To think that children really don't need to use their scooters in the supermarket?

[Pointlessfan]

Or inside shopping centres or any other place where there really isn't enough space and the rest of us have to keep dodging them. This is seriously getting on my nerves, every time I go shopping I have to keep jumping out of the path of children zooming about on scooters. Why can't they ride them in the park? I was brought up to be considerate of others and would never have been allowed to use a scooter, bike or roller skates in shops or any where else where I would be in the way.
Feel better for getting that off my chest! So is it just me or are others equally annoyed by this?

[chopinbabe]

I am not trying to influence others, merely pointing out that my parenting style (which is not just giving in to avoid tantrums) means that I would reply that it is not unreasonable to allow a carefully supervised child to scoot along at a snail's pace.

I compared this favourably to children who are allowed to run about in an unsupervised manner and gave an example of the danger that can happen when they do.

I would be as appalled as anyone to see larger children hurtling about at speed on a scooter in a supermarket. However, all my posts have been about little ones.

I accept I'm not going to change anyone's mind and indeed, didn't post in an effort to do so but just to relate my own relevant experience.

Please don't think me rude if I don't reply to any more remarks that are addressed directly to me but there is really little more I can say.

[Pointlessfan]

Yes, the children I've seen on scooters have been little ones too, with their parents. It is still inconsiderate behaviour.

[NewtRipley]

Chopin's parenting philosophy is not uncommon here in MC London.

It causes problems for teachers and classmates.

[YouTheCat]

Chopin, your child is probably quite small and easy to deal with now. How will you address her scooting too fast when she is older if you haven't just said 'no' to scooters in shops to start with?

Believe me a full on meltdown at 8 is a lot harder than at 3/4.

[ArsenicFaceCream]

Indeed Newt, and for the children themselves in later life, I'm prepared to bet.

[RiverTam]

but yet again, chopin, you still seem to think that the only 2 options are to scoot or to run about. In a supermarket neither is desirable, and there is obviously a 3rd way. Can you really not see that? And again, if you are shopping, I doubt how carefully you can supervise a child, unless you have an extra arm or eyes in the back of your head.

[Sirzy]

I wonder at what age Chopin will decide no scooter - and how the child will react the the sudden change of rules?

[BranchingOut]

We used a scooter a lot when we lived in north London and had a fairly long walk back from our nursery (not on a bus route, no parking without risking a ticket). We also used it on public transport to get out and about to different places - bearing in mind that it is, quite rightly, almost impossible to drive and park anywhere in many parts of London, so if you live in a restricted parking zone you can park in a very small zone around your house and that is all. Drive to a park to use your scooter? Forget it.

We have now moved out of London and still use it a fair bit (along with walking, trains, bicycle and the car), but I think that we do so in a considerate way:

No scooting in shops, as soon as we pass the threshold he gets off - scooter stays by the door in a small shop. In a bigger shop I carry it or DS (4) wheels it around slowly.

I keep alert and very close by, with my hands free to grab the handlebars if other pedestrians approach or there is a hazard coming up.

I use it as a way of talking about road sense eg. stopping at side roads, watching out for other people, listening out for traffic...

To read some of the posts up thread you would think that scooters were intrinsically evil... rather then how they are used by some.

However, I am shocked by some of the examples of behaviour on this thread and see nothing wrong with 'no scooting inside' signs and providing scooter parks where needed - isn't it better to encourage people, including families, to cycle/walk/scoot to places in a sensible and considerate way, rather than everyone driving around everywhere they need to go?

Maybe places should be better designed for individual and self-powered forms of transport rather than 'one car fits all'?

[Pointlessfan]

I quite agree with you, branchingout. This seems like a perfectly sensible and considerate use of a scooter. I have no problem with them in parks or any other place where you might expect to see children enjoying an outdoor activity!

[NewtRipley]

Fair point BranchingOut

But I see soo many parents who don't use the scooter as an opportunity to teach consideration for others.

As I said, it's intrisically difficult, because toddlers as little as 18 months are physically able to use them and they are a great boon to parents because of that, but those children are too small to have much of a sense of other people.

[NewtRipley]

There should have been an also between the last two paragraphs

[FryOneFatManic]

Chopin I suggest you start teaching your child to walk with you in a supermarket, or indeed any other public place, rather than use the scooter. Oh, and teach her to not touch things, rather than ask supermarkets to move stuff. In other words, to have respect for others.

She will be older and more active sooner than you think, and therefore more likely to run into someone.

My mum is 70, and uses a mobility scooter, but she does sometimes stand up to reach a shop counter, etc. She is extremely frail after several years of illness and if a child on a scooter were to run into her, it would undo all the hard work it's taken to get her this well, and may even kill her.

And if it were your child that ran into her, Chopin, then none of your apologies would ever be good enough.

You can never say your child would not do this, because it only needs one moment of inattention for something like this to happen, especially as your child gets older, and bigger, and therefore faster on a scooter.

[ArsenicFaceCream]

Branching I think your post describes reasonable, commensensical use of a scooter, i.e. outdoors in the same places and situations a bike might be ridden. People weren't railing against scooters generally were they are did i miss it?

