Back in Junior High, 9th grade to be specific, a handful of boys started making blow dart guns out of Bic pens. These were pretty much what you might think — pens with the guts taken out, and a pin with some kind of tail on it. I have a distinct memory of kids shooting each other in the back of the neck with these things in Mrs. Hester’s English class.
Now if you’re thinking, “That sounds stupid and dangerous,” you’re right! Welcome to the Land of Teenage Boys.
The good news is, the kids at school got busted before someone lost an eye. Once teachers clued in to what was going on, they acted quickly. First, they arranged for a set of pins to be distributed from Home Ec, and we all spent a class period stripping apart our pens and crafting darts. Second, they made a rule where everyone had to bring at least two textbooks for unrelated subjects to each class. We would then stand these up on our desks to create walls we could hide behind. Third, we were all required to purchase safety goggles, which we were expected to wear at all times. And finally, everyone was encouraged to wear turtlenecks or at least high-neck collars of some kind. Fortunately, this was the age of Polos with popped collars, so there was a nice confluence of safety and fash—
NO THEY DIDN’T THEY TOOK THE BLOW DARTS AWAY FROM ANYONE WHO HAD THEM AND GAVE THE KIDS DETENTION WHY IS THIS SO HARD