Have you ever seen the movie, Indiana Jones? There’s a famous scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, where Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is being chased through the jungle by a gigantic rolling boulder. While it’s exhilarating to watch as a movie-goer, it’s not as enjoyable when you’re playing the roll of Jones as a huge, hard ball chases after you in your everyday life.
Sounds a little far fetched, right?
Well, tell that to the shoppers at the Paramus, New Jersey Target last week when one of the large, red, two-ton bollard ball barriers was bumped into by a truck and set free to roll through the parking lot. This ended up causing mayhem as the ball smashed into a women’s car before heading towards the parked cars in the lot. Luckily, a gentlemen and his dog were able to stop the runaway bollard ball, with some help from a curb, before it caused any more damage.
Check out the video and news story below:
According to the news report from ABC 7 New York, the bollard ball cost $3,500 worth of damage to the women’s car. But that’s not the end of the story, as Target denied any liability for the runaway bollard ball, telling the woman that she’d have to suit the driver of the truck that nudged the ball free. This has obviously caused an uproar from the woman, the news outlets covering the story, and the article commenters looking to hold the $72+ billion corporation (per 2013 numbers) responsible.
Look how easily the two-ton ball of problems is unhinged and set free for the customers and their cars to deal with.
Now, think about those ball bollards as storefront crash barriers. If a car hardly moving is able to displace the ball barrier, how are those storefront barriers expected to withstand an accelerating car that is either out of control or purposely trying to crash into the storefront glass doors? Could the ball barriers become objects that actually lead to more destruction during a storefront car accident?
This accident, along with several incidents of storefront crashes at some of the superstore’s locations around the country, has raised plenty of questions for both Target and its customers. Something we’re sure the Public Relations and Store Management departments at the retailing giant’s corporate offices hate to read.
But what if there were a solution to solve the issue?
At Ideal Shield, we believe we have the right answer for Target and its customers.
Something needs to change at Target. Whether that means the ball barriers will need to be locked down into the cement or replaced all together, the company, which was already in need of an upgrade, will need to improve its storefront crash protection.
The ball barriers are aesthetically appealing for both customers and the store. It’s branding and it looks like it protects customers (and the store) from possible accidents. However, the spacing between the barriers, the height of the barriers and the, now known, issue with the barriers not even being permanently installed means that Target’s storefront protection is more of a marketing ploy than a security standard.
That is where we come into play.
Ideal Shield’s bollard systems is the perfect solution for storefront protection. Our steel pipe bollards are a cost-effective alternative (compared to the giant concrete balls) and happen to be the strongest on the market, which will improve storefront protection. Add in the freedom of expression and brand awareness possibilities that come with our custom, industry-leading, bollard covers, which are available in custom colors, custom designs, and with custom logos, and this is the perfect storefront crash protection product.
For more information on how our protective bollard posts and covers can increase the protection level at your business, office, or Target location, make sure to contact the knowledgeable sales team here at Ideal Shield for everything you’ll need to know.
Contact our experienced sales team today to learn more!