I guess it all started when they took away our skateboards.
At first, we all thought it was a joke. This is San Diego, land of the sun and fun wheels. Skate parks litter our neighborhoods like sand traps on a golf course. Tony Hawk, legend of the decks, lives right up the street in Carlsbad. My 80-year-old neighbor can pull an ollie with a 360 degree spin. Blindfolded.
They couldn’t take skateboarding away from us. No way.
But there were signs as soon as we arrived on campus. We looked up at the large, electronic blackboard that welcomed us with bright orange letters: “No Sk8brds” (flash) “No Studnt Prking.”
Well, that’s stupid, we thought. If there’s no parking, why would they ban economical transit on campus that could alleviate some of the parking gridlock?
And why is that sign so big? How much does that cost to run a day?
We could practically see it from Interstate 8.
Still, very funny, we thought. No way they will enforce the ban. It just wouldn’t make sense.
See, last year the campus initiated a bike and skate lane. We were finally moving to a greener future. Students could skateboard on campus in a more controlled environment. One where green tape lined the pathways. And even if that tape was cheap. And even if that cheap tape barely stayed attached in many places. It still promised a future of hope.
Then, out of nowhere, when we were permanently stripped of that green tape and the red cement on campus became a permanent part of our lives, the word “skate” mysteriously dropped out of the transit lane equation.
According to current university policies, section 16 of the Regulations for Use of San Diego State University Buildings and Grounds, article 16.2 states: “Riding skateboards, coasters, roller skates, toy vehicles and other devices of a similar nature is prohibited on all University property at all times.”
What? We screamed when we read the new rule. Skateboarders, Razor scooter-riders, Big Wheels enthusiasts and roller derby girls all knocked out in a single sentence. What a blow.
And here I had been imagining the day when a Sonic restaurant would open a location on campus so I could have a roller girl bring me my burger and an Ocean Water. Maybe some tater tots, too. And a sundae.
But no more. Hopes and dreams have crashed. Our wheels have been pulled from beneath our feet.
To make it worse, police invaded campus to cite illicit skateboarders.
Last Thursday, they brought the pain. An estimated 40 to 80 police officers were on campus, according to a NBC San Diego news report. They even named the day like a holiday: “Cite Day,” the police chanted in the streets, dancing in their polished black shoes.
There was at least one officer from every jurisdiction in the county on campus, the same report claimed.
As if our books weren’t expensive enough. As if you don’t give us enough ridiculous parking tickets already. Come on, parking is terrible here. Don’t make us pay for riding our skateboards.
What will you take away next? Will it be the bikes? Will we have to walk in single-file lines? Will we have to pay a fine if we walk on the grass?
Our skateboards seem gone forever.
I thought we paid enough already.
Guess not.
-Ty Thompson is a creative writing graduate student. Reach him at cosythews@yahoo.com.
