Would you class skateboarding as anti social behaviour.

candjsmum

My 15 year old son with about 4/5 of his mates have been really into their skateboarding for about 2 years. Go out most weekends and the odd night when its light into town. There is a couple of pedestrianised areas where they skate, behind a fenced off bit away from the pedestrians.

The local police are aware of them and have never given them any trouble, in fact they talked to them at the start just to make sure they keep out of the pedestrians way. The boys are all really well mannered and polite, and are a great bunch of lads.

When me and OH went into town during the Christmas hols, we actually watched them, without them knowing for a good 20 minutes and as far as we could see they caused no trouble.

At the start of December, our council employed 2 street wardens who have given them nothing but grief. Always telling them to stop and move on and to stop skating. The last time this happened my son asked under what rules as there are no signs and they were told as its anti social behaviour, and if they carry on, they will get the police involved.

They were told to use the skate park which is 2 miles away, not a huge problem, but is heavily used by drunks and druggies, needles are always being found. My son told them this and he was told off for being cocky. He also told me that whilst they were being told off, there were 2 drunks having an argument with cans in their hands but the wardens didn't do anything about this. It seems my son and friends are easy pickings for the wardens.

What I wanted to ask is would you consider skateboarding anti social? It can be a bit noisy but at the end of the day, they aren't out mugging old ladies or causing problems elsewhere.:o

McCloud1

If it's not causing an unreasonable noise disturbance, does not put the public at a foreseeable risk of injury, does not cause damage and does not prevent people from using the space as it was intended, no.

Personally I make a point of ignoring any box-ticking jobs-worth who tries to inflict their attitude on me. Sounds like the police wouldn't do anything anyway.

pollypenny

It really does depend where it is. A pedestrian area does sound as if it is busy, so it would hard to avoid being a nuisance.

supermassive

It's a recreational activity. These "wardens" are, as my dad (who works with police in a capacity as part of his job for the past 34 years) calls them.. "C.H.I.M.P.S" "Completely Hopeless In Most Police Situations".

If they're out of the way of people and aren't causing an obstruction, I'd suggest you complain to the local ACTUAL police, rather than their powerless 'dinnerlady police'.

fivetide

If it is a pedestrian throughfare then noise shouldn't come into it. As long as they are not likely to harm anyone, skate away.


Sounds like these wardens are an excellent use of minimal public sector funds. Perhaps the wages might have been better spent cleaning up the existing skate park and making it fit for purpose.


Could be worth getting in touch with your local paper to make that point.

candjsmum

They skate behind a fence where there are no pedestrians. This is where the police told them to go originally. I grant you it can be a bit noisy, but people either walk or cycle through the area.

hazyjo

Are there flats or houses near where they skate? I can imagine that would be incredibly annoying if so. The noise (boards and voices) must travel.


Maybe some people do want to cross through or use the area where they skate. It can be quite intimidating to some, seeing a group of young blokes/boys all together, maybe with their hoods up if worrying about injury (or maybe it's fashion, I'm too old to know ), and it's a fast sport. I can imagine some less steady on their feet might find that uncomfortable, or others may worry something will be grabbed off them.


tbh, I'd not feel that comfortable walking past a gang of boys (with or without skateboards). Boys do tend to talk loudly to each other, and it can appear intimidating. More often than not they're perfectly lovely - but usually only to those who know them. I guess most of us usually keep our wits about us and sometimes we avoid situations where we feel unsure, or let the authorities know.


I reckon someone's been complaining...


Jx

candjsmum

No flats or houses around, it is an area they use close to the shops. The area is fenced off and then its like a courtyard. One wall is the back of the bus station, the other a wall which goes around the museum. not the outside wall of the museum. There is no where else the public can get to even if they go inside the fenced area.

hazyjo

No flats over the shops?


Jx

libra10

There is an area just at the bottom of our local pier where youngsters can display their skills on skateboards and bikes.

They are brilliant to watch and often have an appreciative audience.

There should be more areas for children/teens to 'let off some steam' in this way, and the jobsworths should 'get on their bikes'.

It might be worth speaking to local police or writing a letter in the local paper.

Hope that they are allowed to continue with their hobby.

hazyjo

I think a lot of it is presumption. People presume it's going to lead to something else. Or that they can't possibly just be doing fun things and there must be drugs or alcohol involved, or that they're going to cause damage.


I used to have a gang of boys hang about outside a house I lived in. I hated it. Used to often ring the police - but then I'd seen damage and graffiti on my car in the past, and I know they were smoking weed and there had been empty booze bottles there.




It is difficult I'm in London so maybe feel differently to someone in some quiet safe sleepy village who would think it lovely to come across some boys in a park or wherever on their skateboards...


Jx