Politics Skate City Hall
posted by on January 4 at 15:35 PM
In the comments thread attached to my post about the destruction of yet another Seattle skatepark, Bobcat wrote…
We need to mobilize again and it will not be pretty. We will consist of all races, all ages, and all genders. We will be heard.
Want to make yourselves heard, skaters? I have a suggestion….
Parent skatepark activists should show up at city hall, adorable kids in tow (sorry, no scruffy 19-40 year-old skaters), skateboards under their arms, and stage a skate-in. IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS. It should take place during a city council meeting, and the goal should be to shut it down. Come to think of it, the lobby of city hall would be an awesome skatepark. So would the plaza. Hell, skate all of city hall.
And then tell them you’re going to keep coming back, at random, unannounced times, UNTIL THEY BUILD SOME FUCKING SKATEPARKS.
Tell TV and daily news folks in advance when you’re planning to show up—but make ‘em promise not to tell the city. And guess what? They won’t, because that would ruin the video or the story. Then you have parents and kids barge in every available door all at once from all over the building and start skating. In the lobby, in council chambers, on the plaza. The TV news folks will tape kids skateboarding in and around city hall. Have one appointed spokesperson say, “We got tired of waiting for the city to build safe skateparks so we’ve decided to let our kids skate here.”
But this is important: No ollies, no jumps, absolutely no vandalism. The presence of skateboarders in city hall should be disruptive, not destructive. Nothing should be damaged. The kids should just tool around on their skateboards.
It’s time to up the ante, it’s time to be heard. And protests like this work—hell, they helped get the TDO repealed. Don’t let the city “task force” you into submission. A protest like this—one that stops business at city hall and makes city hall pols look helpless and ridiculous—will get results. NIMBYs and inertia are making it hard for the city to build skateparks. By being disruptive—respectfully so, without damaging property—you’ll make it harder for the city not to build skateparks.
Will the city arrest minor skateboarders and their parents? No, they won’t. (Hell, did they arrest me for this?) They may threaten arrest, issuing a warning and giving you a chance to leave. By then the TV people will have their video and the dailies will have their stories and you can go—until the next unannounced Skate City Hall protest.
Do it. You’ll see skateparks funded and built so fast your heads will spin.
Hmmm wonder if we should try the same thing in Congress to get same sex marriage legislation?
Yes, we should.
I think each skateboarder should be armed with a gas powered leaf blower too. Might as well get as much out of this as possible.
Sounds like you are organizing a Critical Mass for Skateboarders. And we all know how much Seattle loves that shit.
Can you tell me why I should care anymore about skate parks then I do about parks for soccer, Frisbee, off leash dogs?? All are worthy endeavors that need resource allocation and land. Why should I care about skate parks IN PARTICULAR???
Seriously, what the hell. Why are skateparks such a massive priority?
Parks for those activities already exist. Skateparks don't.
We've done a few protests aimed at City Hall.
There is this line next to the sidewalk that defines "sidewalk" from "City Hall". Last time we did a protest down there, security tried to make my mother (75 years old) stay on the sidewalk side until we convinced him that the wheels on her walker / cart were not urethane.
Any relevant recreation activity that is currently underserved in the way of facilities should be served without any fanfare. It should be the job of Parks to keep on top of what people are doing to recreate and then get facilities on board without dozens of citizens working full time for no pay on top of their day jobs just to get nothing but screwed (figuratively) in return.
Just like schools are controlled by The Alliance for (the elimination of public) Education, the sports field folks control Parks. It was called the Pro Parks Levy. That's where the dough goes.
Planning and Equity are not in the Webster's at the Mayor's Office. Ditto the Parks Superintendent's Office. Ditto the Seattle School District Superintendent's Office.
Parks Superintendent said he didn't know they were going to rip out Seask8.
He lies.
Act Up for skate boarders - go Dan, soon you will cop to being a dope smoking hippie
with a strong erotic interest in skater "boys"
Kate - thanks for the explaination. That helps give some contect to the issue.
So... When is this going down, Dan?
i do not resemble anything close to a skateboarder. i am much more of the go-to-a-rock-show-drink-some-bourbon crowd.
but, even to me, having skateparks seems like a no-brainer. here we have a healthy and safe [bones heal] activity that kids *want* to participate in. how on earth does the city justify tearing this type of activity space down??
and, as someone who works in nonprofit, i am thrilled that the gates foundation is moving into seattle. but with all of that absolutely dead, underutilized space at seattle center - it seems like there was a better solution.
maybe when the sonics get the hell out of town we can convert their practice space next to that parking lot into a new skate park?!
Skateboarding is not a crime!
But skateboarders' haircuts are.
Skate parks should definitely be a top priority, and don't even mention dog parks as a priority. We dog owners have city hall by the balls and already have lots and lots of space, from our amazing multi-acre park at Magnuson Park, to the small and regularly placed off leash parks scattered throughout the city. I could drive one mile, two miles, or three miles, and find a dog park.
If you want to find a skate park, you apparently have to leave the city.
Non-destructive? Ah, I can tell you've never met my six year old son. Well, while he has a great deal of practice with skateboarding inside, (our home), I still don't think he's ready to be classified as non-destructive.
The problem is that I do not trust the SPD and bulding security to not be heavy-handed with the parents, and even their children, during a "skate-in" activity, so to speak. So, I couldn't consider myself a good parent if I risked the imprisonment or abuse of my children by allowing them to do such a thing.
But, I do admit to participating in just such a "skate-in" when I was 16 in a town where the council was considering making skateboarding illegal without offering to dedicate space for that activity... It failed to accomplish much, unfortunately. But hey, maybe Seattle is different and cares about kids?
I'll just start holding my breath now.
Dan, you're such a terrorist.
Is DIY dead in the skater community here?
Okay,
Aside from the group that would bring their kids to a party where a bunch of losers are are talking about fist fucking. I would be hard pressed to imagine any parent who would willfully bring their kid to city hall to push your newest publicity stunt.
I realize that you've got the pocket book to support a family. Howver listening to the crap that you do makes one wonder why DSHS is not a regular vistor at the Savage home.
It's one tthing that City Hall has put up with your previous childish antics, but encouraging people to bring minors to come out and play in your drama is another story.
Reality Check, don't be such a conformist little prig. Maybe you should look into that fist fucking for yourself, because you really need to unclench.
I really hope that you have not chosen to raise children. We have enough uptight parents and their neurotic offspring as it is.
reality check is the conformist? are you using that in the "you're a tool of the system" way, or its literal meaning--"a person who conforms, esp. unquestioningly, to the usual practices or standards of a group"? because if anything all the savage cheerleaders who jump all over anyone who doesn't gush about how cool he is seems to get singled out and berated, which would make them anti-conformist.
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