NY Looks to Regulate Use of Bowling Shoes

This is from USBC News

NYC Mayor Bloomberg is famous for heavily regulating daily life in New York City, from banning trans fat, to regulating soft drink sizes.

Now two members of the NY legislature are doubling down on the type of regulation that has made Bloomberg famous in New York City.

New York State Assemblyman, Robin Schimminger, and New York State Senator, Patrick Gallivan, have sponsored a bill which would require bowling alley owners to post signage prohibiting patrons from wearing shoes outside of their bowling alleys. It appears that the intent of the regulation is ultimately to limit alley owners from lawsuits by patrons who slip outside their establishments, and then presumably hold the alley responsible for the fact that they chose to leave the establishment in slippery shoes.

Bowling shoes are traditionally designed to be slick, and are also typically designed to be unfashionable to discourage their use for anything other than the sport they were made for. It is not clear why patrons have been leaving establishments in their bowling shoes.

Many have questioned why the legislators don’t focus on Tort reform, rather than increased legislation, to limit the liability citizens would have from frivolous lawsuits, which can often be catastrophic for small businesses lacking the funds for legal fees.

Many have pointed to Texas for examples of Tort reform success. In 2003, House Bill 4 lead to a simplification and reform of Texas tort laws, and the number of doctors in Texas is predicted to double by the end of 2013 from when the law passed.