Apparently you’ll get your car towed if you skateboard near Dresden, Germany. So implies this sign. Want to hear a good song? Listen to The Master Race in Outer Space from the Vandals second LP. When in Rome.

And I thought Seattle was the only city that liked to tear down perfectly good skateparks without making er, concrete plans to replace them. You can add Huntington Beach California to that short list of cities. The OC Register reports that the plans for a new stadium will definitely eliminate the existing park without including a replacement. Ironically, California has just started running a second tourism commercial that features skateboarding as a draw. What are you going to do about that Governor Schwarzenegger? Your state’s skateparks are being terminated! [Photo Right: Mark Martinez, The Register]

I had meant to include this in the Disciplinary Architecture post but it got a way from me. Sit-Stopping devices existed long before the idea of skate stopping anything was ever considered. (Those sitters are intimidating and cause property damage. Plus, they could sue me!) Skateboarders should band together with our wide-bottomed brothers and sisters to effect social change. The lazy and the active should unite as one! Transfer has a massive photo collection of anti-sit devices. Some of the devices are likely meant to prevent skating as well, but most are clearly aimed at your ass. I’ve seen these things before and not given them much thought, aside from “Why doesn’t the man want anyone sitting here?” As long as we are forming a union here, let’s reach out to our prone brothers who just want to pass out on a park bench. Somewhere out there somebody has probably compiled a gallery of anti-sleeping modifications on public benches. You’ve seen them before, the large bumps that prevent a person from laying down across a bench. I propose we name the group Construction of Anti-devices Needs Toppling - or C.A.N.T.. While I start making the “U.S. Architectural Discipline off our backs/butts/feet!” protest signs, you can check out the Anti-Sit Archives.

[Source: Architecture of Control]

From the Express-Times in Hellertown, New Jersey:
Top cop wants fines reduced

Maximum of $600 too high for skateboarding in restricted areas, Hellertown chief tells council. The police chief on Monday night told council the $600 maximum fine for skateboarding or biking in areas where it’s not allowed is too steep. Chief Robert Balum said he wants his officers to use more discretion when ticketing for such offenses. The remarks came in response to an ongoing debate targeting skateboarders.

Proving once again that you don’t have to be a dick to enforce the law, Joey Williams.

I got an email alert about the grand opening of Sarasota’s Payne Park next Saturday. I got excited because my mother in-law lives in Sarasota and so I visit it on a regular basis. The existing skate park is fun, but nothing to write home about, so a little variety would be nice. It turns out that Sarasota isn’t getting another skatepark, it’s just phase two of the surrounding park facilities, which includes amphitheater, more tennis courts, a walking path (Whee!) and a “skateboard clubhouse,” whatever that means. Then I read that the skatepark fees would be waived for the day of the opening festivities and I really got mad. Sarasota has one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the southeastern US, but you have to pay to skate at that park. The land for the park? Donated outright. The construction costs? Paid for by a one percent sales tax. Public tennis courts? I think they are free, but for some reason, a facility that can be used kids from all demographics is pay-to-play. Absurd! It’s already annoying that the damn thing isn’t open on holidays or during school hours! I don’t know what the hell this “skateboard clubhouse” is supposed to be, but I’m guessing it’s part of the reason you have to pay to skate. Guess what Mayor Palmer, kids don’t want or need a skateboard clubhouse. It isn’t 1974 and Kristy McNichol isn’t going to show up. Kids (and a lot of adults) just want a place where they can for free without the bullshit of memberships and restrictive time constraints. Free skateparks open dawn to dusk? The rest of the country seems to be catching on, why not Sarasota? To top it off, it turns out they closed the entire skatepark for the month of August so they could build the rest of the park. That’s third of the time in the year when the park is open for semi-reasonable hours. Way to go geniuses. You can’t possibly even pretend to have the best interests of the Sarasota youth in mind.

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The city of Corpus Christi Texas banned the practice of “grinding” along their precious sea wall eight months ago, but so far have only handed out a few citations and the grinding continues. They’ve got themselves worked up in a lather to spend $50,000 on Skate Stoppers and consider an investment well spent to rid the sea walk of the evidence of grinding that is an “eyesore.” I’m sure the Skate Stoppers will eliminate all grinding. That’s money well spent, guys. Now imagine if instead they could spend half that much money on building skateable ledges nearby for kids. Problem solved.

