In 1987 skateboard company Powell Peralta initiated an advertising campaign using "skateboarding is not a crime" as their slogan.[2] Their 1988 advertising video, Public Domain, showed skateboarders in various locations which displayed stickers showing the slogan.[1]
The skateboarding subculture has taken up the phrase "skateboarding is not a crime" in protest of how many cities have banned skateboarding in certain areas, such as parks. Randall apparently really does not like these stickers and states that when he becomes president, any and all displays of stickers bearing the phrase (like the one on the locker in the comic) will be considered a felony, though skateboarding itself will still be legal.
Skateboarding Is Not a Crime
Look through your local, municipal, state/provincial, or federal laws, and you will not (likely) find skateboarding listed as an illegal, or criminal activity, as you would find theft, murder, or drugs, for example. Crimes are listed with their respective definitions, and consequences for committing the crime. Skateboarding itself is not listed as a crime in any law book.
We have determined that skateboarding itself is not illegal, nor a crime, but why are skaters still getting in trouble for skateboarding? Why are we getting chased out of spots, having run-ins with police, and being confronted by pedestrians and property owners?
You should be able to work on flat ground tricks on the street in front of your house, right?! Maybe. It depends on what the bylaws are in your city or town, and every city/town has its own set of bylaws that pertain to skateboarding.
While I have never personally heard of anyone getting ticketed for skateboarding outside of the restricted area in my city (a businessman once got a ticket for longboarding to work in the restricted area), it is best to know what the bylaws are, where you can skate, and what the rules are for the city you are going to be skating in, to avoid drawing attention from law enforcement.
Ok listen - this isn't a statement of victimhood, we've committed more than a handful of moving violations we're 100% guilty of. This is a nod to our cultures roots, and a statement about one crime we HAVEN'T committed - Riding a motorcycle.
I've always loved stickers and skateboarding. Skate companies have spoofed many a logo over the years. As a freelance graphic designer, I reworked a few logos for a local skateboard brand, Faster Skateboards. One of the most iconic skate stickers declares that "Skateboarding is not a crime," and it was ripe for its own nerdy takeoff.
Overcriminalization does more than just trap good people; it bogs down court systems already struggling with caseload management. It also packs our jails with petty offenders guilty of things like being too poor to pay a ticket or thinking skateboarding to work is fun and economical. It also cost taxpayers a small fortune to enforce all of the bad laws.
Putting an end to overcriminalization would take community buy-in and a massive overhaul of city codes as well as state and federal law. Decriminalizing responsible skateboarding won't fully protect liberty or balance our budget but it only takes a snowball to start an avalanche. For that, we commend Cheyenne City Council for working to ensure that we are using our resources wisely to deter and punish the right kinds of offenses and eliminate what is unnecessary.
Kudos to Councilmen Richard Johnson, Mark Rinne, and the entire Cheyenne City Council for identifying an unnecessary law and gutting its worst parts. Removing the all-out ban on downtown skateboarding and the absurd punishments connected to it is a small, but good step toward fighting overcriminalization.
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Pedestrians near Dale Hall around midnight are likely to witness some daredevil stunts and tricks performed by fearless skateboarders. Witnesses might also see police officers ceasing the late-night show. The OU Department of Public Safety attempts to curb skateboard stunts and limit skateboard use to transportation only. Jon Barnoskie, University College freshman and beginning skateboarder, said he had an encounter with law enforcement a few weeks ago. He said he wanted to learn how to skate so he went out after midnight when no one would see him. He began jumping off the curb a few times trying to perfect his move. Then an officer approached him and told him to stop doing tricks and leave. Barnoskie heeded the warning and went elsewhere. "I thought it was kind of stupid," Barnoskie said. "I didn't know it was that big of a deal." Officers have seen him skating before and never said anything, Barnoskie said. However, the university has specific rules regulating skateboarding. "If a student has a skateboard, use it for transportation," said Sgt. Gary Robinson of OUDPS. "You can't do any stunts or any tricks, even jumping on a curb." He cited several reasons for this regulation, including injuries, liability and property damage. Violators can be charged with defacement and misuse of university property. The fines vary from $15 to $90 depending on the number of offenses. Scott Richey, University College freshman, said he rides his skateboard for fun everyday. He said he never tries to do any tricks, but he does ride in some places he knows he shouldn't. Dale Hall and Sarkeys Energy Center are prime places for hardcore skaters. "I rode my board down the ramp inside Dale Hall," Richey said. He said there was no one around so he didn't feel like he was endangering anyone. He said he doesn't think the university should go after skaters unless they are interfering with other people or actually damaging property. "Students here are old enough to know what's safe and what's not," Richey said. However, Robinson said the officers use discretion on a case-by-case basis. "If someone makes a complaint, we will respond," Robinson said. Both Barnoskie and Richey said they believe skaters have a bad reputation for being rebellious teenagers. "I think it's just unfair," Barnoskie said. "I'm a good kid." A compromise for skateboarders is The Blake Baldwin Sk8 Park, located at Abe Andrews Park on Front and Acres Streets. It's an open, unsupervised park for skateboarders, bikers and rollerbladers. There stunts are legal and even encouraged, said James Briggs, assistant park planner. He said the skate park was built because skaters had no official place to go. The park is named in honor of Blake Baldwin, an avid skateboarder who died in a car accident in 2000 while still in his teens. Rhonda Baldwin, Blake's mother, said her son and his friends had been kicked out of all the local parking lots and the OU campus. His strong determination and entrepreneurial spirit led him to petition the City of Norman to give skaters a place of their own to do stunts. Even though the city kept turning him down, he never gave up, Baldwin said. "He didn't like the word 'no,'" Baldwin said. "He did more in his 16 years than I'll ever do." In January 2001, the hard work paid off when the city began building the skate park. Baldwin felt the park should be named in honor of her son, but the city said it would take a large donation. Baldwin began a large fundraising campaign and raised $20,000 for the park. In May 2001, the city approved the name. "This is the first time anything has been named after a child," Baldwin said. Since the park's completion, it has hosted a national skateboarding competition, which attracted about 500 spectators.hello there & you too
Skater haters often complain that skateboarders are destroying precious surfaces with their grinds and slides (one Windsor Terrace thrasher basher goes so far as pouring syrup on ledges that skaters like). But the effect of skateboard grinding on hard edges is incremental and, absent a young hothead throwing her board through a window in anger over not landing a trick, property damage arrests for skateboarding are rare. 2ff7e9595c
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