In a message dated 02-04-29 11:22:40 EDT, Tim Bottoms wrote:

<< Here, here! >>

Since I've met you, Tim, I hope you won't mind a slight spelling correction.
"Hear, hear!" is a response when someone says something you like.  "Here,
here!" is what you say (politely but firmly) when you stop the skateboarders!

And Amy wrote:

<<Skating is a passion and an art form to many
people out there, it is not just recreation. Not
to mention a subculture that has left a[n] indelible mark
on our graphic design and underground
culture.  We need to learn to live peacefully with it.
 Saying no skateboards is not the solution.>>

A museum has a right and duty to protect its property and the safety of its
visitors.  Sorry, but I think saying no IS the immediate solution.  If your
institution wants to help lobby your town to provide a suitable "alternative"
for skateboarders, that's laudable, but that doesn't mean you have to allow
them to damage your property and endanger your patrons in the meantime.
Perhaps some institutions don't have enough guards under normal circumstances
to deploy someone to patrol the building exterior, but they'd better find
some way to address the problem decisively.  A dedicated skateboarding park
somewhere else may not be the final solution anyway, since some kids prefer
the challenge of breaking rules whenever possible.  Pardon my cynicism, but
from my own observation, I suspect that the opportunity to do some damage is
sometimes part of the objective of skateboarding in the "wrong" place.  You
don't have to stand for it.  When a museum or any other institution firmly
assumes responsibility for the safety of its own property and its public, it
provides an important, visible lesson about responsible behavior.  (Maybe
your education department should include skateboarding safety in its
repertoire.)

David Haberstich

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