Heard in Austin:

[urbpan]

"squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak..."

The sound of a dog's squeaky toy, coming closer, down the sidewalk, as we eat lunch outside. What should come up the way but a family--mom and dad and just-walking baby--the baby's shoes are making the squeak noise. Someone is manufacturing baby shoes with squeakers in them. There were a few people around us, and we all exchanged unbelieving looks. One guy said "that's the weirdest thing I've ever seen!" Well, no, but it's pretty weird.

Cut to a few hours later, in the airport, waiting for the announcement to board our plane: "squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak..." Another just-walking baby, with squeakers in its shoes. Someone is manufacturing baby shoes with squeakers in them, and at least two people have bought them. I can only imagine that the point of these shoes is that you always know where the baby is--you know, rather than watching them. I know, I'm not a "kid person," and I'll never have children so I'll never understand, but isn't this whole idea really obnoxious? The message I'm getting from it is "My child's safety is more important than your comfort."

They are coming to your school, your daycare center, your laundromat, grocery store (think of it--dozens of pairs of shoes--"squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak") dentist's office, your city street!

What do you think?

Comments

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

I think it's time to break out the Clue-by-Four and deliver some beatings.

There is no excuse for exacerbating childrens' natural tendency to be publicly obnoxious.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

OMFG..!

I'm just trying to think what might happen if Spike came across a child with aqueaky toy feet.

...it's not pretty.

[sin-agua.livejournal.com]

They should make them for teenagers - rather like putting a bell on a cat.

But kids that old can disable anything, so....

But yeah, that's just stupid. I thought the kids' shoes with the red blinky lights were bad enough, but squeaky, too? Someone in development should be smacked, for sure.

[grace-batmonkey.livejournal.com]

Apparently, they're allegedly supposed to encourage the wee ones to walk.

In practice, I think this will increase the likelihood of irritated bystanders holding down little kids and forcibly removing their footwear.

[gwodder.livejournal.com]

If this were a sane society we wouldn't need squeakers to keep track of children because they'd be making enough giggles and other happy noises to keep track of them. Also there'd be no chance of these noises being drowned out by machinery.

Of course if we were a sane society people wouldn't react to the sounds of children's happiness as though it were fingernails on chalkboard.

For God's sake, I've seen people on the T cringe like mad when a child laughs, all the while happily enduring the ungodly mechanical shriek of the train as it scrapes around the bend towards the station... something's wrong with this picture.

[by-steph.livejournal.com]

The blinky light shoes contain small amounts of mercury. A perpetuating cycle that is.

[http://users.livejournal.com/purplebunnie_/]

They USED to. And I loved those freakin' shoes.

[jenhime.livejournal.com]

They've been really popular (around where I live) with families in Asian parts of town for several years now. I've heard varying reasons for putting squeakers in kids' shoes, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. Luckily, I've only ever encountered them in open public places like the mall and the park. I'd probably be annoyed if the noise were interrupting a meal at a nice restaurant though.

[http://users.livejournal.com/purplebunnie_/]

Not a horrible idea, but I like most kids. Even the brats.

Have you ever babysat a silent child?

:(

[momomom.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, most babes are confined to strollers anyway.

And It;'s Not a Mouse

[martianmoons.livejournal.com]

I agree, I think this is "over the top" and disrespectful of others. And I do not think the squeaking helps people locate their children. I have kids, and you keep track of them by looking at where they are going!

This is some marketing idea that was not well thought out.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

the lady near us in the airport said (to the baby) 'you're lucky my dogs aren't here!'

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

i like the blinky shoes too!

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

It was a really loud and horrible constant noise - not the noise of happy child giggles and babbles.

But then, I don't like to hear cell phones ringing in public either.

[almeda.livejournal.com]

Some little girls can be enticed to wearing bells on their braids.

I didn't figure out until high school that this had been one of my mom's many strategies for single-parenting a very active toddler and young-kid, while still getting housework and freelance writing done. :->

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

I lurved those shoes too! I could never get them in adult size though!

Squeaky is a different matter all together. And my dog would bite the legs offa them too. It's such a struggle owning a grumpy, elderly Jack Russell who is predisposed to hate babies and toddlers and trying to keep him out of trouble...

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

Of course, the child's safety is more important than your comfort, but that's not really what's at stake here. I don't think the point of squeaky shoes is to keep the child safe, or to encourage the child to walk (children walk just fine, unless there's a real problem that squaeky shoes will not address). The actual point of squeaky shoes is --

-- children like to make noise.

I don't think it's a good product, but I don't think it's important either.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

...or a rambunctious toy-obsessed Border Collie who LOVES kids but gets way too rough once he gets excited.

squeaky toy feet is just asking for trouble.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

we can't have squeaky toys in our house because our one dog gets all obsessive about them and they could potentially cause fights.

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

I know of blind parents who use these for their kids, but only in the house!

[psongster.livejournal.com]

Now *that* I could understand. But for the fun of the noise? Aieee!

[miltonic-satan.livejournal.com]

I don't see why people can't stand a little silence. Not that many kids are quiet types. But why make them noisier than they have to be? Perhaps they shouldn't worry so much....

[bellelvsbeast.livejournal.com]

Those have actually been around for awhile...I have seen them a few years back, when I babysat an asian family. It's a HUGE trend in China and other asian countries...but yea it IS annoying...:P

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

If we start to get those at the zoo, Pacal will be noticeably fatter...

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

*stores idea for later use*