The majority of the days agenda was filled with the regular topics of ordinances and resolutions. The sale of the bond for just under $2.1 million dollars at 3.9% rate was interesting but not nearly as interesting as the discussion at the beginning of the meeting. When the time came for pubic comment a number of kids stood up to complain about the ridiculous law on skateboarding.
See these posts:
Adam Peek, the owner of Decade Snow and Skate stood up to make some great arguments for removal of the ban. For example, there are more kids moving towards skateboarding these days than are playing little league baseball. As you can see from this August LA Times article, the World Series of Little League Baseball has seen a huge decline in baseball play to sports like skateboarding. Now kids are forced to skateboard only on sidewalks in our fair city. Because of the cracks in the sidewalk, skateboarding is now more dangerous for the bumps and cracks can cause the board to catch and tip over.
Super reporter Jamie Lampros, from the Standard Examiner, paid us a visit and spent some time with the skateboarders during and after the meeting. Her top notch article can be found on the front page of today's Standard-X. She is doing a great job shedding light on this topic and how silly this law is. She reports a number of people are using their boards to get to school and work. But because of the ban this is no longer a choice.
“If I miss the bus, my only way to school is on my skateboard or longboard,” said South Ogden Junior High School student Slone Jensen-Vail. “I live in lower Uintah, and on my board, I can get to school in 30 minutes. If I have to walk, it’s going to take me two hours.”The mayor has mentioned in previous meetings his motives for such a ban came from two sources. First he was once flagged down on Glasman Way by a longboarder who wanted to grab on to his bumper. Second a number of concerned citizens came to him and said they frustrated with skateboarders. I wonder if it was the one concerned citizen from a previous city council meeting on August 26th 2008 (See Here). Well he has had nearly four visits from concern citizens regarding lifting this ban, he has showed no signs of change. In the end, the mayor has mentioned before this is just a fad and it will all go away. However this is not just a fad; skateboarding has been around for years and will continue to grow.
Why can we not require skateboarders follow regular traffic laws like bicyclers and if they violate these laws cite them for reckless endangerment, etc. But a complete ban on skateboarding is wrong and should be overturned. Anyone and everyone who skateboards needs to come to every city council meeting and voice their concern. Email all our council members here: Email City Council
Help to overturn this silly law!
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