Roller skating in the supermarket
By Gina
@Gina145 (3949)
Johannesburg, South Africa
August 24, 2015 5:38pm CST
While I was out shopping this afternoon I noticed a boy of about 12 skating up and down the supermarket aisles on a pair of roller skates.
I can understand that a child that age wouldn't enjoy shopping for groceries, but a supermarket isn't a playground. Old people shop there and I was terrified that one of them would get badly hurt if he bumped into them and knocked them over.
Hours later I'm still wondering how his mother allowed him to do it.
4 people like this
5 responses
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
26 Aug 15
I am surprised they didn't stop him. I mean, his mother should never have let him skate through the store, I can't imagine why the store personnel didn't stop him. Did he have on actual roller skates or those sneakers with the skates in the bottom? Did he skate where she could see him?
1 person likes this
@Gina145 (3949)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
26 Aug 15
@Rollo1 They were proper rollerblades, and there is no chance that his mother wasn't aware of the fact. After I spoke to the manager he said he'd send someone to attend to it, but I suspect they may have left the store by then.
1 person likes this
@TexanTornado (5573)
• United States
25 Aug 15
WOW! Not only the mother, the manager of the store too. I have never heard or witnessed anything like that.
1 person likes this
@TexanTornado (5573)
• United States
25 Aug 15
@Gina145 Well, I would hope that someone cleared them out. It seems very inconsiderate, and quite a hazard.
1 person likes this
@Gina145 (3949)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
25 Aug 15
@TexanTornado I actually complained to the manager and he said he'd take care of it. When I looked around afterwards I couldn't find that boy. I'm not sure whether somebody spoke to him and his mother about it or whether they left the store before anyone got a chance to do so.
1 person likes this
@Kate34 (656)
• France
25 Aug 15
I understand your point of view. He would have had a much better and safer time outside, safer for everyone else and for the boy. The supermarket is definitely not the place for that kind of behaviour. I do think also that maybe you're overreacting a bit. This was probably a once off occurrence. You have to think of all sides maybe the mother was having a really hard day and the boy was being a pain. Perhaps letting him have his fun was the only way to keep him quiet. We can't judge others without knowing the circumstances. I'm not trying to accuse you of anything by saying that but I believe that is the truth.
@Gina145 (3949)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
25 Aug 15
@Kate34 No, I don't think I was over-reacting. One can't really make excuses in a place like that if he's putting other people's safety in jeopardy. My Mom was with me and she's small and not too strong and I was terrified that he'd knock her over. Sometimes it only takes one fall to ruin an old person's life.
