The not so smart imposing new regulations on the not so smart. It'll probably all wash out just fine.

Has there ever been a situation where Randy Leonard works out in the open? Is he part vampire?

from the article:

"Billy Meiners June 11, 2012 at 8:09 pm

Here's what happened. Eric Nagle showed up to a meeting with his laptop and showed a video of an outlaw race that happened on Zoobomb well over a year ago (I happened to have won that race, which didn't make Nagle any happier). At that point he began to yell, curse and accuse me of organizing the same event this year (which I wasn't) and demanded that police show up and crack down on this. Police showed up to the hill and didn't see anybody there and no tickets were issued. That meeting was back in February and he has not shown up to a meeting since then.

In the months following that meeting, I have continued to work with PBOT, Police, Parks and Rec., and Criminal Prevention on ways to solve this issue of skateboard traffic on the hill. It wasn't until last Friday I received a call from the Mayor's office telling me that they convinced Randy Leonard to push this ordinance through to city council. Needless to say I am very "peeved."

Not only have I put in many months, hours and dollars into working towards a positive solution, but many other city employees have done the same. He has wasted our time and energy by not allowing us to implement any of our ideas for addressing this issue. He wants skateboarders gone NOW.

When it comes down to it, a ban isn't going to change anything. People will continue to skate the hill and probably more recklessly than before (when skateboarding is outlawed only outlaws will skateboard). If it is already illegal to be up there then why stop at a stop sign? Skaters will have the attitude that they have to outrun the cops every time they skate there and their style of riding will reflect that. Part of me is also worried about residents living on that road taking matters into their own hands by trying to enforce the law with their own methods (which could easily involve hurting a skateboarder).

All I want is a chance to try and build/educate a responsible skateboard community. As it sits now, the city is taking that chance away from me."

Ah Tim...now you realize that "positive solutions" are contradictory to all city council members, no matter what the issue may be.
I am so sorry you wasted your time. Most of us have given up ages ago trying to deal with any one at city hall.

You mean to tell me there is a road in Portland smooth enough to accommodate a skateboard? Now that is truly shocking. This is gotta see.

Tim

define "irony"

Irony is when a few neighbors (has there been a neighborhood poll?) want to ban longboarding on their street because "someone might get hurt", then purposely setting up obstacles so someone does get hurt.

You've just learned yoru first lesson in Portland civics. You spend hours of time trying to build a consensus and some yahoo gets Randy's ear and it becomes a crisis.

Save your money and sue if they pass the ban. Probably it will be illegal

The thing I love about the internet is the facility with which parties with little or no knowledge can jump into an argument with an opinion. This is reflected in these comments just as they are reflected in the bicycle community's comments about the proposed ban. The issue devolves into personal attack and so a reasonable solution is successfully avoided.

I followed that link to Bike Portland and made the mistake of browsing the comments on a couple of threads. The sense of entitlement and self-righteousness over there is breathtaking, if not altogether surprising.

Randy and the city commissioners, aka Captain Bringdown and The Buzz Killers.

In this case; GO Get em Randy!!! It just may keep the bull busy for a while and out of another china shop.

Oh great. Some annoying kids on skateboards gets full frontal attention by the City Council, but regular men's naked bike rides such as the one at 5:15 PM last Saturday in my neighborhood (and Jack's) are nothing.

Bas***ds