In the latest retail incident to go viral, an 11-year-old boy was detained by a security guard at a Lego store in Calgary for shopping alone.
Although the policy wasn't stated in the store, Lego has a rule that children under 12 can't be left unattended in its stores. A store manager explained to CBC that the policy addresses safety concerns such as child predators or a possible mall evacuation.
In a statement sent to Canada's Metro newspaper, Lego said, "As a toy company, our utmost concern is for children's safety and as such we have a policy in place regarding unaccompanied minors in our store. As this customer was under the age of 12 and alone we followed our protocol and stand by our policy."
Afterwards, a sign was posted in the store that read, "To ensure that your child has a safe and enjoyable experience in our store, please don't leave them unattended."
The incident is enmeshed in a much larger "free-range kids" debate around parenting practices and child safety. A significant drop in pickup games and outdoor play caused by concerns and laws around unsupervised kids is seen by some as depriving children of not only health benefits but the path to become self-reliant and independent. An overreaction to stranger abduction is said to be the root cause.
Source: coldbike.wordpress.com - Blog posting by Doug Dunlop
The father of the detained boy, Doug Dunlop, wrote a letter to Lego demanding an apology from the store manager and security guard, both of whom questioned his parenting skills. In the letter posted on his blog, Mr. Dunlop noted that his son had shopped alone there many times before and since he was 9 and spent thousands already on Lego products. He said it was "bad for business" to place restrictions on such as a frequent customer.
Mr. Dunlop concluded, "Please understand that I am not asking that the Lego Store run a babysitting service for anyone who comes to the mall. I am merely asking that paying customers of any age be treated with the respect that they deserve."
- Lego Store detains 11-year-old boy for shopping without an adult - CBC
- Eleven-year-old Calgary Lego lover held for being ‘under the age of 12 and alone' in Lego Store - Metro
- 11-year-old boy detained for shopping without adult at Calgary Lego Store - Global News
- Child detained at Lego store - Doug Dunlop's blog
- Forget about the free-range kids. Children in America still aren't safe enough. - The Washington Post (tiered sub.)