The Pros And Cons Of Skateboarding

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Revered by some, and shamed by others — skateboarding is growing tremendously fast. In fact, the amount of skateboarders in the country has increased by over 128 percent over the past decade, now forming a population of 11 million skateboarders (Aperio). While skateboarders recognize the sport as a craft, many others see it as notorious, even criminal. This is due to the very nature of the sport. Skateboarders have built a dependency on street infrastructure, like stairs and ledges, in order to perform their tricks. Many cities have found a quick but rather futile solution to the complaints made by business owners and pedestrians; make skating illegal! The dramatic growth in skateboarders around the country has proved this method to be insufficient …show more content…

If you have a conversation with someone about skateboards, someone is bound to mention that, “skateboarders are just a bunch of dangerous criminal no-lifers… ” This is far from the truth, and this lie has been fabricated by the very communities who have criminalized the sport by adopting unjust laws regulating skateboarding. The municipal code in Yamhill, Oregon, for instance, proclaims some blatantly contradictory laws concerning skateboards and where they should be ridden. According to the code, skateboards can’t be ridden on certain sidewalks in the city. Therefore, skaters must ride on the streets, and, presumably so, shall, “obey all traffic control devices.” However, even when they are on the streets, they are restricted. The code also states that skateboarders on the streets must “yield the right-of-way to motor vehicles,” (Yamhill). How are skateboarders expected to train their craft if they aren’t allowed to ride on the sidewalks, and then their rights are also restricted in the only other place they can skate? Laws like these criminalize skateboarders. The sight of a skateboarder being stopped by an officer, having his skateboard confiscated and his hands cuffed, can only imply one thing, and this is precisely what’s inhibiting the sport and its problem-free development around the

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