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

I'm working this afternoon (not in a supermarket I should point out, I work in IKEA - I actually think we get get more scooter/heelie use than the average supermarket) and I'll see if I can get a definitive policy from up high. I'll also keep a tally of how many, bearing in mind that I'll miss a fair few as Saturday afternoons/evenings are the seventh circle of hell. This thread can be my 'well a couple of customers have queried...' excuse

[Scrounger]

I think that Branchingout's use of the scooter is the normal, reasonable and sensible one to use. I think it is very sad that some people don't see this and justify their use inside supermarkets. Why should we need signs saying 'Don't scooter inside'.

I love Chopin's epic logic fail, Indoor use of scooter by a careful child is no more dangerous than a child running about and, as in my example up thread, throwing glass jars on the floor. Just because running around or throwing jars on the floor is wrong doesn't make scootering safe. Children shouldn't be doing any of them and parents shouldn't be justifying it.

My children aren't angels but I explain to them what I expect from them in terms of behaviour. I was in a large hardware store yesterday and I told my 3 yo DTs not to touch anything as things could be sharp etc. A member of staff said how most parents don't say it to their children and let them run around touching things.

[ArsenicFaceCream]

A member of staff said how most parents don't say it to their children and let them run around touching things.

That is interesting.

I've been reflecting on Chopin's posts a lot as I was very confused by them. I think maybe some people think responsiveness and control don't mix and I do wonder whether the people who think that are desperately short of time.

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

Oh I don't know Arsenic I see people spend a lot of time in my department and still ignore their children climbing fixtures/drawing on things (we don't provide pencils for your children to vandalise things, honest!)/running into people. I think it's just generally having given up and not caring because it's not their home so not their problem to sort out afterwards and by the time they get to me they've had enough. I step in when I'm generally worried someone will get hurt (climbing on piles of mats for example - stable in themselves but not when people are all over them) but I just can't physically or mentally keep up with them all, and fuck it, why should I?

[CrohnicallyDepressed]

My DD is coming up to 2 years old. When we shop, I talk to her about what I'm buying and involve her in inconsequential decisions (eg apples or bananas?). She is allowed to walk so long as she holds my hand or the trolley, and only touches things I ask her to. One transgression and I gently remind her of the rules, a second transgression and she is firmly told, a third time and she's in the trolley seat regardless of how loudly she screams! (On a side note, thank you to the lovely lady that spoke to DD and distracted her out of the tantrum just as I was reaching the end of my tether!) Of course, if she behaves in a dangerous manner it's straight to trolley seat with no warnings. I apply the same principle in other situations, though the final consequence will vary depending on the circumstances.

Yes, I feel like a shit mum sometimes when I have to carry her out of a shop kicking and screaming, or prise her into the pushchair despite her best efforts to remain as rigid as a plank, but I believe the long term goal (hopefully a child that behaves themselves) outweigh the short term negatives (tantrums).

In any case, a child that is either walking next to me or strapped into the trolley seat is much safer than either running, scooting, or throwing glass jars. So chopin there is another way, that is safe for everyone in the shop!

[nicename]

I've never seen a child throw a jar down in a supermarket. I've seen plenty of adults drop jars and bottles though.

It's daft to suggest that glass and bottles are higher than a toddlers' reach (so if they sit/stand on a trolley chair, and they can reach, say 4 feet from the ground, then what?). It is safer for the heavy stuff to be lower so that they don't kill you when they fall off the shelf and land on your head.

I was 'charged' by a small child on a scooter on a narrow pavement this morning. I had to step into the road to avoid being hit or winged. All fine for little Tramara who had pink crash helmet, elbow pads and knee pads (odd how parents bubble wrap their kids but fail to give two hoots about anyone else), she got to scoot when and where she wanted without any words of warning/admonishment from her mum.

It's bad for kids to scoot/skate inside but it can be just as dangerous outside when they whizz along at top speed outside.

It really really huts when a scooter hits you, and I know this from bitter experience. Last summer a child old enough to know better decided to hurtle at top speed down the path to the little kids playpark.

He went right into the back of me (no 'look out missus!' or anything, and he was absolutely fine) and cut the back of my leg from the heel up (about 4 a inch gash). Blood was squirting out in a quite impressive manner as I hopped about trying not to swear and mop the blood with wet wipes (not advisable). The kid and his mum gawped at me slackjaw and didn't utter a word. Not one bloody word. I was hobbling for ages and was worried I'd damaged a tendon (I hadn't).

People just don't seem to think beyond 'my kid wants to do this' and not 'is it sensible if my kid does this?'. When my relative went for her x-ray and told the doctor at a+e what happened he told her that this was fairly common ie kids whizzing along at top speed and knocking over - and injuring - other kids, the elderly but not so often themselves as they have helmets/pads etc.

[NewtRipley]

Crohnically

Great strategies! Everyone wins.

[kali110]

Some shops by me now have banned scooters, hopefully all will soon!! I do judge parents who let their kids use them in shops! How about you tell them to walk them
Around the shops? Its not hard!!
As for telling shops to put glass jars up higher, have you considered people with disabilities or health problems?
I have enough trouble just lifting my arms up to get a box of cereal even when they're not up high never my a glass jar!
As someone mentioned it would cost shops to move things around as it is all about product placement.

As i said i used to waitress years ago and nearly burnt kids.
Iv also been hit into by bloody kids on scooters. I look young and well however i have bad health problems and been knocked into by scooters really don't help my pain!!!!

[kali110]

Meant to say i nearly burnt children as parents thought it were appropriate to let them whizz around on heelies were there were hot food and drinks being carried to tables not that i would randomly burn people!