This week’s letter comes from J. Turley who fears a crackdown on downtown skateboarding will limit commuting options and unfairly target law-abiding skaters. Thanks for the letter and the reminder that skating is (still) not a crime. As a small token of our gratitude for your letter, drop by our skate-friendly office, 704 NW Georgia, and pick up a pound of Strictly Organic coffee on us.
Central Oregonians have shared several beautiful spring days in the last couple of weeks. It has been a chance to prepare and test out alternate transportation for the summer. Thousands of people leave their car at home and ride on another set of wheels. Enjoying a ride to work on a sunny day is one of the greatest parts of living here in the summer. But Bend is trying to put unfair and bias regulations upon commuters of the skateboarding kind.
I was on my way to work this morning when this all hit me. I crossed over the footbridge, headed up through the Shevlin riverfront historic district and skated through the south part of Downtown Bend. From what I understand, next week I will be liable to receive a citation with a fine near $300 for skating downtown. An outrageous charge for transporting to work on a board with wheels.
I unfortunately do not have much information on these new fines. All I know is that I don’t disturb the peace of citizens downtown when I am riding a skate just as I wouldn’t if I were riding a bike. I am a respectful, law-abiding skateboarder and do not cause property damage or ruin new curbs or handrails. I can only hope the cops will use discretion. Because downtown is in the very middle of Bend, I must skate through on my way. If I skate in the street like a bike will I get cited? What about on Brooks St. downtown? Is there any way through downtown on a skate? It’s like an episode of Lost when every detail I get turns into twelve more questions. I understand the need for tourists to be able to walk and especially shop downtown without being run over by high-school skate gangs, but I’m just a peaceful local who likes to skateboard to work and must travel through downtown to do so. Where’s the love?
J. Turley
This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 1, 2009.
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While I applaud any attempt at alternative transportation, I have to disagree that skateboards are reasonable commute options.
I heard a single skateboard roll through the causeway downtown and the hard wheels make an uncanny amount of noise. Virtually all other transportation options use soft rubber which is much quieter.
Skateboards have no brakes, nor any tether to stop a lost board. So at any time, even in skilled hands, the board can become a missle. Boards in all but the most skilled hands cannot negotiate hills. I’ve watched a guy decend Awbrey Butte on a board, and while impressive, it was not pretty (he had a spotter, and it was still dangerous and required many stops).
Kick scooters seem like a reaonable option, as they address noise, brakes, and will self-arrest in a fall.
I can understand specific spots in downtown being banned from skateboarding (the parking garage for example), and signs being posted letting people know that that’s the case. Outright banning skateboarding from all of downtown is downright ridiculous, and uncalled for.
If noise is an issue — then I guess we should ban cars from downtown, right? Gotta be consistent if we’re going to be stupid. Don’t even get my started on the studded tire argument either, as in comparison the sound of skatewheels on a sidewalk is like listening to the purr of a kitten.
As for skill, I think the golden rule for all skateboarding is “ride at your own risk”. If someone wipes out on their board, that’s THEIR responsibility and choice. Banning it as an option to get around town is so anti-Bend, it’s not even funny. I applaud anyone who’s willing to leave their car at home and get around town via more enviro-friendly means … 2-wheeled, 4-wheeled, or even 1-wheeled if they’re up to it.
Maybe the compromise is to ban it from Wall and Bond (the most foot-traffic), but allow it on the backside of Wall, and down any street East of Bond. East/West, you’d have to allow it on Franklin and Greenwood.
If I were you, I’d fight this in court stating the nowhere were you informed that it’s illegal to commute using your skateboard, while acknowledging that you are aware of the spots where you’re not allowed, because those areas are clearly marked.
Good luck. Skate or die!
I commute regularly (7 miles each way) on a completely electrical and gravity powered board (with brakes). I refuse to give this efficient , and eco-friendly mode of transportation up. To hell with a ban on skateboards………..and the douchebags who enforce/hand out the citations!