To the editor:

After the umpteenth trip to the pediatrician for yet another malady in a long line of illnesses, I’m still trying to find the logic in having toys in the waiting areas and exam rooms of the doctor’s office. I’m no verminophobe (one with an overpowering fear of germs), yet I know that those toys are bad news.

Of all the places and all the toys in the world, the Busy-Beads, Fisher-Price fire trucks and other toys in the doctor’s office are almost guaranteed to be pretty gross. Literally hundreds of kids with one illness or another have played with, picked up or chewed on them. Public toys at the pediatrician’s office seem to me to be the same as if the dentist kept an ice cream sundae bar in the waiting room. Now, I’m not accusing anyone of intentionally making kids sick! But one can understand how it might seem like a way to get repeat business to a lot parents out there, including myself.

I know that our pediatricians and their staff care deeply about our children’s health and well being. I also know that every pediatrician’s office is swamped with sick kids this time of year, and there is barely enough time to see all their patients, let alone be disinfecting toys every five minutes.

I’m just saying that it would be better to 86 all those doctor’s office toys, as this would take away one thing that we stressed-out parents of sick kids are worrying about.

Steve Craven,

Lawrence