new respect (sympathy) for LHS owners

[gman 0]

Last night at the arean we had a gear swap. Everyone brings gear they want to sell and other hockey families can buy it. I had a ton of stuff including, pads, helmets, skates, several sticks and shafts. One shaft had never been used. One of the better kids, actually the elite kid in the whole area, took a liking to that stick. He is areally good kid and very respectful and well mannered.

So without a blade in it he proceedes to test the flex on the ground. The concrete ground, mind you, not carpet or a skill pad. Not just a little flex either, but WAY down and deep. I don't say anything because I want the sale. Then another of his little buddies starts skating around with it to get the "feel of the shaft".

He keeps hold of it and talks to his mom about it, mom seems pretty okay with the prospect. Well another kid brought his pit bull puppy to the game (we have a very lax arena and live in the sticks in case I never mentioned it). So my stick starts playing with the PIT BULL!!! I could not stand it any longer so I asked the kid if he thought he might buy it. He said "yeah maybe". I said great, please don't let the dog chew on it until after you buy it. I could not tell if he was embarassed or offended but he got a really weird look on his face. He is 15 or 16 by the way, and his groupies are probably 14-ish.

I looked back later and the stick was on the table, I figured I lost the sale. In the end mom bought it for him and he and I had a talk about nothing in general and we are all cool with it. Like nothing ever happened.

I just cannot imagine having hundreds of thousands of dollars of MY inventory in a store and having kids come in and abuse it and throw it around and then end up not buying anything. It is amazing how normally well mannered kids, and I imagine adults too, just lose touch with reality when they start messing with gear.

How do you guys keep your blood pressure below hydro?? I only had a big duffel of stuff and some sticks and I was running around like "the chicken with its head cut off".

[KYHockey3 0]

i cant beleive that kid let the dog play with the stick!!!

that is rude in many ways. did his mom know?

i remember there used to be a thread about things people do to lhs workers. it has some funny stuff

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

Parents just don't care anymore.

I see it every day - 8 year old kids come in and trash the store and say things like "OH! LOOK AT THIS! THIS IS SWEEET!" and throw it on the floor when they are done.

My mom would kick my ass if I did that.

[gman 0]

Parents just don't care anymore.

My mom would kick my ass if I did that.

Could not have said it better. I'm not THAT old, but times have really changed.

[Hordie Gowe 17]

It is amazing that the arena allows pets. I understand seeing eye dogs and the like but people bringing their domestic pets to the rink? That will all stop once someone is attacked or someones pit bull destroys something.

[shute 4]

hey try working at toys r us... <_<

[gman 0]

hey try working at toys r us... <_<

I can only imagine. However, the Toys-R-us inventory is not the employees stuff. The LHS owner has all that stuff tying up his assets in more ways than one. I think it is much more personal when it is not a big corporate/chain store. In my opinion, owning and managing are two different things. A manager is concerned, but an owner is personally attached.

[chk hrd 164]

Stories like that make me feel like I'm doing something right with my 13 year old kid.

Usually when he is in the pro shop (and I'm playing) he helps the guys in the store straighten up the sticks and racks. The guys in the pro shop like him alot for helping out and cut him some slack if he test bends a stick (it still drives me nuts).

He's hoping when he is old enough he can get a part time job there.

[G60 0]

That will all stop once someone is attacked or someones poorly trained pet destroys something.

fixed it for you :D

punish the deed, not the breed. ;)

[TBLfan 25]

Parents just don't care anymore.

I see it every day - 8 year old kids come in and trash the store and say things like "OH! LOOK AT THIS! THIS IS SWEEET!" and throw it on the floor when they are done.

My mom would kick my ass if I did that.

me too. I think parents need to dicipline their children more and more importantly make them respectful of other people's stuff.

[All Torhs Team 0]

Parents just don't care anymore.

Used to be that Parents Just Dont Understand. ;)

[Chadd 916]

Parents just don't care anymore.

I see it every day - 8 year old kids come in and trash the store and say things like "OH! LOOK AT THIS! THIS IS SWEEET!" and throw it on the floor when they are done.

My mom would kick my ass if I did that.

me too. I think parents need to dicipline their children more and more importantly make them respectful of other people's stuff.

Too many parents want to be their child's friend and not their parent.

[CCC8190 0]

if i did what that kid did, my mom still will kick my ass. its annoying to see parents as irresponsible as the kid. i couldnt imagine being a store owner and having kids trashing my business

[Hordie Gowe 17]

That will all stop once someone is attacked or someones poorly trained pet destroys something.

fixed it for you :D

punish the deed, not the breed. ;)

Good point, however pets still have no place in an ice arena.

[DarkStar50 679]

You can always tell who has raised their kids with respect by the way the kids act in the pro shop. We have a few kids(about 12 years old) who also help take skates to the back to be sharpened for us or put sticks and gloves back neatly. When their parents stop by and ask if their kid has been any trouble, I always tell them no trouble, they have been a help. I comment to them its testimony to the job they have done at home.

[hockeymom 2]

That will all stop once someone is attacked or someones poorly trained pet destroys something.

fixed it for you :D

punish the deed, not the breed. ;)

Good point, however pets still have no place in an ice arena.

I can't disagree with you DS. However I have been guilty of smuggling our dog into the arena from time to time. Don't like to, mainy because it is a pain in the butt, but sometimes we're going somewhere after the game and it is just more convenient. Having said that tho'... we've always kept him tucked away in a sports bag or in the more lax arenas, on his leash, so he doesn't end up getting kicked out of the relative warmth of the arena. If he were a larger (real) dog it wouldn't be possible to break the rules.

[DarkStar50 679]

I don't have a problem with dogs as long as they know they cannot rent skates. There is a man with a seeing eye dog who comes to the rink. He is not totally blind but does skate at public session.

[bill33 0]

I have a huge problem with dogs and rinks. I was at a roller tourny in Texas and some kid(about 35) and on my team no less decided to bring his dog to the game. The dog got into the rink and started chasing people around. Man what an idiot. There is a time and a place for everything and if the kids dont know the difference the parents should.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

I don't have a problem with dogs as long as they know they cannot rent skates. There is a man with a seeing eye dog who comes to the rink. He is not totally blind but does skate at public session.

is he there much?

[hockeymom 2]

I suspect we would find the same people who let their dogs run amuck also let their kids be disrespectful and wild.

[DarkStar50 679]

Langs,

He has 2 boys that play hockey so he likes being at the rink. His dog is a big german shep that is just a gentle giant around people. He is usually here on Sundays when the place is packed. The shep is never a problem.

[Doctor Hook 0]

He tested flex without a blade in it. I'd turn the kid into a popsicle with it for doing that.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

Langs,

He has 2 boys that play hockey so he likes being at the rink. His dog is a big german shep that is just a gentle giant around people. He is usually here on Sundays when the place is packed. The shep is never a problem.

Ever think about gettin' his dog some ice skates? :lol:

[DarkStar50 679]

Great idea! I'll hook the shep up with double runners and away we go!!

[Langenbrunner15 0]

THat'd be interesting to see..along wit half the people already clinging onto the boards hopeing not to fall.