Skateboarding and Police Just Don't Mix

I don't want to sound like an old man but I am in my late twenties so I guess there is no hiding it; when I was a little skateboarder coming up there was not a skatepark in my city. The closest skatepark was over an hour away and I was lucky to skateboard there once every two months. I'm not complaining, I got by, but it seems now a days skateboarders are not taking advantage of the rapid growth of skateparks popping up worldwide.

I understand how skateparks may not offer all the same obstacles you can go find in the city and how dare they require you to wear a helmet but guess what? You're ALLOWED to SKATEBOARD there! If you have a local skatepark it's a great way to stay out of trouble and meet other skateboarders in your area.

When I was in my mid teens a skatepark was finally constructed in my city. I spent pretty much every waking hour of my free time there which kept me a lot safer and out of trouble I would have definitely got into if I was left to skateboard on the streets.

If you do have a skatepark in your city, treat it well. I have been to several skateparks in my illustrious skateboarding ventures and have seen some really awful things. I have seen my favorite skateparks trashed with garbage, shut down by police for rowdy behavior in the park and seen blatant disrespect for the obstacles. I am not going to get into a rant and go into all the things I have seen disgraced at the skateparks I've been to but I will leave a list of things to consider.

• Use the designated restrooms, you are not special.
  
• Respect the rules of the park (No Smoking, pads, helmet, whatever they are)


• Don't break into the park when they are closed


• Don't fight with other skateboarders, aggressive skaters or bikers. Be passive, your line will still be there in a minute


• Don't spray paint the obstacles, your art looks great (on your own property)


• Do pick up after yourself (Don't upset Oscar the Grouch)


• Let the skatepark staff know of any problems with obstacles


• Be smart and respectful, your lucky to have a skatepark

Am I a strict advocate of ONLY skateboarding in a skatepark, no way, I have skateboarded many street obstacles, parking lots and curbs. Sometimes the skatepark is closed or there is not a skatepark near you so the options are minimal. There are some things to definitely remember if you're taking it to the streets. You can actually get away with skateboarding in public if you keep your cool and follow a few guidelines.

• Don't argue with authority, it will get you nowhere quickly.


• Ask permission, this has worked for me at churches and schools. People are surprised you asked and will usually say ok.


• Don't think it's your right, rid yourself of that entitlement and take it for what it is.


• Respect pedestrians


• Don't litter


• Be as quiet as possible


• Look for no skateboarding signs


• Walk your boards across intersections and in busy traffic


• Know your local law and ordinances

As skateboarders we form the future perception of skateboarding every time we lace up our gnarly looking shoes and hit the park or street. If you've learned anything from my post I hope it's to be respectful as skateboarders. Skateboarders get lumped in together and judged as a group, if skateboarder A-546 spray paints a duck with a machine gun onto a city bench, EVERY skateboarder just spray painted that city bench. Be cool and let skateboarding fade away from the bad perception it's received over the years, let's make skateboarding non intrusive by not being idiots.