Skateboarders: A Rant

Dedicated to Spirochete

Dear Skateboarders:

Your skateboard is a toy. At a stretch, it's a piece of sporting equipment. It is not a vehicle (don't even bother quoting applicable DOT rules. They are hardly a bastion of common sense and intelligence).  Keep your cursed toy out of traffic. You, dressed head to toe in shabby grays and  black, are virtually invisible. You, of course, eschew any sort of reflective devices or lights. Most of you are unfamiliar with the concept of travel in a straight line, weaving unpredictably through the traffic lane, and periodically flailing your arms about for no clear reason. From my rear view mirror, you look sort of like a jogger. Surprise! You're faster and when I pull out you come thisclose to becoming a sticky red spot on the pavement. I've also noticed that you like to cross the road without any sort of signalling or apparantly looking around you. Stop it.  Please, enjoy the city's fine skate parks, but to get there strap the dang thing to your back and take your bike.

End of rant.

Skateboards scare the holy beejuses out of me. Every time I'm forced to walk by one I leave as much room as possible, avoid placing myself near any walls, and move as quickly as I can. I'm always afraid they're going to loose control and carene into me.

It's an irrational, embarrassing fear, but I am nearly paralyzed by their presence.

sounds like you've only been around skateboarders who are idiots.  when younger i definately used to use it as transportation, but I understood to be aware of and defer to cars.

but please remember that skateboarders have to put up with so much crap that it would make your head spin.  i used to get harrassed by police every singe day (and unfortunately i'm not exaggerating). we used to have to deal with people trying to fight us merely for participating in a sport that they thought was strange. we've had drivers intentionally go out of their way to run over boards.  i've had people try and steal my board just for the hell of it.

but skating can be great fun.  if it wasn't raining today i would go out and skate right now.

When I used to skateboard, the sidewalk was my best friend.  <3  Pedestrians were always nice enough to scoot over to the grass, and if they weren't, off the skateboard I'd go, walk around them, and right back on.

EVERYONE needs to learn some common courtesy.  Bicyclists, skateboarders, roller bladers, drivers, pedestrians, and everyone in between.

what of the unicyclists?!

those mother f'ers drive me crazy!!!

Unicyclists aren't nearly as annoying as these guys.

Let's not forget the little heathens on heeleys that zip around you at the store and in the mall!

up with skateboards

down with noelle

It irritates me to no end when these little kids scoot around on their heelys.  In the grocery store, at the mall, in the hospital!?  I'm sorry, I blatantly tripped that one little bugger that was coming down the hall in heelys.  At 9 at night you should be scooting around at your own house, 'cause visiting hours are over and my night has started off poorly.

I can't wait until I surprise my husband with a pair.  I'm going to booby trap the house.

I am afraid that I am guilty of this, but I rollerskate everywhere. But I do respect the road as much as I can where I live (people where I live suck at driving, and will plow through a crosswalk even when there's a pedestrian almost out of the crosswalk because the light is green, last time I checked you can at least WAIT the extra 2 seconds for someone to finish crossing instead of running someone over, bah).

Many skateboarders where I live are stupid, skating across roads because they think they are 'too cool for rules'. Someday I'm going to be either sickened or laugh when one of them gets hit by a car. And all the gore because they don't wear helmets or ANYTHING.

Haha...ewww.

Maybe I'll start randomly protesting...I think a sign shaped like a skateboard that says "Recreation, not Transportation!" is sufficiently crazy...or maybe I'll design a line of hoodies with reflective skulls to enhance their visibility...

Down with you, too, Schnooder. :P

I was kidding noelle pretty flower picture icon person

Up with hope down with dope!