Personal Responsibility (written by Josh Ew Uhh)
Each and every one of us is responsible for ourselves. In the end run of things, its always going to boil down to Personal Responsibility.
The problem at hand today, and why I am bringing this up, is the TRASH problem at the skatepark.
Yes, its a MAJOR problem.
This morning I woke up at 6:30 with an intent to go to Dreamland and skate. I got there a little after 7am. The place was a nightmare. There was garbage everywhere.
I spent over an hour just picking up the filth. Powerade bottles, Red Bull cans, chip bags, McDonalds bags, and other crap, crap, and more crap all over the park.
I was stunned when I saw trash in the bowl!
Damn, this sounds like a broken record, but how much is it going to take to make you kids realize (I say kids because the problem is mainly with the kids in the 10 - 16yr old age bracket) that upkeep of the park is YOUR responsibility, and if the park is continued to be wrecked like it was today on a continuous basis… WE WILL LOSE THE PARK!
I have spent the last 6 years of my life skateboarding. I have never skated something of this magnitude. The park is incredible. I get completely stoked when I pull up and park my car. It hurts me on a personally level to see ignorant kids wrecking the skatepark like this
Small Time Skates and the City Of Hammond have busted ass to make this dream of ours a rather large scale reality, so now WHY in the hell are people neglecting the park so?
It baffles the mind. I thought and though yet could not figure it out.
Is it really so hard to go down to a trash can after you finish your drink and throw the bottle away? You’re all out there skateboarding, so I know you’re not that lazy. There is something like 10 trash cans around the park, so why can’t anyone seem to use one? We have professional skateboarders like Mike Vallely and Tony Trujillo making long trips to come see and skate our park. How is this going to make the Skateboarders of Hammond look? How will this make the city look?
Now, another issue that goes side by side with the trash.
Cigarette butts.
DO NOT THROW THEM ON THE CONCRETE!
DO NOT THROW THEM IN THE GRASS.
THROW THEM IN THE TRASH!
Me and many others will be very angry when we come to a screeching halt and a fakie backside faceplant because our wheels hit someone’s remnants of a nicotine addiction.
I feel that I could sit here and type pages about how angry this makes me, but typing and ranting simply is not enough.
Actions have to be taken. You kids have to start owning up to some amount of personal responsibility.
An irate skateboarder,
Josh Lowrey
June 11th, 2006 at 8:02 am
Right on the money Josh! Everyone must remeber that we are the stewards of our parks. If it looks like shit, that is how we are percieved by the public. I know as skaters we are genuinely disinterested in what others may think. In this case however, we need to be vigilant. How hard is to throw the damn cup in the trash? You need motivation, ok. Lets see ya do a fly out to nose manual over to the trash can, you kook. THROW YOUR TRASH AWAY. Pissing the locals off isn’t a good thing if you want to ride their park.
Cigarettes. I smoke like a coal train going up a mountain, yeah yeah, I know smoking is bad. I at least have enough respect to field strip my butts and toss em in the trash or put them in my pocket (wife hates that)Don’t be a fool pick yo shit up, the city and all the skaters worked hard to reach the Dreamland!
John Leizear
Skaters Alliance
June 11th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
I’m not local but I honestly have to agree here guys! I do my very best to not leave much trash behind, but every time I go to the park I see it. I picked up a cup and lid from McD’s right in front the hip/corner/wallie thing right after no less than 6 people skated over or very near it. I do not cite this example to complain but to mearly point out that I know some of you were locals there and I had to pick it up. It does make the park look bad and to take from the previous post on “What do skaters want?”, the needed comforts that are needed in the park will never get done if the upkeep does not change. Wouldn’t it be nice if they put a few more water fountains and benches/bleachers, fix the few that are broken? Maybe added some bathrooms for the park,even if shared with the pool and tennis courts. Or lights for extended sessions when the sun burns out at 5:30pm. I doubt the city will be willing to help fulfill the dream if the upkeep does not change. It really sucks to change your line in the pool because of chip bags and leaves, etc.
Just because we mostly do NOT care what society thinks, we all very much care what the other skaters think of us! We, you guys there and us visitors that love the park, should take an active stand in picking up after ones self so that the Dream can go on. I have not had concrete this close to me since 1979-80, when the park in Metairie and Slidell closed down. I was 8ish then and just discovering the board, I have always owned a board since then! So please, do not let the dream die, especially because of something you know your mom makes you do at home!
sorry for the rant, hope I do not get much hate for this, but then again right is right. So be right about it and it will always be there for you to use too!
Peace
Kyle Rhody
June 12th, 2006 at 7:34 am
GHSTHKR… were you referring to Pink Panther by any chance? God, I miss that place. I never skated it when it was open (I may not have even been born) but I put a lot of hours on that snakerun.
June 20th, 2006 at 11:39 pm
Yes the Pink Panther!!!
Me too snake run only but I heard it was great for its time! Still was a big ole turn at the end i use to love that.
and Metairie had one at W. Esplanade and Severn way back, had a whole pipe and all!
July 11th, 2006 at 2:59 pm
Pink Panther I was there for the grand opening, a comercial was filmed for it that day and everything. I skated it until it went under. The Metairie was “Zoom City”.