This afternoon I hit the Marginal Way DIY Skatepark with some bridge pals. When I got there a dad and his kids were using the park. The dad was watching the kids use the park actually. One of the kids was on a scooter which I generally think shouldn’t be anywhere near a skatepark. The kids were mostly rolling around in the newest part of the park which can be used apart from the rest if everyone else in the place has the understanding that others can skate elsewhere at the same time. Generally that arrangement works for a period of time before folks skating want to take a run that involves more of the park. Communication is key.

So as I made my way to the other side of the skatepark to set down my beverage and keys before my skateboarding enjoyment, my bridge pal Hector rolled into the larger part of the park at a pretty good speed and just as he hit the opposite wall the scooter kid rolled our of the little part right into his path. If Hector hadn’t spied the kid in time thing could have been really bad for the both of them. Hector yelled at the kid in the middle of jumping off his board and avoiding the collision. Exactly what I would have done.

Of course kid watching dad had some things to say to Hector about yelling at his kid and a short debate was had about who should be allowed to skate (in this case scooter) at Marginal Way. It boiled down to the following points:

1. Kids need to learn to watch out and be aware of what’s going on in a skatepark.
2. Scooters are not skateboards.
3. Skaters built Marginal Way for skaters.
4. Skateparks are for everyone to use.

After the words were exchanged (I didn’t hear the whole conversation) the dad and his kids left and all was right with the world.

Here’s where I stand on the whole thing. Yes Marginal Way is a skatepark, kids can use it and most of the time there’s no problem when they do. Even on scooters, although I hate those things. But having said that; skaters, especially ones that have helped build, pay for and generally take care of Marginal Way have every right to regulate the scooter kid and inform him firmly about what’s up. Even at a public skatepark I think this is the case. Even more so at Marginal Way because it isn’t a public skatepark built by the city using tax payer money and therefore everybody doesn’t have unlimited access to it.

Dads with kids who are learning to skate and especially kids learning how to ride a scooter should be at their local public skatepark. There they can show up any time of the day and skate/scoot and have some right (scooters maybe not) to be there. They should still expect some regulation from more experienced park users. Marginal Way is probably fine also, but if there are skaters there who aren’t your kids don’t expect them to be accommodating and, frankly, they don’t have to be. Best to go down to Marginal when nobody is there or go somewhere else.

Hector wins this argument every time.