Secrets of the City

Mmmm…skateboarders.

Yep. That’s all I had to say about that.

Kick Push…Coast

“Witt Siasoco.” I’d like to see his birth certificate.

Skateboarding’s a fine activity.

The problem is, many of the people on top of the board think they’re entitled to use the world as their playground, and that anyone who tells them differently is opressing them.

I saw a funny scene once, a business owner caught some kids trick boarding outside his business, the kids were too stupid to run away and tried to step up to the business owner, so the owner promptly grabbed a board from one of the punks, smashed it in half with his foot somehow, and threw it across the street.

I couldn’t control myself, I blew up laughing.

What’s up with young people and entitlement syndrome? What makes these kids think they have the right to do what they do?

I was down there…on the streets…hangin with the sk8ter boyz and them dogs were like going on and on with “Mmmmmmmm… Bloggers.”

It was odd.

Cary, the thing is, business owners have a very real concern when it comes to skateboarders on their property. The minute one of them cracks open their skull, the lawsuits start flying.

I’m not defending skateboarders or business owners, merely stating reality.

That IS odd, Raindog66!

But odd in the raddest way possible (yep…I still throw down the slang I learned from watching “Gleaming The Cube”).

Here’s one mySpacer’s account of the day.

I guess since it’s summer he didn’t have any homework to do.

However, he would do well to work on his English.

OK…I would like one citation of a skateboarder suing a property owner.

Just one! Skateboarding has been around for over 30 years. I would like to see one case where a person injured themselves on private property and sued. Just one please!

it’s not the skateboarder that sues, it’s their parents who decide that nothing is their fault for bad parenting and letting their kid do whatever, but rather it’s the fault of someone else for not disallowing their kid to do dangerous things. Parents suck nowdays.

Also skaters do a remarkable amount of damage to public places they frequent. They ruin stonework, benches, handrails and all manner of other things that don’t belong to them and certainly weren’t designed for the shit they do to it. I’m all for the idea of building skate parks where they can shred all the shit they want, but for fuck’s sake keep them out of public areas. That’s not even mentioning the safety risk to passersby who they can fly into and injure.

The Rat:
However, he would do well to work on his English.

Keith, the MySpace Skate Rat:
but then one guy that could barely speak english managed to kick us out. so we are off again. now we got to this big shiny thing that you can do wallies off. oh yeah and the “s” benches were there too but we got kicked out.

Funny, yes?

I encountered them walking home up Nicollet last night. The security guards at the ING building at Washington and Hennepin were kicking them out but six wouldn’t leave and appeared to be goading the guards into some sort of physical reaction so they could sue for assault. Two of the six weren’t on boards; they had still and video cameras at the ready. And yes, two of the guards did have African accents.

The funny thing is, it’s private property; they had no right to be there.

Oh, and Simpleton, here’s some case cites for you. The list does not include cases where the parents sue the skate park for allowing Johnny to crack his skull open.

Hojnowski ex rel. Hojnowski v. Vans Skate Park,
375 N.J.Super. 568, 868 A.2d 1087, N.J.Super.A.D., Mar 10, 2005

Ryan v. Yarbrough,
355 Ill.App.3d 342, 823 N.E.2d 259, 291 Ill.Dec. 249, Ill.App. 2 Dist., Feb 04, 2005

Agbabian v. TST Colorado Ave., L.L.C.,
Not Reported in Cal.Rptr.3d, 2004 WL 1558293, Nonpublished/Noncitable, (Cal. Rules of Court, Rules 976, 977),, Cal.App. 2 Dist., Jul 13, 2004

That skaters blog report was da bomb. I can’t imagine why shop owners hate skaters, I mean what with all the shoplifting etc.

Peezowt while I go work on my frontsidz ollie lazer 720.

Correction. I did list one of the skate park cases.

“Funny, yes?”

No. English may be a second language for him.

I bet you were born and raised on American soil.

What’s your excuse?

CJC:

Apologies. I thought you were the kid asking me this.

Keith is going to be so psyched when he sees all the hits that his blog got today!

Ryan v. Yarbrough – In this case the child was in the street and hit by a city truck.

Hojnowski ex rel. Hojnowski v. Vans Skate Park – This was at a skate park where presumably the child paid for admission

Agbabian v. TST Colorado Ave – This one says Nonpublished/Noncitable right in the title.

I haven’t seen one private property case yet. Anyone?

I lived in Newport Beach and skaters were not allowed on the boardwalk. Apparently a skater’s board slipped out from under him and hit someone in the head and they died. At least that is what people are saying happened.

People say a lot of stuff…doesn’t mean it ever happened.

“People.” I never trust People.

There’s no other way to paint it: trick skateboarding in public is destructive.

Lawsuits, whatever don’t matter really at all.

My point is that “people” use the argument to say they don’t want you skateboarding on their property because of legal reasons.

