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"Listen, not a year goes by, not a year, that I don't hear about some escalator accident involving some [explicative deleted] kid which could have easily been avoided had some parent - I don't care which one - but some parent conditioned him to fear and respect that escalator." The above quote comes from my favorite of the Kevin Smith oeuvre, Mallrats, which stars a pre-My Name is Earl Jason Lee. Released in 1995, writer/director Smith had no way of knowing that a new threat to escalator safety was looming in the distant future ... the ubiquitous Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX) shoes.
I'm not a mother, myself, but evidently these brightly colored clog-esque creations can be a parent's worst nightmare (I am an attorney's wife, so can I call them a lawsuit waiting to happen?). The shoes, while mystifyingly fashionable and in high demand, can cause playground accidents and lead to uncomfortable kids, when the holed footwear becomes full of playground detritus.
But shoes full of mulch and pebbles pale in comparison to a major injury that could befall a Crocs wearer on an escalator. A recent ABC News report warned of the grisly scenario where the rubbery shoes become wedged between an escalator's moving stairs and its sides, trapping the child's foot. While nearly 250 million people zoom up and down escalators each day, only a small number of Croc-related mishaps have been reported. But it is a preventable accident, and one of which parents (and Croc wearers) should be aware. Avoid wearing Crocs to the mall, or if you must, keep to the center of the escalator, pay attention when it is time to step off, and remember, in the rare event of an accident, there is an emergency shut-off switch on all escalators.
The report warns that Crocs aren't the only shoes that pose a danger on escalators. Any soft, pliable shoe (including flip flops) poses a similar threat. Guess I'll be leaving my jellie shoes at home the next time I have to take the subway.
Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.
The report warns that Crocs aren't the only shoes that pose a danger on escalators. Any soft, pliable shoe (including flip flops) poses a similar threat. Guess I'll be leaving my jellie shoes at home the next time I have to take the subway.
Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-27-2007 @ 6:01PM
Gary Sullivan said...
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GMS
4-13-2007 @ 6:36PM
Gary Sullivan said...
Thank you
4-14-2007 @ 11:08AM
Crocs Fans said...
We posted on this topic back of Crocs and Escalators in September of last year. It is sad to hear about these accidents with kids wearing Crocs getting caught in an escalator. I wonder what the percentage is of the total accidents involve Crocs vs. other types of shoes. Think about the number of times you hear about shoelaces getting caught in escalators. Parents need to careful and make sure no matter what shoes kids are wearing.