For those of you not familiar with kid's hockey,
let me introduce you a phenomenon that every hockey arena in the world experiences.......
" The Rink Rat "
Now in the real world, Rink Rats are perfectly normal little children, whose older siblings play hockey, they are, in all likelihood, nice little children.
Turn them loose in an arena while their older sibling practices or plays, and their parents are too busy watching the game to supervise them and voila... they become the dreaded Rink Rats.
Rink Rats travel in packs, swarming the bleachers, spilling your coffee, playing tag and yelling loudly, all the while with mouthfuls of nickel candy they have purchased from the concession. They continue their games in the bathrooms, where they try to out scream each other in the echoing rooms.
They lock the doors and crawl under the stalls.
Today, I pulled one from underneath a vending machine.
The Cree Princess would like to be a Rink Rat, but unfortunately she has a grannie who packs a portable DVD Player, and enough books and healthy snacks to keep her busy.
And can give "THE LOOK".
Apparently, I am the only one who knows how to control these little pests.
I can take it for so long and then my head starts to pound and
"THE LOOK" comes over my face.
I bend down , and meet their eyes.
"Where are your parents?" I ask them.
They look at me wide eyed and point somewhere on the bleachers.
"Go find them, and sit beside them, now" I say firmly, and they disperse.
Once they have returned to their otherwise occupied parent's side.
I can usually keep them there by raising an eyebrow and narrowing my eyes when they rise from their seat.
And they slink back down and huddle closer to their parent.
Just call me , the Rat Buster.