Hell on wheels... er... Healies

[Swordsman422]

Okay, another old story here.

We have a sign on our front door that says this:

This store prohibits the use of Healies and other roller shoes inside. We are a store, not a skate park. We are not responsible for any injuries fron such confusion and reserve the right to ask violators to leave.


Here is why the sign is on our door.

One day during the Christmas season, a mother and her twelve (translation: three excessively active) children came in. All three had Those Damn Shoes on and were rocketing around the store on them in spite of my repeated verbal warnings of caution. Finally, one of them hits a carpet edge protector and takes a tumble. His mother saw it and flipped out.

Mom's words, and I quote: "Oh my God, are you alright!?" looks at the edge protector, "what is this? Why is this here?" comes at me "Sir! Sir! What are these on the floor! My child tripped over it at fell down! He might have hurt himself! You people put those there intentionally! You did this to create an unsafe environment for my children! That's intentional endangerment and if you don't hear from my lawyer, you should consider yourselves lucky!" she collected her dozen (3) kids and left.

We heard from no lawyers. But we did put up the sign. I take great joy in telling a kid to knock it off with Those Damn Shoes.

Thanks for reading, and until next time "Walk, don't roll!"

[BookstoreEscapee]

Isn't the carpet edging to keep people from tripping while they are WALKING!!! ?

[Kara]

I hate those things, and I don't even work in retail anymore. You can't go around a corner to another aisle without being almost plowed over by some preteen training for a roller derby. It's not as if kids running loose are bad enough, hey, let's put them on wheels! Next they'll put motors in the damn things and I'll have to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid another mobile rugrat rocketing into the street.

Am I really old enough that I complain about young people this way? Fine, hand me my walker and flowered muumuu, but those stupid roller shoes have got to go. When I was their age, it was cool to ride a skateboard through the store, and they got banned. In high school, it was those stupid RAZOR things (like a thin skateboard with a handlebar, in case you happened to miss them), and they got banned. I used neither, by the way. Why are stores so slow to ban these things? I mean, if kids don't want to walk and would prefer wheeled transportation, put them in the carts and buy them a candy bar for being good when you check out. But if one more junior Tony Stewart "accidentally" smashes face-first into my butt at Wal-Mart and says "Hehe, sorry Ma'am," the only joyriding he'll be doing through the store will be on his wheelchair.

[GayleShy]

Mom's words, and I quote: "Oh my God, are you alright!?" looks at the edge protector, "what is this? Why is this here?"

Two words "speed bump."

[FenigDurak]

looks at the edge protector, "what is this? Why is this here?" comes at me "Sir! Sir! What are these on the floor!

"Those are our complimentary rhinoplasty bars."

[Crawley]

Is there one primary company that makes those damned Heelie shoes (I refuse to call them skates)? Maybe we can blow up their office.

What do you mean we're all out of C4? Well then, use the napalm!

Sorry, I know we don't condone violence against sucky customers....how about sucky companies?

[April]

I very much wanted to trip a girl on heelies at the buffet yesterday. ( I didn't. I don't condone violence )

She nearly ran into me on THREE seperate occassions. Twice with plates of food and once with a bowl of very hot soup.

[felixxkatt]

I very much wanted to trip a girl on heelies at the buffet yesterday. ( I didn't. I don't condone violence )
She nearly ran into me on THREE seperate occassions. Twice with plates of food and once with a bowl of very hot soup.

i would have told her to stop it right there. i have yelled at kids for lesser things than nearly crashing into me. or better yet, pretend she takes you by such surprise that you accidentally spill soup all over HER. those fucking shoes should be banned. kids get hurt plenty enough without being put on wheels.

[powerboy]

I hate those damn shoes. They should be banned. I will admit, when I see a kid fall, I laugh, because it is what he/she gets for being stupid on those damn shoes. Today I had to stop real fast in the parking lot when I was leaving work, because of one of the stupid kids rolling on by without looking.

[Ms. Pounce]

I went grocery shopping last night (I <3 24 hour PriceChoppers!)... they FINALLY have a sign up banning Heelies.

The last time I was there (a few weeks ago), it was like trying to grocery shop in the midst of a roller derby. A particularly violent roller derby. X_X

Why is it, the only kids I ever see with those d*mn shoes are exactly the type of kids I would NEVER buy them for?

[Gawdzillers]

I've only seen heelies on one kid, and he was using them responsibly.

[Imogene]

Isn't the carpet edging to keep people from tripping while they are WALKING!!! ?

Oddly enough, I tripped over the carpet edging while walking into our sister store one day at Chesterfield. Fell straight to my knees, almost went face first through the CD display rack they had right in front of the door.
I got up, a little embarrassed, with SG employees swarming around me making sure I'm alright. I decided that was NOT the best time to be shopping, turned right around, and left.

[Dreamstalker]

"You did this to create an unsafe environment for my children! That's intentional endangerment and if you don't hear from my lawyer, you should consider yourselves lucky!"

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall if she did try to contact a lawyer...

Chalk up another vote for a ban here. Although they can be a source of amusement if the rugrats are trying to subway-surf

[RebeccaOTool]

Those things annoyed me when they came out and the other kids used them in the High School cooridors. Now that I'm in college I have the kids at my theater group using them onstage. Tons of Munchkins (We're doing 'The Wizard of Oz' this weekend ) rolling around, crashing into the set/other actors/the floor. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[Buglady]

I've only encountered one annoying child on Heelies (I guess I'm lucky). Said child's head was exactly at the height of my elbow. Oops. I think he learned his lesson though...