Shown to be complete bullshit.

Destructive..sure…but really how much? As destructive to the community as panhandlers and drug dealers…It’s a matter of perspective that many seem to look at it a little cross-eyed in its importance.

you can wash away the pee of bums and panhandlers, but they don’t usually leave any permenant damage to the areas they frequent the way skaters do.

Now is this permanent damage aesthetic or functional damage?

Because if your talking purely aesthetic damage, people do a lot more visual damage than skatebroaders. (City Center)

Both, but neither is acceptable if you’re on someone else’s private property and they tell you that you’re not allowed to do something that causes it.

I mean, sure, if I key your car it’s just aesthetic damage, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be pissed off at me for doing it, right? That also doesn’t necessarily make it O.K. to do either, yes? You could file a claim and a court could make me pay to fix it. Why is skating on private property any different? Or public property not designed for it, for that matter. Most people wouldn’t say that tagging public property is ok because it’s just ‘aesthetic damage,’ would they?

Then forget the legal reasons. They’re annoying and obnoxious and that should be enough reason for any property owner or proprietor to hustle them along and make them someone else’s annoyance.

Most cases are settled prior to trial so they wouldn’t even show up on a search. The cases listed were those that went to appeal. Note Calhoon v. Lewis, 81 Cal.App.4th 108, 96 Cal.Rptr.2d 394. Defendant/Parents were granted summary judgment in suit brought by son’s friend who impaled himself on a pipe sticking out of a planter by their driveway. Sounds private to me.

Here’s my skater story. Happened a few days ago — I was in my car, driving the speed limit with my seatbelt on and all that. Approached an intersection with a green light and was about to make a right turn when I saw a group of kids in the lot to my right. It’s a construction site that’s all blocked off with the sidewalks closed. There were barriers placed right in front of the curb all around.

Two of the kids had cameras and were filming each other doing moves that sent them careening out into the middle of the intersection. One kid was midway through his trick when one of the other kids saw my car and had him stop. Luckily for them, I saw what was going on and had already stopped my car, even though I had a green light and should have been moving through the intersection.

If the kids timing was off by a split second, or had I been making the turn that was perfectly legal, this kid would have ended up under my tires or possibly on my windsheild.

On top of all that, one of the kids with a camera pointed it toward my car while another one flipped me off and said “Fuck you!” I laughed it off because that’s just kids being kids. But it was still scary to think I could have seriously injured some teen through absolutely no fault of my own.

You are all right, I’m wrong. Thay should be home playing video games where they are safe and not wrecking anything.

Many cities outlaw all street skating where are the kids supposed to go?

If you never skated you don’t know the joy of the perfect handrail or slick curb or little bench you happen upon that no one has skated before.

Apparently, the historic boardwalk in Mantorville was torn up due to a senior citizen tripping or something. I’m sure someone here can set the record straight.

“If you never skated you don’t know the joy of the perfect handrail or slick curb or little bench you happen upon that no one has skated before.”

They see their future, I’m sure. Days and nights hurtling about on a patch of steel obstacles and concrete.

Ahhh, the rapture.

If you never skated, you don’t know the joy of failing on about 90 percent of the tricks you attempt, falling over constantly, and the long recuperation time required forashattered kneecap.

Hey, Simpleton, just to be clear, I’m not one of the reactionaries on this thread like Cary (who clearly was picked on by skater kids in high school). I’m all for skating. It’s great exercise and gets kids out of the house and away from the TV/computer/Xbox.

My problem with skateboarders is that a lot of them seem to have the same mentality as the rabid bicyclists. They want to use the same streets and sidewalks as the rest of us, but they don’t think they have to follow any rules, or at the very least only the few they think suit them.

The kids I mentioned in my last post were putting themselves in danger and, to a lesser extent, me in danger. I can guarantee you that they drove themselves downtown to skate in this construction site — there is no way they live around here. They could have just as easily driven to a skatepark — and there are plenty around the Cities. They didn’t want to, though. Maybe they didn’t want to be forced to wear helmets/pads, whatever. No one was forcing them into this illegal activity. They have other options they just didn’t like them.

Took one of the kids in our neighborhood the better part of two summers to jump the 4-inch step in front of our apartment building. He was on it day after day. Smacked his head on the sidewalk once. Stunned slightly, he recovered and went back to it.

If only we could get kids to put that sort of dedication to their school work.

I think anon is saying that Skaters are conscientious objectors to laws they don’t like if I’m reading him correctly!

If only that were the case, Simpleton! They’re not making any political statements, they’re just hoplessly self-centered and don’t give a fuck about the greater community around them.

Also I resent bicyclists being lumped in with skaters. If you want the really rude people look at the rollerbladers. God, I hate rollerbladers. On the bike paths! On the sidewalks! Constantly swaying back and forth and paying no attention to anyone or anything around them! Sure, take 5-6 feet so you can sway your stupid ass back and forth for ‘exercise.’ Some of us are going places and would prefer to do so safely, jerks!

