.S. was changing hands as Lyndon Baines Johnson relinquished the position to president-elect Richard M. Nixon.

Silly String's a plastic which is shot into the air as a liquid and instantly freezes and hardens. It's a favorite to amuse children and adults at birthday parties and weddings. Having outlived its patent life, the product emerged under a number of other names: Streamer String, Whacky String, and Nickelodeon Matter.

Authorities have not always shown a sense of humor about Silly String; the product has been banned in cities like Marlboro Mass, and Los Angeles, California. It is banned for use in many public and community events where it requires extra efforts in cleanup. The product is relatively harmless but can mark clothing with stains and is said to dissolve certain types of wallpaper. A less harmful use of Silly String is the combustible effect of spraying it near lit birthday candles where it can cause a mini-napalm effect.

Like many of the sixties memorabilia, Silly String refuses to die. It now has a continued life extension in its use for our troops in Iraq who use the product as a booby trap detector. The methods of modern warfare in Iraq demand that troops move quickly into populated areas. A common enemy tactic is to booby trap the buildings or other places where troops go in search of terrorists and Baathist loyalists. Some booby traps are of the pressure-type, that is, they are activated when a certain amount of weight or pressure is applied. The most common, fastest to construct, and least expensive booby trap is one that is triggered by a 'tripwire'. A tripwire can be so simple as a thin, scarcely visible wire or line attached to the pin of a hand-grenade or claymore type device. Anyone moving along without due caution might kick or trip the wire thus triggering the explosive.