Dear List:


 I'd like to ask the anti-boarders on the list to take a deep breath and get
 a little perspective: if the worst thing these kids are up to is
 skateboarding, then they're fine kids.  They're outdoors, getting fresh air
 and exercise, not doing drugs or having sex or committing crimes or looking
 up internet pornography.  Yes, they wear ridiculously large pants and silly
 haircuts, but so what?  Most of us wore something stupid when we were 16,
 whether we want to admit it or not.  It's a privilege of youth, silly
 outfits.

 In all of this hysteria about potential liability/lawsuits have I heard of
 anyone actually getting sued for a skateboarding injury on their property.
 Has it ever happened?  Does anyone know, FIRST HAND, of an institution that
 had to pay a skater's parents because the kid got injured on their
property?

 Another point: 99.9% of teenagers are lippy and have attitude in the
 presence of authority.  It comes with the territory.  Don't get snarky with
 skaters because they're just being normal teenagers.  You don't expect
 little leaguers to be perfect angels and ask sweetly for baseball diamonds
 in public parks; why do skaters have to live up to a different standard of
 behavior?  If our parks depts. are going to put in facilities for baseball,
 basketball, tennis, why not skating??   It's not a crime.  Can I repeat
that
 one more time? Skateboarding is NOT a crime.  Nor should it be.

 Yes, it can be destructive, but it's not INTENTIONALLY destructive.  These
 are *kids* and they are *playing*.  Please try to remember that.  Make your
 property unappealing to skaters and they will move on.  Don't change
 anything, and they'll probably get bored anyway and move on eventually.
 And, yes, skaters use our parking lot and loading dock on occasion but so
 far we haven't been sued and no-one's had an eye put out.

 Jill R. Chancey, Curator
 Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
 Laurel, MS
 (phone) 601-649-6374
 (fax) 601-649-6379

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