“Also I resent bicyclists being lumped in with skaters.”

Bicyclists have a different set of problems and greater set of of responsibilities that too many ignore.

There’s a skate park across the street from my apartment. They’re so cute and, like, fifteen.

Bicyclists have a different set of problems and greater set of of responsibilities that too many ignore.

Like the chumps who use a traffic lane and play by the road’s rules, then use the crosswalk at red lights so they don’t have to stop. Red lights apply to you too, Sparky! And it’s for your safety, far more than your stupid helmet.

Nonetheless….

Sorry. Read your post too fast, and misunderstood. Glad to see we concur!

A small suggestion, how about an Edit function on this board!

I wish I invented those little metal brackets that are all over now to prevent skaters from marking up curbs and stairs. That guy must be rich. Now rather than black marks on the curb from someone having fun we have expensice little peices of metal making some asshole rich. Like those things look good.

When I was a kid this family that lived on a corner by the school got tired of kids cutting through thier yard and making a path in the grass. They put up a chainlink fense on a diagonal in from the house to the corner of the lot. That made things look much better too.

Damn. I messed up my new name…

me and my friend here think you are all fuckers!! You have absolutely no idea how much passion is involved in skating. You are probably just pissed cuz your kids started to skate when they became teenagers and when they lost respect for you(like most teenagers do) you blamed the skating!! You are so judgemental!! And whats even worse than you shitting on the skaters is that you shit on the people who dress like skaters. And while you’re shitting on the skaters you’re completly forgetting about the FAGGOT ASS FRUITBOOTERS (rollerbladers)!! They grind up just as many things we do. The only reason u dont shit on fruitbooters is because there fucking pusses who say sorry when they gat caught and pay the damages.you old fagets are just pissed because if you tried to sk8 ur xtreamly small dicks will fall off!!!!!!

You fucking fruitbooters are so molasting gay!!!!your sit here on this gay ass web site tiping “i hate sk8ers!they keep on beating me at all kinds of tricks!”and “sk8ers get to do all these cool stuff.”while you guys are tiping this stuff your really thinking “god i wish i was i could get as many girls as a sk8er”or your thinking you need a guy you gay asses!!!the only reason me and my friends joined this web site is to cus and make fun of you guys.
When you guys arent on this shit hole of a web site your eather on a gay porno web site or fucking your parents in there basement(were your stiil living by the way!! )
God you gay ass father fuckers!!!
OH and to you plasticboy!!WHAT THE HELL KIND OF A NAME IS PLASTICBOY!!??ITMIGHT AS WELL BE GAY ASS MOTHER FUCKER BOY YOU GAY FAG!!IF I EVER SEE YOUR FRUITBOOTING ASS IN PUBLIC I WOULD TAKE MY ZERO SK8BOURD AND SHUV IT UP YOUR ASS!!!YOULL BE TASTING SPLINTERS!!!!OH AND HOW ILL KNOW WHO YOU ARE YOULL PROBABLY HAVE PINK & PIRPLE FRUITBOOTS LOOKING JUST LIKE THE GUY IN WHITE & NERDY MUSIC VIDEO!!YOUR THE WORST FRUITBOOTER ON EARTH!!!!!!

GOOD BY YOU FRUITBOOTS !FROM YOURS TRULY SK84LIFE
P.S I AM NOT THE SAME PERSONE WHO WROTE THE FIRST ENTRY
SO YOU KNOW ITS ME IM HATER2FRUITBOOTERS

BIE

Sk84lf’s comments wer the best things I have ever red, frootbootsies.

Thank you for your timely comments, sk84lf, which do not seem at all insane.

How random that Sk84lf is registered as “Amanda Sharp” who’s e-mail addy is “Shoeluvr.” Nice to see a skater girl who loves shoes. And who’s Plasticboy?

Hey its sk84lf.just to make something clear,for sk84lf its me and my friend who are on this one user name.so im hater2fruitbooters.my other friend dosnt realy hhave a name on here so all my letters will have my name at the bottom.when my other friend sends an entry she wont put a name. i put this here so everything is clear.oh and by the way im a boy !!my friend who made the account is agirl.oh and to jim,msparber,jderusha thanks for your comments!!at least this wholweb site isnt fruitbooters!!

well got 2 go bye!!
from hater2fruitbooters

Skaters seem to be very preoccupied with sex.

Nasty painful degrading unwanted and unsatisfying sex that leaves splinters and bad memories.

So it’s nice to hear that the high school experience really hasn’t changed much since I was there.

It’s comments like these which make me utterly thankful that I had no access to the internet when I was in high school.

I had access to the internets when I was in high school and managed not to be a complete fucktard about it. Also, I what’s a fruitbooter? Me so very, very confused.