Yesteryear

I'm sorry little girl, but you can't be swinging that way anymore!
Correct me if I am wrong but didn't we all do this as kids, straddle the swing between our legs [or sit properly upon it] and swing sideways, using the chains to provide the push we needed so that we may in the end reach our ultimate goal of ricocheting of the swing next to us. I have vivid memories of doing this with friends as a child/teenager, a game of chicken if you will. We'd get onto our respective swings push off in a direction perpendicular to the swing and then use the chains to achieve the desired sideways momentum, until such a point that we were flying helter skelter inches away from our friends, teasing them by getting closer till at last someone would pull away as to avoid a collision. [Not the safest of games, but it was fun].
I am not quiet sure how I feel about this patent, I think the only word that comes to mind is 'laughable'. How does one go about patenting something that people have been doing for as long as swings have been around? I think the part that makes me laugh the most is the closing statement in the patent claim "Licenses are available from the inventor upon request."
Unless you can provide me with schematics that indicate how your swing differs from those that are commonly used and unless you can provide me with studies that prove you are the first person to do this, I won't be rushing out anytime time to request a license.

link first seen at slashdot