(This letter is in response to a letter titled “The Spring of Life,” printed in the Friday, July 23, 2010 issue of the Farmingdale Observer.)
I, for one, would prefer if skateboarders were banned from using the sidewalks in town because there are many senior citizens (and no, I’m not a senior) that shop in town. Could you just picture a senior coming out of a store only to be crashed into by a kid on a skateboard? Where’s the logic here of defending the village sidewalks for skateboarders? Not only that, but like Billy DePace said in the last letter to the editor regarding merchants having their wares on the sidewalk, that leaves little room as it is to just walk on the sidewalk. Bring in the skaters and there’s even less room for people to walk.
Although, I agree, they shouldn’t be allowed to skate in the parking lots. It’s hard enough at times to back out of a parking space. With kids zipping all over the place, it could prove fatal, for both driver and skater.
It’s a mode of transportation for the kids, but when they enter town, they should pick them up and hoof it. Just like when we drivers go to town, we park our cars and hoof it to the different shops. It should be no different for kids with their rollerblades or skateboards.
The kids on my block practice their techniques on ramps and things in front of their houses in the street, using manners and caution when drivers approach.
They’ve been doing this for years. So why can’t all the kids that use skateboards do the same thing?
I think the kids of this day and age have many privileges as opposed to what we had 20 years ago. Much, too much is being handed over to the kids of today.
I think this whole thing is going overboard. We should be more concerned about the homeless and how little our senior citizens receive from the state when they retire. Now these are issues worth fighting for, not for the spoiled kid that just wants one more thing.
As for Billy DePace’s statement, “If a young person is on a skateboard they are being young and alive,” is a one-sided point-of-view. I understand where he’s coming from, but let’s look at it from another perspective. What about the child with a disability not allowing them to get on skates? Just because he or she can’t skateboard, doesn’t mean they are not young and alive.
People are now advocating that skateboarding is a healthy thing and the kids of today need representation to stand up for their rights to skate on a village sidewalk. I have to shake my head and laugh at this preposterous stance.
What about letting the kids skate in the empty parking lots of the schools during the summer? Have the parents sign a release form so if the kid falls and gets hurt, the school isn’t held responsible.
Cheryl Longo
