Why do cops hate skateboarders?

I dont know how many times I had my encounters with the police but idk what is up with these cops. I ride my bike up and down the side walks and in parking lots and nothing but alot of times when I do the same thing but on my skateboard a cop will stop me and try find something to give me a ticket. Im not the only one; Alot of my skater friends have the same problems. Also if you search on youtube for skateboarders and cops you will find a few videos about it. Any ideas on why cops hate skateboarders?

reply to post by EpicJ19


I think mainly because they make quite a bit of noise when rolling. Seems to draw attention to themselves and if they dress all grungy it doesnt help either....kinda like an automatic guilty look.

Just my opinion tho.

Charlie don't skate.



Skate or dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

wZn

If you want the honest truth it's the liability of a skateboarder cracking his head open on city or private property. Skaters are known for things like grinding long railings and jumping stairs but they're also known for screwing up and hurting themselves.

It's really just insurance reasons, if you get hurt on city property you or your family could possibly sue the city for millions of dollars.

Many of the places you described being 'harassed' in may be private property. The owners have the right to forbid skateborders there if they want and report it. Many cities also have ordinances against skateboards on streets or sidewalks for the reason the poster above me mentioned.

skated for 9 years.. many cop encounters, many more shredded shins.

the local park got me for criminal tresspassing for skating there.

you know the reasons though, wax on the curbs, grinding picnic tables, accidentally running into passers by, swiping the "no skating signs" not to mention we looked like punks. if anyone did this kinda thing it would draw attention.

Skateboarders tend to embody the spirit of free will. Cops game is all about control. I think you can see the opposition between these two. It's like the divide between the black & white analysts on ats and the grey area believers, opposites that while they find attraction, it's for all the wrong reasons.

I would agree its more of a safety/injury/lawsuit issue than anything else.

Some cities like the one I live in built special skateboarding parks and its pretty awsome! Even some of the cops here skateboard and they have competition events.

Speaking of grungy dressing, why the hell do some kids these days have to wear their pants hanging half way down their asses??? There should be a law against that and give every single one of those "shiners" not just a ticket, but a hard core lesson in wearing either a belt or a course on wearing properly fitting pants.

That BS is indecent exposure IMO. It isnt any fashion statement and no one wants to see your asses so PULL YOUR FREAKING PANTS UP!!!!



Cheers!!!!

don't know if you've seen this it's pretty sad how the cops treat these skateboarders

I used to be part of the skater world years ago and worked at a skate shop and used to work skate shows (this was back in the day of Tony Hawk being a "kid" and barely a nobody )....so, I know all about how cops and others feel about skaters.

I remember way back when all the skaters in the Washington DC area would skate at Freedom Plaza in WDC...it was the place to skate back then. Now it is now allowed.

1. The skaters were/are ruining the structures they skated on - that costs money for people to fix. Either private businesses or the government

2. The amount of injuries I saw was great....that raises the probability of sue happy parents

3. Many skaters have no respect for non skaters around them. They can be a nuisance to pedistrians and drivers. Not all, but many can.

I completely understand it all....because most skaters are skating and destroying private property.

But I also understand skaters having no place to skate. This is why my father built a half pipe in our backyard and its also why many cities now have public skate parks. Most military bases have skate parks. I live in the Denver area and there is an incredible skate/bmx park near me.

Anyways, this is my view of it all, for whatever it is worth

reply to post by baseball101



Ah! Baltimore Harbour. Sorry, I have no pity for these skaters. I used to live in the area and was there almost every weekend. It is a HIGHLY crowded area and there just is NO place for skaters there. Too dangerous and they are ruining the structures there.

I love skaters, I really do...but I don't support them being a nuisance and damaging property.

You also dont see exactly what was going on before cameras rolled. Certinaly impossible to properly asses the situation on this video. You dont know if they were being disrespectful little brats who felt like thumbing thier noses at the law there: no skateboarding. Dont know how many times the cop told them to stop. Etc etc.

[edit on 12/7/2008 by greeneyedleo]

Another reason why cops go after sakeboarders, and even some bicyclists, is because they are not always riding right.

They are sliding down stair rails, jumping off of guard rails and such, and there are TONS of videos on YouTube that show almost every single one of these stunts end up with busted teeth, smashed faces, broken necks, bashed balls, split lips, and sometimes even death.

When there is clear irresponsible riding, it is no different from irresponsible motor vehicle driving. YOU WILL GET BUSTED! And it would be FAR better to be busted by the cops than to bust your ass flat on the pavement.



Cheers!!!!

reply to post by baseball101


Yeah, he treated them bad, I didn't know a stern talking to was bad treatment.

Something their parents no doubt have no guts to do.

Maybe you and the OP should spend some more time HERE than ATS

Simple fact just like stated above in many posts is that its all legal issues and this is what skaters dont understand. All the kids in my area skateboard and I see what happens or here what happens on a daily basis!

Skate in abandon buildings that are still owned by someone thus trespassing!

