The kids may have a blast at those fast-food restaurant playgrounds — but so did kids the day before, and the day before and the day before. So who’s making sure they’re kept clean?
There are no national guidelines, and within states, counties and cities, oversight often falls through the cracks: Health departments may inspect restaurants for cleanliness and food safety but not necessarily the play areas.
This really steams mother of four Erin Carr-Jordan of Chandler, Ariz., who has embarked on a crusade after encountering what she called “unacceptable” conditions at a McDonald’s play land in Tempe.
“It was disgusting,” she says. “Stuff was smeared everywhere. Hair was stuck in the corners. It smelled terrible, and you couldn’t see out of the Plexiglass because of the filth.”