To ban or not to ban, that is the question… that is being asked about rolling sneakers.
I was browsing around the news sites yesterday when I came across the following bit on the front page of msnbc.com:
What caught my eye was the second headline, “Rolling sneakers blamed for injuries hike”. But not so much for the headline itself, as what immediately followed, “Ban ‘em?” As if that should be our first reaction when we find that the kids who wear these sneakers with hidden wheels, called “Heelys”, are getting injured because of their inability to heed the warnings that are issued with every purchase.
You can read the actual story here.
The link to for the “Ban ‘em?” question leads to a survey that asks, “Should rolling sneakers be banned?” And what I always hate about these questions is that they fail to specify who, exactly, is doing the banning.
Are we talking about schools, or malls, or other high traffic establishments banning their use to protect fellow pedestrians? Or are we talking about a complete outright ban of the shoes, in the form of a law or an ordinance, in order to protect the would-be roller?
In the case of the former, it’s relatively easy to understand why making rules against their use would be beneficial, and welcomed in most cases. For schools, it’s akin to outlawing running in the hall. A time honored tradition that has set the speed limit in school hallways at around 4mph. For places like malls, it’s been likened to roller-blading or skateboarding, which can present numerous risks where groups of people gather.
However, in the case of the latter, to ban their use would be a blatant restriction of freedom in the name of safety. Or creating a Nanny-state, as some would call it. It takes responsibility away from the parents and the kids who wear these things. And I can only assume that this is what the question is actually asking, because it already notes in the article that many malls and schools have banned them.
After complaining about the injuries that her son sustained while using these rolling sneakers, Nancy Woelfel of Davidsonville, Maryland, said that other parents should know about the risks. As in, other parents should read the warnings that come with the shoe. Certainly that’s what she meant. I would just be plain cynical to assume that she was talking about anything else.
One of the shoe’s manufacturers, and the product’s adopted namesake, Heelys, has the safety gear warnings posted all over their website. They encourage the practice of ALWAYS using protective gear in statements similar to this one:
Important:
We always recommend that anyone who attempts to use HEELYS in any capacity should ALWAYS wear full protective gear, including: helmets, wrist, elbow, and knee pads. The video you are about to watch contains footage of highly skilled, trained, professional, adult skate team members, some of whom may not be wearing full gear. These should only be attempted by professionals. NEVER use HEELYS in an unsafe manner, and NEVER WITHOUT full protective gear. By clicking on the videos to view them, you understand and accept our warning.
But leave it to the mainstream media to play on the fear of injury and the penchant to shirk responsibility. I especially like how they added the note that, “some walkers find heelers who zip in and out of crowds a nuisance.” As if mere annoyance is enough to justify regulating the behavior of others.
Whatever is going on, it’s apparent that the warnings are not enough. Kids are getting injured for chrissakes!! Something has to be done! I know… let’s ban ‘em!
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