questions

Question
im doing a project for my journalism class on laws agianst skateboarding and i need to ask you a few questions;
1. when did skateboading laws start?
2. how did these laws affect you?
3. how do you feel about these laws?

Answer
NUMBER 1) The laws probably started as soon as there were kids riding them, it takes a while for a law to pass and since most people initially thought it was a fad and that it would go away, I'm GUESSING around the mid 80's when EVERYONE was riding a skateboard is when people thought they needed to "crack down on this nuisance"

NUMBER 2) These laws never really affected me too much. I still ride my skateboard on streets and sidewalks where they are prohibited, just like people still jay-walk, run red lights, speed, and don't wear their seat-belts. The laws are there to keep us in check, because somebody went to the trouble to "protect us from ourselves." Everybody wants to sue everyone else, which is just plain silly, stupid, and irresponsible. Take responsibility for your actions, if you fell off your skateboard and broke your arm it's not the fault of the property management that you fell - it's yours! So after a few parents tried suing people for their kids "accidents" (all skateboarding is an accident waiting to happen, we're rolling around on a board with wheels with no brakes, no straps, no turn signals or other inhibiting safety devices!), police, security guards and other powers-that-be tried to kick me out of my favorite spots. I even had a shop owner who SOLD skateboards, told me to go somewhere else. HUH? You''ll sell me the device, and then not let me use it ? How messed up is that? (Skateshop owners - BE PREPARED FOR PEOPLE TO SKATE IN FRONT OF YOUR STORE!) So, basically, they made me bitter and irritated.

NUMBER 3) re-read number 2 I think you'll get how I'm feeling. California passed a "Hazardous activity law" Do some research on the net about it. It basically says if you take part in one of the activities listed (skateboarding, surfing, bungie jumping, etc.) you are not able to sue anyone for injuries or anything else resulting from those activities. Pretty smart if you think about it. Why are other states not adopting these laws? I have no idea, maybe because I'm too busy skateboarding or surfing the internet to get it passed in my state. (Which is Maryland, so listen up representatives / senators!).

Hope this helps...Watch Dogtown and the Z-boys, it gives a pretty good story of how and why skateboarding is what it is today.