California Curiosity - Prop 65 Warning Labels

When I first started visiting California with any regularity about ten years ago, I started noticing that virtually every hotel, retail store and parking garage seemed to have some sort of a warning posted. These warnings stated that "This property has chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer or birth defects." Naturally curious, I had to know what kind of nasty chemicals were in use. Well, it turns out that run-of-the mill stuff like bleach and solvents.

See, these signs were posted in response to California's Proposition 65. This voter-led initiative was designed to keep toxic substances out of consumer products, making us all a bit safer. Unfortunately I don't think it's really done much aside from reinforce the fact that we live in a nanny/litigious state with thinks we're stupid enough that we'd try to drink the battery acid or gasoline from our autos. Which brings me to this:

I've seen hundreds of cars here in California with this warning decal still in place in the driver's side window, people either don't know that they *can* be removed or don't care. Yep, when a car or truck is sold here, the dealer and automaker needs to inform the consumer that it has all sorts of nasty parts and fluid. Don't huff the brake fluid, kids!