Put wax on benches and rails, thus causing injuries to non-skaters or ruining peoples clothing (damages, injuries, defacing private property)

Skating around Posted No Skating areas (Trespassing/failure of rules)

Still skate when told to leave the area, in stores, parkinglots, etc (can cause injury to unexpecting persons or skaters! running into people or cars)

Breaking a leg or other while on Private Property (Company can be sued by greedy people)

Other notes just look at the skateparks, spray painted, trash everywhere, drugs, booze and the people that hang there just dont look to be honest people and most smoke pot. IM NOT SAYING ALL OF YEAS!

Few simple reason why cops just dont like yea!

and yes ive seen some videos and the cops were right in some and wrong in others like a 40 yr old cop psyhically assaulting a 13 yr old boy for just asking the reason why? cop should be fired and arrested. If you mouth off to the cop he has a right to arrest ya, pull away, resist its your fault not his or hers!

its called profiling. and its wrong. I understand the cops getting on to people for destroying public property. I don't understand why they harass skaters for rolling down the sidewalk. you cant just assume that skaters are being public nusiances and not respecting pedestrians. sure it happens occasionally, but as a police officer you have a duty to prosecute only those that are breaking laws. if i want to take a dive and bust out all my teeth trying to jump down a set of stairs, thats a risk I knowingly take. If i decide to sue the government for allowing me to hurt myself, i should be laughed out of court. I've never heard of an injured skateboarder suing anyone successfully for hurting themselves. I could be wrong though, and i would love to hear about it and why the judge would make that decision.

I still remmebr this guy on the radio, an old fellow who was talking about those hooligans (he said it) on skateboards, always up to no good.
He knew because when he was kid he and his friends would go out on their skateboards and...


In all seriousness, the above posters are right. Grinding on rails scrapes paint off, skating in areas where people are commonly walking through can cause collisions and injuries to both parties.

Besides, some skateboarders are just stupid, jumping from the tops of buildings or doing ridiculous stunts that either end up with them or someone else injured, or damage to property.

Sure, it's fun, there are skate parks and some areas where you can go and skate, no harm no foul. It's better to ask, get information and make sure you're allowed to in the area.
Though then again, where's the fun in that?

I can say personally that as being a skateboarder we are in the streets, at the front line. As was stated above, it is about the embodiment of free will. Most skateboards skate what they want when they want. Now I know I will get blasted for this but its just what we do. We all understand the whole liability thing but the majority of skateboarders are not really worried with that, we just want to skate. I can also understand the noise and the property damage but like I said before, we are in the streets, we have a different outlook on things. I guarantee that we see the city totally different. So many things that people take for granted and pay no attention to can mean a world of possibilities for us. Also we naturally hate the authorities and there for are always skeptical of "The Man"

Originally posted by ClearMindedKansan
its called profiling. and its wrong. I understand the cops getting on to people for destroying public property. I don't understand why they harass skaters for rolling down the sidewalk. you cant just assume that skaters are being public nusiances and not respecting pedestrians. sure it happens occasionally, but as a police officer you have a duty to prosecute only those that are breaking laws. if i want to take a dive and bust out all my teeth trying to jump down a set of stairs, thats a risk I knowingly take. If i decide to sue the government for allowing me to hurt myself, i should be laughed out of court. I've never heard of an injured skateboarder suing anyone successfully for hurting themselves. I could be wrong though, and i would love to hear about it and why the judge would make that decision.

Skating down a neighborhood sidewalk is one thing. But in many commerical areas, skateboarding is not allowed. And many skaters flat out ignore this or dont know and when told - get pissy.

I see skaters ALL the time skating merrily on their way and not being "harassed" by police. So, maybe those being "harassed" are breaking the law or doing something that warrants a stop. Not all skaters are angels....just like not all cops are. But lets not paint such a broad stroke of skaters being just in all their activities


Oh and I remember the popular bumper sticker that everyone sported: "Skateboarding is not a crime." Well, no. But where you skate just may be


[edit on 12/8/2008 by greeneyedleo]

reply to post by hippy2012


Ok, so in comparison, if I were to walk up to you, and then trash your skateboard, you'd be cool with it if me meet on the streets then?
'Cause the door swings both ways.

reply to post by hippy2012


Its good to be skeptical of "The Man" when "The Man" is clearly in the wrong. But that goes both ways too. When you get a skater who is obviously doing something wrong like skateboarding somewhere where it is not allowed, all because they have a different outlook on things. Thats not negotiable when breaking the law, on a skateboard or in a car.

As you said, skateboarders skate because they want to. Its no diffrent from a bicycle rider riding their bike because they want to. Or someone going for a dive in a pool or a bungi-rope jumper bungi-jumping off a cliff.

The whole point is doing it responsibly and respecting the laws.

It almost sounds like your saying when you jump onto that skateboard that the entire world changes and just becasue its "skate what we want when we want", that suddenly you are immune to rules and regulations that not only are there for the protection of private property, but yours as well. Ive seen alot of skater's "privates" get a good bashing and end up..well lets just say not as proficient as before after doing the care-free attitude of "Im on a skateboard and nothing else matters".

If you understand the liability issue, then you can understand why there are laws preventing skateboarding in certian areas. Perhaps if you had to pay for a several thousand dollar hospital bill or liability suit you might be singing a different tune. Alot of those cases end up being paid for by the tax payers and the tax payers are tired of paying for carelessness.




Cheers!!!!