Heely's hooha and the kid with a death wish

[Lace Neil Singer]

At the supermarket, Heelys are banned. Any kid using them will be out on their ear. XD

Once, while I was shopping, a kid ran into me on Heelys. I shoved him away, and he bashed into his mother and sent her flying. Hee.

[NightAngel]

I simply say, "No skating in the store please!" Usually they stop.

There was a Dad with his 2 sons in last night the kids came up to look at candy while the Dad was looking at the New Release Wall. Pretty soon the boys came zinging past me on their heeleys- I said, "Please don't skate." They stopped, the older boy sighed and said, "Okay." And from somewhere out on the floor I heard the Dad holler, "I told you so!"

[childofsolitude]

You know what the most disturbing part is?? Most times I see the kids using their Heely's when their parents are standing right next to them. The parents don't say anything. In fact, one time I saw a little girl with Heely's and her dad was pushing her around the store. WTF?

[ForestDragon]

I've seen those shoe/skates but didn't know what they were called until now. Personally, I think they look stupid and they are definitely dangerous for all the reasons cited above. Here's hoping the fad passes quickly, like slap bracelets.

I kinda hate to say it (actually, no I don't ) but I would have been joining Geek King's football players in a giant heehaw if I had seen some obnoxious little twerp wearing those things get a fast lesson in Newton's Laws of Motion.

[booger]

Stupid kids are always zipping around on their stupid Heelies. I don't get it. I am sure that they aren't allowed to use them in their house, lest the ruin their parent's flooring or break something. And schools don't allow them either. What ever gave them the idea that they could use them in a store. Our store has cement floors, so I can imagine that plowing into someone or something at full speed and crashing onto the floor really hurts. My bosses are always hollering at kids to stop skating around, which works until the kids think the workers can't see them anymore.

[Gurndigarn]

You know what the most disturbing part is?? Most times I see the kids using their Heely's when their parents are standing right next to them. The parents don't say anything. In fact, one time I saw a little girl with Heely's and her dad was pushing her around the store. WTF?

Because if you don't think of possible consequences, those damn things are really a cool idea. It's only when you add in the facts that you really need a really flat surface to use them, AND the fact that most flat surfaces of any size ANYWHERE are put there by businesses for their employee and customer use, that you realize just how stupid they actually are.

[Argabarga]

My store banned them, manager is always on the lookout for kids who don't listen to the ban, they either stop right away, or walk 3 feet and just start doing it again.

[Daskinor]

Every time I see them, I get more and more upset. All these damn streaks in the floor from where they brake hard.

I swear if I see them make one, I am charging them for vandalism.

Oh and the SUV strollers I hate too. Shoplifters dream. I have even seen a report of people making the ones with the screens on them into Faraday cages. I love America, raising the next generation to be a bunch of entitlement whores.

"You mean I have to WALK!?!?!?!?!~~~!!1"

[Dreamstalker]

II kinda hate to say it (actually, no I don't ) but I would have been joining Geek King's football players in a giant heehaw if I had seen some obnoxious little twerp wearing those things get a fast lesson in Newton's Laws of Motion.

Oh HELL yes. I posted in another Heely thread about the brats I'd see either on the T or on the platform skating a bit too close to the yellow line (recently, I saw a tourist-type walking beside his kid as the brat was skating right on the edge. Granted, the parent was holding the kid's hand, but if he falls down you're likely gonna go right down in the pit with him). He ignored the T worker telling him to make the kid stop, but he did listen to the air horn blaring right behind him as a train pulled in

[protege]

Oh HELL yes. I posted in another Heely thread about the brats I'd see either on the T or on the platform skating a bit too close to the yellow line

I nearly hit a kid wearing those damn shoes in the parking lot the other night. I'm heading up the aisle at barely 5mph, when he suddenly came right out in front of me Even at 5mph, I'm sure I would have knocked him into next month!

[Wembley]

Oh HELL yes. I posted in another Heely thread about the brats I'd see either on the T or on the platform skating a bit too close to the yellow line (recently, I saw a tourist-type walking beside his kid as the brat was skating right on the edge. Granted, the parent was holding the kid's hand, but if he falls down you're likely gonna go right down in the pit with him). He ignored the T worker telling him to make the kid stop, but he did listen to the air horn blaring right behind him as a train pulled in

Hmm.... most of the T stops that have been refurbished have "bumpy" yellow lines, for the benefit of blind folks that can feel them with their canes. I imagine that it would also help keep the heely-kids from riding too close to the pit.

I would have loved to see the look on that kid's face when the air horn went off

Maybe someone should research how to make a surface that is rough enough that heelys wont work well, but is still smooth enough to allow larger wheels (from handcarts, wheelchairs etc) to work well.

-Wembley

[Department stores *sigh*]

actually we have banned them at our store but there are just sooo many children wearing them these days that without signs up and such we cant do anything about it really. I tried letting people know for abut 2 weeks until i noticed that it wasnt doing anything and managment didnt say anything more about it *shrug*

[blas]

Ahhh....food for thought guys.......

Imagine what would happen if Tommy or Jane were in their Heely's, in the house, at warp speed, just like our WalMart stories.........and then they crash right into Mommy's antique shelf and her ancient artifact vase!

Of course, at the same time, who wants to bet that these kids are forboden to wear their Heelys in the house? No wonder they always wear them out in public. They aren't allowed to wear them at home and risk destroying the house, so why not risk destroying merchandise and displays at a store?

Good thinking parents, good thinking................where is that salmon and that flamethrower?

[Lace Neil Singer]

Well, right until the point where Mr and Mrs Moron have to fork out wads of cash to replace the display their little cherubs destroyed by crashing into. Or they're up in court cuz the husband of the old dear who was knocked over by them is suing them for all they've got.

[MMATM]

Good thinking parents, good thinking................where is that salmon and that flamethrower?

I've got them here. Which do you want to use?


Seriously though. If a kid on heelys runs into anyone, they (the anyone, not the kid) can legally press charges for assault, at least in the USA. This is the one time I find that American laws' unnecessary overprotectiveness of some things to come in handy. Just tell the parents of the heely-happy kid that if their child runs into anyone they can be charged. And if (God forbid) the kid is over 18 and runs into someone, then the parents won't be charged but the child can. It's not important that nobody would reasonably charge a kid on heelys with assault. The parents, once made aware of the possibility of legal action, will assume that everyone else is as much of an asshole as them and therefore that everyone will be on the lookout for a kid in heelys to get hit by and maybe sue the parents of.

People don't care about anyone else, generally speaking, but if there is some way that their obnoxious offspring could bring them harm, they tend to snap to attention fairly quickly.