San Francisco, here are your tax dollars at work on Thanksgiving

Ever since I've moved to the Sunset District in San Francisco I've enjoyed Golden Gate Park. However I've been verbally abused, threatened with fines and board confiscations for skateboarding on forgotten obstacles and land in the parks. All of the park rangers / police I have run into have wasted my and their time with their out of date policies and procedures. I do not enjoy being treated like a criminal for the healthy activity I participate in.

Here in this video 15-20 skateboarders were skating a box and rail some of the local neighborhood kids brought to this spot like they always do. We skated it for hours with no problems, little kids were bicycling and skating around, the roller skaters were dancing away, tourists were stopping to take photos and join in on the fun, and everything was great. Out of nowhere this lady shows up and just grabs the box and rail and attempts to make off with them. She was stopped and confronted. An older gentleman on roller skates attempted to talk with her (which went on for nearly 30 minutes). More park rangers showed up along with the "head" ranger who told us it was illegal to bring obstacles into the park to skate because of the danger factor. What? Is this man serious? Danger? Life is danger.

They were ready to take (I should say STEAL) the neighborhood kids obstacles and dispose of them.

Needless to say the park rangers destroyed the good fun the community had created. All the tourists abandoned their picture taking and dancing, all the little kids left, the skateboarders were left frustrated, and the park rangers went on back to their jobs ruining other peoples fun that they do not take part in.

I don't understand these people. In the past rangers have been rude to me and my friends for skating a rock on a sidewalk. They have told us we are too poor to afford health insurance and therefore they will be paying for our falls. They have harassed us for skating the old army forts that are falling to the ground that nobody else uses. Here they are driving around in cars all day polluting the environment and we are peacefully skating and staying healthy. Something needs to change.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• san
• francisco
• park
• ranger
• police
• golden
• gate

[sk8nc]

hey ski and skate, when i got to the flat spot everything was too the side, nobody was in the way, nobody was getting in the way, the space was being shared, nobody was complaining. roller skaters were skating, skateboarders were skating.

we get kicked out of everywhere in the park because the rangers hate skateboarding. plain and simple. just like the roller skaters got kicked out of the park back in the 70's from what i was told by an elder roller skater.

[sk8nc]

we already get kicked out of everywhere in the park.

on that day the obstacles were set up off to the side away from the rollerskaters. things were going quite smoothly, nobody was getting in each others way.

i rarely go there, but everytime i have been there i have sensed absolutely no beef between roller skaters and skateboarders. they have coexisted.

the majority of the time i bike / skate by the 6th spot it's empty

working on our own spot. any advice on who to talk to is appreciated.

[sky8skate]

Dude your problem is you are setting all that stuff up in the middle of a rollerskating area. It has been a rollerskating area for over 30 years. We want to keep it that way. I do feel that skateboarders should have an area just for them so you don't have this problem. That area is not 6th Avenue.

[Skiandskate]

You were not off on the side, you were right in the middle. You made a point of intentionally being in everyone's way. If you sense "no beef", then uR pretty insensitive. Think again. You A-holes are NOT welcome there. Think long and hard about why you "get kicked out of everywhere in the park."

[415KiNGZEE]

u stupid old roller blader and ur stupid dancing shit skateboard takes more talent and is more popular

[Smokeyham]

Never understood the mindset that "It's Thanksgiving" means that the rules, and safety precautions, don't apply. Kudos to the Park Ranger for doing her job!

[zoomzoomvroom]

@sk8n97 At least I used correct grammar... :)

[sk8n97]

@zoomzoomvroom - wow what a "smart" answer. NOT. if you think boarders belong at a place that is for true sk8ing, not lame-ass boarding by a bunch of no talent punks, U need to rethink ur inflated view of ur own intelligence.  or rather, LACK of intelligence.

[zoomzoomvroom]

@sk8n97 You're stupid.

[icespike361]

@Skiandskate GO SEE IT 4 YOURSELF

[icespike361]

They follow thier strict and exacting immigration policies and mostly keep destitute AmeriCONS out ! However, I have another work permit and I can return Jan 14, 2011. That is great news ! Money with purchasing power ! People that DO NOT practice ignorance as matter of course, and people who love thier country for reasons other than Prozac and propaganda. I have lived there numerously and feel WORSE than a Mexican when I MUST go back to SHIT USA

[sk8n97]

bout time this finally happend!  I sometimes sk8 there too. the boarders are trashing the place. kick them out!

[Skiandskate]

@icespike361

ANSWER: move to sweden.

[Skiandskate]

I heard about skating being banned in the park in the 70s. I think it had to do with sheer numbers. it was a fad back then. But they got what they have now by working with the city, not by destroying or defacing park property. Take a good close look at the pavement there someday. It didnt start out that way, and all those holes werent put there by skates. It might be part of the reason the rangers *hate* the skateboarders.