Well that didn’t take long.
3 Likes
I walked by there the other morning and noticed that there was a section without any cleats and someone had put skate wax down on it.
I’d hardly call this “vandalism” though. Was expecting that someone spraypainted the cafe or broke all the windows in it.
3 Likes
Abused - yes, Vandalized is a bit of a reach IMO
1 Like
Damn Cary vandals coming into our fine city and wreaking havoc (shakes fist at sky)
7 Likes
Go to any major city probably in the world and you’ll see ledges waxed for skateboarding. This is not a news story or vandalism.
4 Likes
I think designers of public spaces should try accommodating skateboarders in their designs and materials instead of trying to skateproof them. This is just one kid, but I’m sure every skateboarder feels the same. Instead of battling against, why can’t we include?
Seems like an easier way of dealing with a “problem” and prevents the “us vs. them” perception that will spur any angsty young person into action.
3 Likes
Sorry folks, but I disagree. When public property is purposefully destroyed, it’s vandalism. Let’s not sugarcoat this.
If someone took a series of functional ornamentation off of your personal property, and then further altered it with a coating of some sort, what would you call it? I know that I’d call it vandalism.
If a downtown resident went to Cary and did this, just imagine the response.
11 Likes
Yes. I think it’s vandalism also. It was clearly intentional and reading that article the boy had zero remorse. I am from Cary and they have a very nice skateboard park there. Use it.
6 Likes
Tomas, who spoke exclusively to ABC 11, said he and many of his skater friends don’t like traditional skate parks.
1 Like
The zero remorse is more that a little bothersome. What a self important, entitled brat! Throw the book at him and make his family pay for the repairs.
6 Likes
Yes. I read that. But there are a lot of things I would like to do, but I don’t do them if they are illegal. But that’s just me…
4 Likes
“Although it might scratch up the concrete a little bit you know I don’t understand why it’s so criminalized you know when we’re just trying to do our thing. And you know it still serves its purpose. People can still sit on the granite wall.”
Wow. Ok, kid, give me your sake board. I’m going to pull the stickers off of it, spray paint it pink and you can have it back. Ok?
10 Likes
If I was that kid’s dad, I’d smack the shit out of him.
“We don’t like skate parks; we like cityscapes because they are more challenging. We don’t like efforts to keep skaters off of city property in downtown Raleigh…”
Well, boo hoo hoo for you.
I can’t even wrap my head around the idea that I could deface/destroy public property for my own amusement, and then create a narrative that would suggest that I was the victim because the city was taking action to prevent me from doing so.
10 Likes
Skate Cary is actually a terrible designed skatepark. It was redesigned about 10 years ago to accommodate BMX. They also enforce a full pad rule.
What a bunch of fascists
1 Like
Right just make a designated skating part of the park and put some sound shielding landscaping elements around it and everyone is happy. But that costs money…
I got an idea. Take all of the public rails, benches, low walls, etc. that they damaged and relocate them to the skate park. Then bill the families for the replacements.
2 Likes
That’s a little different than what I mean. Why not just take things that they were going to build anyway but use more durable materials? Not necessarily to encourage skateboarding, but to build the possibility that people are going to do this anyway into the design and materials consideration.
It might increase up front costs, but is it more than the cost of repairs and maintenance over time when it happens anyway? I don’t know enough to make that call, but I’d think it’s worth exploring.
People ride on the wooden boards at RUS plaza, and the little signs they put up aren’t going to stop them. Those boards aren’t going to last, but anyone with eyes could’ve predicted that skateboarders would be on them before it was even built!
4 Likes
Clearly, upping the strength and assuredly the costs of public infrastructure is an option, but we must ask ourselves if it’s right to pre-emptively spend more money to account for others’ illegal behavior. I get that it’s not an easy question to answer & there’s nuance to this entire topic that can be traced to all sorts of social behavior enablers, etc., but is it right? Also, are there actually materials that can be used that can’t be damaged by misuse of them? I’m not so sure that’s true. I’ve seen granite planter edges chipped destroyed by skateboarders. I’ve seen metal heavily scratched. it’s not possible to “baby proof” our infrastructure.
True. I’ve gritted my teeth almost daily when I’ve seen people skateboarding at RUS plaza. I definitely don’t think it’s a full on pass.
Honestly, I’m playing devil’s advocate here, and I also have little patience people behaving badly. But we have to pick our battles, and trying to get people to change behavior (in this case relatively innocuous, yet destructive) is really difficult.
You’re right that there are certainly plenty of nuances, and use of urban public spaces could very well be its own topic.