I ran from the police for the third time.

[Chris Barnett]

Or do that.   

[ASC]

Tennis court riding, never going to happen legally, no matter how many petitions,... etc...waste of time and battle, better to deal with the city about the needs for a legal flat riding section, be at at whatever public park that is already built or not.

People in park design for skateboard parks never thought about the BMX use for years, but now some do consider, but only due to there being a strong voice in one's hood for such a need, and the BMX community never thinks about Flatland, so a large spot or even 40 x 40 section never gets considered into the design. In addition many flatlanders will say, whatever, we have endless parking lots so why worry, we can ride any flat surface...so really whats the point of feeling or being upset with these constant issues.....now

Jowee you come from the region of Voodoo Jam(?), that means you and the people in your community(flatland) contribute in many ways to the city, not just through taxes alone....think about numbers, and power of that. This also falls in human rights, health and wellness issues....youth development, staying power and to be productive citizens....you dig what I'm saying? 

If you can take the same effort and time in putting down words for why a public park or section needs to exist for your sport and the importance for this need in this life to the so called powers that be, and those elected in your district (hopefully you did vote)...well...you just might get whole bunch parks built in our case 7 that allows Bikes with your name plastered on it.

[tafkat]

Next time, you call the cops first.

Seriously, take a cell phone with you, and when the first person starts to watch you. call the cops and tell them that some old guy seems to be stalking you, and you think he might be threatening.

[ASC]

What comes around goes around, Go for it,  that's a real sound suggestion stated above. Wild Wild West...38 special easy to find and use in AmeriKA. Just make sure who possess that first you or the 50 year old..Good Luck Cowboy.

[Dee.]

Or do that.   

LOL! 

[condemned bmx]

go back with out bike.
remove signs stating no bicycle in court.

then just play dumb next time you ride there.
since there is no sign saying you can not use bicycle on courts anymore.

best solution yet

[Ken NJ]

you should go back wearing all white with a visor, bring a tennis racket...  when they tell you you can't ride there tell them your waiting to get in the next game...  better yet, wear the racket on your back while you ride... some old people are so miserable...

 i was riding at the tennis courts the other day and there were some people at the other end who luckily didn't bother me...  although there is a sign there saying no bikes etc. a cop rolled past and didn't even blink at me..  i didn't realize how lucky i was...

[Hugo @ Portugal]

This is a common problema, I've been kicked out of completely empty syntethic football courts a couple of times. Its just frustrating to see a perfect spot to ride, completely available, and still not wanting to get into trouble.

Hell, the last time that happened to me the city hall worker (more like a gorilla type of guy) who ocasionally stops by this football court, actually threatned me with an upright arrogant posture without even trying to understand why I was riding there, that he would take my bike from me if I insisted in riding there since I had no written permission to do so.

Damn, I was so pissed and frustrated for being treated like a punk that I went to a little chat with the city hall president itself. He told me that I could ride there, he wouldn't give me any kind of license or something like that, but he told me that the gorilla who had harassed me the other day would cut me some slack.

And so I believed him, and so I rode their a couple of days later, and so I got haressed again by the same gorilla worker.

Oh well, I still ride there, I don't think they have the right to take my bike from me couse they are no authority like the police or anything and even the police itself wouldnt do it, they would just ask me to leave the damn court without taking any other action.

In the end I just avoid those spaces that will likely get me into trouble, I'm no deliquent and I dont wanna be looked at like that, so I just mind my own business and dont even reply to bad attitude towards me or my riding.

Things like this will always exist, it's part of the ignorance that surrounds flatland and any other urban sport.