[Source: KRISTV.com]

OK, I’m going to cop to not putting a lot of effort into SnA since the baby was born. The obvious lameness of this post title ought to give you a hint about how sleep deprivation is affecting me. Hopefully it’ll settle down with time. Here’s the first in a long line of quick and dirty posts.

At one point in time I was thinking about having a gallery of “No skateboarding” signs from around the world until I realized how boring it would likely be. Now it could contain at least two interesting signs. All those skateboarding bulldogs on YouTube are going to pissed off about this “No Skateboarding Dogs” sign spotted on Chuck Woodbury’s Roadside Journal. Yes, I know, the sign is meant to say “No Skateboarding, No Dogs,” but it’s amusing none the less. Second, we have this “Thou Shalt Not Skateboard” sign in front of the Claremont Presbyterian Church in the city of Ontario California, as reported by the Daily Bulletin. At least they have a sense of humor. Also attached, “No Skating or Grinding,” but Kickflipping is apparently allowed. And what is that middle symbol? No Moonwalking? And now for something completely unrelated, a spider on a skateboard. I am really losing it.

Source: Asscciated Press

(07-03) 08:48 PDT LITTLE ROCK, (AP) – A police officer who appeared to choke a skateboarder and put two others in a headlock in a video posted online used appropriate force when making his arrests, an internal police investigation found. The Hot Springs Police Department Internal Affairs Board found the use of force was within the police department’s policy on non-deadly force and recommended “no changes to this policy.” The decision was released Monday. Officer Joey Williams confronted a situation that “would have overwhelmed any single officer” when he stopped those breaking a Hot Springs city ordinance by skateboarding on a downtown sidewalk June 21, the report said. However, Williams was faulted for leaving a handcuffed suspect unattended while chasing another youth in the resort town’s historic Bathhouse Row. Williams has been on administrative leave since the video hit YouTube on June 25. Police said he would return to active duty Thursday in the city’s downtown. “I think it was fair,” City Manager Kent Myers said. Witnesses “consistently supported the actions of the officer and his efforts to control the situation.” Video from a business’ security cameras shows 10 skateboarders rolling down the city sidewalk at a good clip, followed by Williams, who sprints past the last skater. A video taken by skateboarders and later posted on YouTube shows Williams on top of one of the skaters, apparently choking him. The video also showed Williams putting another two skateboarders in a headlock, and the officer can later be heard threatening to use pepper spray on a skateboarder lying on the ground. Police said they arrested Matthew Jon McCormack, 21, and Skylar Nalls, 19, both of Hot Springs, and four juveniles. McCormack faces a misdemeanor battery charge accusing him of pushing or striking a 67-year-old city employee during the melee. Nalls was cited for skateboarding and faces misdemeanor charges of fleeing and obstructing governmental operations. McCormack has previously disputed many of the police allegations, especially his battery charge. He has said he pulled on the city employee’s arm after the man lifted a girl off her feet in a choke-hold. Hot Springs is a resort town about 50 miles west of Little Rock.

Skate Daily has posted some disturbing news, on 6/21 6 skaters crossed the path of Officer Joey Williams, a mistake. Joey took it upon himself to choke out a 16 year old skateboarder and in doing so, was filmed. Thanks to Youtube, the entire world can now see what happened on the streets of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

After you watch this disturbing video - please email a civil statement to the Cheif of Police Bobby Southard (bsouthard@cityhs.net) demanding the firing of officer Joey Williams.

MORE UPDATES: EMAILS FOR CITY COUNCIL NOW POSTED

‘pege1947@aol.com’; ‘direlainejon1@sbcglobal.net’; ’srsmith12003@yahoo.com’; ’sable@hsnp.com’; ‘td7965@aol.com’

UPDATE: emails no longer work, please use this contact information to get your message accross: Phone: (501) 321-6789 Fax: (501) 321-6708

This is unacceptable behavior by anyone wearing a badge.

UPDATE: Officer on leave after tussle with Hot Springs skateboarders!

[Photo: Skylar Nalls]

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From WLTX News in South Carolina: Officer Who Shoved Skateboarder Gets Suspension

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP, WLTX) — The Charleston police officer seen on Internet video pushing a skateboarder over a bush at a city park has been suspended for ten days. Police Chief Greg Mullen says 49-year-old officer Willie Simmons used an unnecessary level of force. The 19-year-old skateboarder declined to file assault charges against Simmons. The officer was taped pushing a skateboader off his board at the Waterpark in downtown. The officer defended herself by saying that that skateboarding is illegal in Charleston. As a result, the 19-year-old injured his lower back and ankle.

Fascinating. Now watch it again.