The National Hardware Show is like a mashup of a home show set in the local National Guard Armory.
There are individual inventors and there are OEM (original equipment manufacturers) from all over the globe, mainly Asia, it would appear. And salt and peppered amid this frenzy are big little companies like Forearm Forklift (these work if you haven’t tried them; we wrote about my buddy Mark’s Glydeez here) and Resqme among others.
I’m sometimes sucked in to their booths because they’re both “tools” and “not tools” all at the same time, which is the case with the ResqMe Quick Car Escape Tool. No, it’s not a Makita circular saw like @kasselconstruction reviewed here, but I can easily see having one in my truck.
I’ve been sitting here with it on a list, wondering how I’m going to pass this off as useful information, so I watched their video and it struck me. As a parent, if I didn’t know this tool existed, I’d want to. If things go sideways, I want a Plan B.
And for $10, who can argue? Ask for one for Father’s Day, even if you're not a father.
Resqme is basically a blade that cuts the seat belt, in case the seat belt is stuck on you or someone else. And it’s a window pulverizer. Press the base against the glass and POW, it's reduced to a coarse powder. You can put it on your keys—it snaps right off if you need it—or, the company rep told me, lots of people just keep one on their headrest and never think about it. Until they think about it.
One other segue: A friend and former EMT told me this recently: One of the things people said to him—a lot—is “I can’t believe this is happening.”
If you’re all up in it and life is sideways, maybe try to remember that, keep cool, and solve the problems you have, believable or not.
POW, freedom. If you need it.