[havok]

it really sux that we have to deal with these issues, from the general ignorant public.
in the late 80's every where i went there were no skateboarding signs, but nothing for bikes.
now it seems skaters are getting parks and/or gov. funds to keep them legal, but once again bmxers are left in the cold.
i think alot of it has to do with the skaters organizing, like a union kinda.
if we all would cut back on the complaining and actually get proactive about this maybe in a year or 2 we could expect some legislation protecting our rights.
bitchin' didn't get equal rights for minorities. boycots, rallies, and refusing to settle for the status quo did.  
complaining has never fueled law-makers to do the right thing.
we need to pony up and get our rights through persistant channeling of our anger to cut through this red tape.

everyone should take a couple of min.'s now and write to your congressman/city council.
let them know what their citizens want/need.
if we can't take this small amount of time to actually try and rectify our situation, then
we can't sit around bitching about it.
we CAN make a difference!!!

[SurfonFlatland]

Try the "this is my profession" line.

[Budz]

what assholes... you should light the nets on fire, take a crap and rub it all over the courts and write in it.... "Now what"

 

damn Dave! ur supposed to be the voice of reason around here...um...anywho...im proud of ya dude!!!

[Mr.Jowee]

Not to throw in some common sense or anything, but maybe you should approach things with a different attitude. 

They started with the attitude. They jumped stupid with flatland harming the court. They approached me, therefor they need to change their attitudes. I've tried things differently dozens of times. Any rational person would. But rationality just doesn't work.

Technically, if there is a sign, and you're riding anyways, you're trespassing.  IE not using the property the way it is legally allowed to be used. 

Yeah. You have a point. And the Jews deserved to be exterminated because, well, it was the law at the time, and Hitler had hung a few sings around town saying so. Makes sense to me.

If you're mature about it, approach it professionally, and cite actual facts, you'd probably win. 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[Hugo @ Portugal]

Well Mr.Jowee theres something you have to bare in mind, and sorry for telling you this but i feel I have to..

.. when you act like a punk, expect to be threated like one..

.. I mean, you ran from the police, that's already bad, you don't run from the cops when you feel you did nothing wrong, you wait and discuss, nobody would harm you, the worst thing would be your bike taking the heat, but you would get it back eventually.

Then you did another mistake, you ran AGAIN.
Why did you get back there in the first place? Why did you visit places where you know you probably gonna get kicked out for?

When you defy authority you are gonna get what you deserve. It doesn't matter who's right, in the end the authorities are always right.

Look for riding spots that have no visible legislation. Lets be honest, an aluminium peg bashed against concrete WILL damage the floor, so it also damage a tennis court surface for sure, I've seen it, I've done it. No matter if you bail once, twice, thrice, eventually you will damage the floor suface, hole chuncks will pop out, I've dont it a couple of times myself.

So get your sh*t toguether and go ride where nobody will bother you and where you don't have to be peeking over your shoulder for old guys harassing you.

The best thing you can do besides what you've already stated on your last post, is not to damage the image of flatland even more.

And about your last theory about signs and Hitler. When you write stuff like that you are making a very strong point.. against yourself. That comparison made no sense at all, if you have a sign that clearly states the type of usage the court is suposed to have or not to have, and you go there and ride anyway, you're the one who's wrong, not the people who placed the sign there. Those signs are the responsabilty of the city hall and they are to be respected.
No one gains anything by not letting you go there and ride, a tenis court is not made for metal bashing only for tenis/tenis balls, you know theres a difference.. if there's a sign there, it's there for a reason, not just to piss you and ruin your daily session.

We gotta be mature and responsible about this.
If we want to be respected we don't defy the rules and yell at old anoying farts that have nothing better to do than disrespect us, instead we avoid being the target of such attention and dont respond to any threats or anything else and most important of all, we don't ride in spots where it's not suposed to....

[KAFKA]

just act crazy as funk in front of them fattios. start chatting and talking to invisible people. they will soon leave.

And the jews, well, emmm. well.

[tafkat]

eah. You have a point. And the Jews deserved to be exterminated because, well, it was the law at the time, and Hitler had hung a few sings around town saying so. Makes sense to me.

godwinned; thread over, you lose