Is it possible that if popcorn is outlawed, only the outlaws will have popcorn?

Ever had that nasty smell permeate your nostrils? The smell of burnt popcorn because some idiot walked away from the microwave and nothing is left but black kernels. That smell makes the hair in my nostrils curl and turns my stomach into nothing but acidic turmoil. I have not eaten microwave popcorn in months because of some idiot at the office burning two bags in a row. TWO!!! Maybe we should do what Seattle is planning? Or maybe just force the perpetrators of the burnt bags to actually eat the burnt crap they make.

What say you?

City of Seattle may ban microwave popcorn
09:57 AM PDT on Thursday, June 14, 2007
By ROBERT MAK / KING 5 News / AP

SUBJECT: Burnt microwave popcorn.
SEATTLE – At Seattle City Hall there are rules.

No weapons, no animals, no loitering, no alcohol, no lying down, no smoking, no music, no fighting, no trespassing.

Could the next thing be no microwave popcorn?

"It can be a significant problem in the future," says Seattle Facilities Director Pedro Vasquez.

The City Facilities Department has just issued a memo to all City employees.

The Justice Center has been evacuated eight times in three years, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. If the problem continues, it will result in a ban of all microwave popcorn.

How has it happened so many times?

"I really don't know, I can't answer that question for you," says Yolande Williams, City Court Administrator.

The biggest offenders are at the Justice Center, but overheated popcorn has also forced evacuations at the Municipal Tower.

Popcorn is not the easiest thing to cook. Who knows if it's really two, two-and-a-half or three minutes? An unsupervised bag can destroy productivity for all your co-workers.

But just the mention of a possible ban at city offices gets a number of responses.
"Perhaps what would happen is there'd be an underground market for microwave popcorn, people would sneak the microwaves into their offices, they'd do illicit popping," says Frank Video, a staff member for the Seattle City Council.

Is it possible that if popcorn is outlawed, only the outlaws will have popcorn?

"You know, it's not something that we have talked about in that much detail yet," says Vasquez.

A spokesman for Mayor Greg Nickels says the Mayor does not eat popcorn.

The City just wants employees to follow this simple rule: Listen to the pop, to know when to stop.

The Facilities director admits even his wife has burned a bag or two.

"She hit the popcorn button that had an automatic time associated with it and the popcorn still burned," says Vasquez, who says even though it happened at his home, he did not ban popcorn.

Popcorn experts tell us the rule is very simple: When the popping slows to one or two seconds between pops, stop the microwave.

That's your common sense tip of the day.