<p>except the person asking about the toaster looks to be a parent and most (sane) parents don’t encourage their kids to break rules. </p>
<p>I don’t really see your point though. of course trying to heat non-microwavable stuff in the microwave is going to be more dangerous than using a toaster because it’s not even supposed to be microwaved. the stupid part of doing that would be deciding to heat up something that shouldn’t be put in a microwave or overheating it, not having the microwave in the dorm room.</p>
<p>anyway, it’s not like having a toaster in your dorm will make it that much more convenient. there are many other ways to have things to eat in your room.</p>
<p>There was a fire in Towers on my daughter’s floor when she lived there. I believe it was started by an appliance, not sure if a toaster or not. My daughter said it was really scary, and she thought the resident was going to be responsible for the damage.</p>
<p>Please, please, please do not try to smuggle in and operate a contraband heating or cooking appliance into any college dormitory environment. I’ve been too involved in the investigation and reconstruction of campus housing fires to think that this is an acceptable idea.</p>
<p>I am really enjoying this extremely enlightening discussion on the relative safety of toasters! Can;t wait to be in class with you guys this fall!</p>
<p>(okay that was really just as petty as toasters but really guys, toasters?)</p>
<p>See, Cutting Edge, your post #17 is another example of why I admire your thought processes. You made some very valid points. Very few people have the courage to reply in that fashion after someone plays the “fire hazard” card.</p>
<p>And no, I will not encourage my student to smuggle a toaster in the room.</p>
<p>Valid points? According to you I may have played the “fire hazard” card, but apparently his “Life is all about taking bigger risks because there is always the chance of a car accident anyway” card has worked on you. Neither of you seem to be able to see how the fire hazard for using a toaster in a dorm room is much greater than the hazard of using a toaster in a kitchen.</p>
<p>^^ Which brings me to the question - if there are kitchen areas on each floor, why can’t a toaster, hot plate, coffee maker (or any other small kitchen appliance) be permitted in the kitchen?</p>
<p>Well first off the school doesn’t provide toasters and other similar heating appliances in the kitchen probably because these things require more maintenance, especially if they’re used by a large group of people. Toasters and waffle makers are found in Market Central but you also have staff there all the time. If people were allowed to bring in their own appliances to use in the kitchen, it would still end up being a lot of people using the same appliance but with the school having no control over the maitenance of these appliances. Most of the dormitories in the Schenley Quad and Forbes were not originally built to function as dorms. I know that the buildings in the Schenley Quad used to be apartments and Forbes Hall used to be an assisted living facility… Pitt probably just kept the kitchens when they acquired the buildings. </p>
<p>The school has much stricter rules than a typical landlord because if something happens in on-campus housing, even if all the precautions taken on the university’s part were non-negligent, it can still reflect badly on the school.</p>
<p>Hi these comments actually convinced me to join this site. I can’t believe there are so many
selfish people in this world that would really risk a fire in the towers or anywhere else for a piece of toast or pop-tarts or anything else toasted.I thought intelligent people roamed the halls of colleges. The stupidity is tremendous. I was in a fire and believe me it is life changing .
I am lucky I still have my skin yet others have not been so lucky. A quick trip to a burn unit.
Will make a toaster seem really unimportant in the quality of life. There are cookbooks out there for people who want more variety in the cooking with microwaves and even microwave
crispers and hot plates that crisp and toast things in the microwave like bacon. Look for them at local thrift-shops if cost is an issue. Ebay sells a few things.
Take a bag of pre-toasted bread or tell mom to send it to you already toasted in the care pack. Eat Melba toast its crispy already.
Do all this but don’t risk your life and especially others because Pitt or another college said you can’t and you say watch me. It all seems so juvenile in the scope of the outcome of fire
it only takes one person to rebel and change the lives of others and yes its always a good idea to unplug or shut down the surge protector switch when you leave your doorm room as your right any appliance if malfunctioning will start a fire . Leaving candles lit smoking ect.
You all are starting adult lives now. I would hope you can all move up to that or you should just go home and be babies again.</p>
<p>Kind of similar to what schrizto said. Also a better term would be “kitchenette” not kitchen. There is no Oven or stove top either. I think it has to do not only with maintenance, but general safety. A huge dorm of 200+ people probably should have an oven or stove (or toaster, etc.) that has an ability to have a heating element (i.e. coils) accidentally be left on. In small apartments, where an access to a full kitchen is limited solely to the inhabitants OF that apartment, allows for less of a liability problem. Plus it’s much easier to place blame on the inhabitant of a 3-person apartment (clearly one of them did it) that it is on a huge dorm (anyone could have done it). Pitt essentially doesn’t feel like being responsible for THAT many people. That’s my guess at least.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I also lived in Forbes, albeit 4 years ago when it was UHC housing instead of the engineering LLC.</p>