M
MattDaGreat2005
Guest
Knowing that you've been accused of a misdemeanor that in some other places is encouraged to help the economy....it's pretty nice. I got picked up for skating but when they brought me into the police station to file my report and place me into the log, they didn't even follow proper procedures to place someone under arrest. I suppose it is because there was no warrant out for me, but regardless, it was odd just to fill out a piece of paper and have my picture taken, and then be placed in a jail cell for 30 minutes and wait until my mother could leave work and come pay the 200 dollars required to get me out. No fingerprints, thank goodness. This kind of brings up a conflict, because on top of the fact that I lost the approximately 100 dollars given to me by my relatives on christmas, now I have forced my mother to come pay the police station 200 more dollars to get me out of jail, and for what? Nothing other than skateboarding, because city council members, in their infinite wisdom, could not think of a better way to resolve the so called ''problem'' of skateboarders around this tiny redneck town than to make it completely illegal to skate in ANY public place or sidewalk. Ridiculous. So what if my mode of transportation happens to be a skateboard? Does that lower me on the social ladder? What about people that walk from house to house? Or for that matter, bikes? Is it only because they are considered a threat to citizens? Can we ban walking? Of course not. I highly doubt anyone around here has voiced any concern on this matter, rather, it came from a false belief that anyone who skateboards is a threat to city property and may cause them to spend more money that they would rather keep to themselves. But, even so, this is not the case. What can I do? I've asked my father and mother about it, all I get is ''It's your fault, I told you not to be doing that when they told you not to''. It's probably for your own good, Matthew''. We've done the obvious: going to the monthly city council meetings, even called and set up the gathering beforehand. But no, when we show up, they leave the actual decisions on where a so-called ''skatepark'' would be located, should it be built, to themselves. How fucking assbackward can you get? We do what we can to make things better for US, the very few, probably 5 or 6 kids, that actually SKATE. Then, in my case, I get even less help from my parents; all they care about are the ''No-Skating'' signs, and they continually tell me ''follow the rules''. Skateboarding has never been a problem to anyone in this city. It will NEVER be a problem. There is not enough support for it around here for it to even be a slight distraction. Do they think they are removing the ''problem'' before it arises? I will never understand how 4 or 5 people, mainly just ME, can cause enough distraction to ban skating on ANY property, much less the entire town. There wasn't anything to skate on besides flatground in the first place, now they want to make it even worse? ''Whats wrong with taking your plaything wheelie-boards to the blacktop park''? Oh boy, a continual uphill slope filled with rocks! What more could I FUCKING want? The only answers are to either limit myself and make my own ramps and stay in one area, or just to say damn it all and take the risk of skating. (which will take some time, because my board is still at the police station). But, the one thing that will absolutely not happen would be for me to end my skating ''career'''. I think it's a given that I would not quit skating just because of a few narrowminded small town city council members who can't seem to pull their head out of their ass. This is just one of the many small obstacles I will face as a skater, and not to complain, but things can only get worse. In bigger cities, where there are MUCH larger populations of skateboarders, skaters getting in someones way may actually happen every once in a while. So, to look back again at the situation here in Springhill, LA, pop.5600, it makes it seem all the more ridiculous. What do they think they are accomplishing? Do I actually have any other choice than to continue to keep skating and do what I love, and unfortunately also continue be punished for it? I have a feeling that now, (even though they say they are busy with other things) cops are sitting with their fingers crossed waiting for me or someone like me to ''break the rules''. What's also great about all of this is that the mayor probably has no clue as to all the fussing going on about it. His only role in this whole matter is signing a paper that made skating a crime. What the fuck? Do I need to actually contact HIM, and tell him what a huge mistake he has made, and that the law should be reversed? Or would he actually care, and just laugh at me and push me aside like everyone else? As long as this stays a small matter, as it is now, just between me, a couple friends, and a certain cop, it will never change. Two years ago we started up a petition, while I was a freshman in high school, to begin work on a skatepark that would provide an ALTERNATIVE place for us to skate, not the ONLY place. Not much later, when we had gotten several people to sign the petition, it was submitted to city hall, and they proceeded to shoot one big lie of out their ass. It has been in our town paper TWICE that ''Construction on skatepark will begin soon''. What a joke. I hate the fact that my mother or father will not take a stand and say what needs to be said. They don't seem to see that my opinion is not valued, when in actuality, it should be the most important, because after all, aren't I the one who is/will actually be skating? Maybe if they would say something, someone might listen.
I also know that a majority of the reasoning behind the laws and ordinances passed to stop skating stem from insurance woes and fear of being sued. It's all about money. I wish they could see that by now, I have been injured several times, and I am NOT going to sue anyone. There will not be a sudden explosion of skaters that come into this town anytime soon, so they could do me and the 3 or 4 other kids that are unfortunate to live in this retirement town a huge favor, and quit being cynical ''know-it-all'' figureheads that pass rules without getting ANY input whatsoever from us. Is it not my duty as a citizen to ensure that the laws passed by city government are in my best interest? Where do I come in? The only thing I have done thus far is what they tell me, besides actually NOT skating. That will NEVER happen. Some action needs to be taken. Either that or I need to go into hibernation until I'm 18 and old enough to hopefully be able to move out on my own from this piece of hell. It will be anything but easy, I am afraid. I still need a decent steady job, and a car, license, etc. If I don't begin to get these things soon, I will be here for quite a while longer than I expected. But my aim is not to be like everyone else and remain here until their mid 20's then finally move out. That is much too late; I don't want to waste another quarter of my life away trying to prepare to leave. I hear the questions ''College''? and ''Where you gonna go''? ringing in my ears more than anything else, and I fear that there is no other way to escape this hell than to do it by way of college, that is, an escape without having to endure a couple years of near-poverty. That is all. Wish me luck in these next 2 or 3 years. They will be the most changing times of my life, and I fear many friendships and aquaintances I have previously had will be broken or lost. I've just got to keep my head up and stay beyond all these stupid games that people play around here, and the dullard mindset that so many of the people my age around here seem to be stuck in.
I also know that a majority of the reasoning behind the laws and ordinances passed to stop skating stem from insurance woes and fear of being sued. It's all about money. I wish they could see that by now, I have been injured several times, and I am NOT going to sue anyone. There will not be a sudden explosion of skaters that come into this town anytime soon, so they could do me and the 3 or 4 other kids that are unfortunate to live in this retirement town a huge favor, and quit being cynical ''know-it-all'' figureheads that pass rules without getting ANY input whatsoever from us. Is it not my duty as a citizen to ensure that the laws passed by city government are in my best interest? Where do I come in? The only thing I have done thus far is what they tell me, besides actually NOT skating. That will NEVER happen. Some action needs to be taken. Either that or I need to go into hibernation until I'm 18 and old enough to hopefully be able to move out on my own from this piece of hell. It will be anything but easy, I am afraid. I still need a decent steady job, and a car, license, etc. If I don't begin to get these things soon, I will be here for quite a while longer than I expected. But my aim is not to be like everyone else and remain here until their mid 20's then finally move out. That is much too late; I don't want to waste another quarter of my life away trying to prepare to leave. I hear the questions ''College''? and ''Where you gonna go''? ringing in my ears more than anything else, and I fear that there is no other way to escape this hell than to do it by way of college, that is, an escape without having to endure a couple years of near-poverty. That is all. Wish me luck in these next 2 or 3 years. They will be the most changing times of my life, and I fear many friendships and aquaintances I have previously had will be broken or lost. I've just got to keep my head up and stay beyond all these stupid games that people play around here, and the dullard mindset that so many of the people my age around here seem to be stuck in.
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