Razor scooters on Shabbos

amother

Smokey

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 6:01 pm

We live in a very kiruvy-out of town community. Recently some children have been riding their scooters to shul. Besides the fact that I think it's rude to leave them in front of strollers/wheelchairs and I worry about myself or anyone else falling over them, I don't think they are appropriate for shabbos. We allow our children to ride them around our yard or driveway on shabbos but not as means of transportation to shul. Our children have asked to ride theirs to shut and we say our family doesn't because it's not shabbosdig.

Recently someone mentioned to me that it's a common sight in Lakewood to see children riding scooters to shut in Lakewood. Can someone please tell me if this is true?

I mention that we are in a kiruv community to help you understand that not everyone is holding not he same level and that's why we have this issue.

Looking for some perspective for this frustrating shabbos experience.

Thanks!

*edited to correct typos

Petra

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 7:47 pm

My children ride scooters sometimes to shul but I don't agree with it. When they are with me, I do not allow it. Sometimes my husband takes them to shul and he doesn't see a problem with it. What can I do.

sourstix

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 7:51 pm

ok, so tell me where in halacha you cant ride a scooter? asking for information. respectfully wanto learn. I heard some other women talking about it. and noone said why. I understand electric ones. but, this I dont. please help me understand. I live in lakewood and I havent seen it. doesnt mean they arent doing it. lakewood is big. so I cant know all of what is going on.

amother

Smokey

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 8:00 pm

OP here - I never said it was against halacha - I haven't been able to find anything that it is but we hold that it's just not shabbosdig and therefor not appropriate as a means to get to shut on shabbos (like I said in backyard shabbos afternoon for the younger kids I'm fine with)

sky

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 8:31 pm

I did once stay in a development in Lakewood were all the kids were riding scooters around the entire shabbos. I was uncomfortable with the setup. There were no cars driving through and the kids were flying down the long roads and bends (besides that I felt it was extremely dangerous)

I would not let my kids ride their scooters to shul. I don't let them ride them out of the yard. Were I live no one is riding scooters on shabbos.

Halachicly I never asked. I have been told that bikes without training wheels are muktzah and bikes with training wheels are not. I wonder were scooters fall in.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 8:34 pm

I know some people who hold scooters are in the same category as bikes in terms of being problematic on Shabbos because they are used for transportation. Others hold they are just toys for kids and they wouldn't be ridden to get from one place to another like bikes are. But if they are used to get to shul, that seems like transportation devices to me, and a shaila must be asked.

amother

Seagreen

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 9:53 pm

I live in Lakewood in a development and this has always bothered my dh. Every yeshivish kid where the father is still learning after fifteen years of marriage is riding scooters and ripsticks on Shabbos. I don't understand it but I guess it's a way to keep the kids outdoor a whole day on Shabbos so parents can rest.

amother

Taupe

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 10:06 pm

I heard that scooters and training wheel bikes (trikes too) are okay since the reason a regular bike is considered muktzah is because one can drive far and possibly go out of the techum. A scooter or little bike can't transport someone too far so there is no question that they will drive out of the techum.

I guess we should ask a competent rav to see if it is really okay.

marina

Thu, Oct 08 2015, 11:19 pm

My kids ride scooters all the time on shabbos. Bikes are generally frowned upon b/c a bike with a chain can have the chain fall off and then you will come to fix it on shabbos or something like that.

But scooters don't have chains and my kids enjoy going to shul and visiting their friends

amother

Lemon

Fri, Oct 09 2015, 3:53 am

This is an interesting topic to me.
In RBS there are three categories of kids. One set of children will ride scooters all Shabbos long everywhere.
Another group will only ride in their semi-private parking lots. Then the 3d group will not ride at all due to their parents' approach of it being not shabbasdik. When my kids ask, I tell them no. But then again I let my small son ride his bimba at the park. I would not allow bikes other than his tricycle, which he has now outgrown, though.

But this is not something I see as black and white.

DrMom

Fri, Oct 09 2015, 5:17 am

marina wrote:

This is what I learned too (although bike chains hardly ever fall off anymore... but somehow we are stuck with this rule, for reasons I do not comprehend).

imasoftov

Fri, Oct 09 2015, 5:18 am

I don't see a problem, so long as they don't ride them inside the shul building (obviously they shouldn't be riding them in the place where people pray, I mean they also shouldn't be riding around areas of the building not in use at the time). We put strollers and wheelchairs inside and scooters outside.

rise above

Fri, Oct 09 2015, 8:46 am

Live in Lakewood and everyone around me, including the most yeshivish, use their scooters, roller blades, rip sticks- or whatever else is in vogue (besides bikes) on Shabbos.

mommyla

Fri, Oct 09 2015, 12:31 pm

When I lived in a Lakewood development loads of kids rode scooters and Ripstiks on Shabbos. Aside from the danger (think 3-year-olds riding in the streets and down hills), I don't think it's Shabbosdik. My kids were not allowed to ride (and got a lesson in "just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean you have to"). Now we live in a different neighborhood and nobody rides scooters on Shabbos.