Roller Shoes

Kids glide down store aisles, weaving between shoppers before circling back to their inattentive parents. Roller shoes, shoes with retractable wheels, are an accident waiting to happen. And when that accident occurs, the parents will start pointing fingers. At the store, for having unsafe conditions. At the shoe company, for having faulty shoes. The parents will point their fingers at everyone but the culprits--themselves.

Due to Michigan's lagging economy, I work retail. At my job, we are instructed to tell kids to walk if we see them using roller shoes. Instead, my co-workers and I avert our eyes to avoid their parent's wrath.

Roller skating isn't allowed in stores; why should roller shoes?

A family in New Jersey is suing Heelys, a roller shoe company, because their son slipped while rolling across the street--an action the company advises against. So who's to blame for the boy's behavior?

With the current "how you raise your children is none of my business" attitude, it's society that suffers. Although some parents avoid rules in their children's upbringing to appear "cool", some rules are in place for a reason.

Accidents happen. Instead of pointing fingers, parents need to lay the foundation for safe roller shoe use.