ServiceGames
06-24-2008, 08:11 PM
So, I was skating at the same prep school driveway I'd been skating at recently, and someone came up to me from out of the school and asked me to leave because it was private property, and he had already received four phone calls from concerned parents asking about me and my skating. I told him to put up a no skateboarding sign. He didn't like that answer and immediately walked back into the building and called the cops.
Now, I'm not one to try to dodge a bullet. I'd honestly like to get an answer from someone who truly knows what they are talking about versus someone who may or may not know.
So, after an initial kinda nasty reaction on my part, I went into the school, and he and I ended up having a nice, calm probably 10 minute conversation where he essentially told me that when the school is closed, he doesn't care ate all if I skate there. He's only concerned about the paying clients calling during business hours. Essentially, in more words, he told me that, as long as I didn't skate there from 6:30AM to 6:30PM when they are open, he's fine with it. I asked him about the weekends, and he said they were closed. He asked me to make sure that there weren't like gatherings of cars at the school because sometimes they have weekend open houses and the like, but otherwise, have fun and don't get hurt.
So, I shake his hand, apologize for how I reacted, thanked him, and went back to skating since, by that time, it was after 6:30PM.
(enter cop) About 20 minutes later, a black SUV starts driving straight at me in the wrong lane while I was bombing this hill (not easy to stop once you gain some speed on a long board). He got in my way enough that I ended up having to get off my board and it ended up stopping probably 30 yards down the road on the other side of the driveway.
He immediately got out of the car and said something to the effect of, "You can leave right now, or you can go to jail." I was a bit out of breath, shocked and thirsty since it was over 90 degrees out there. So, he repeated himself this time adding that this wasn't a grocery store parking lot but instead a private school and that he had gotten a call from the guy inside about me being on private property and not leaving after being asked.
I went, sat down in the grass right beside his open door. He sat down in his car. I explained the whole situation to him and even offered to go back in and talk to the guy who originally asked me to stop if the cop wanted to. He essentially said that he was just going on what he'd heard, he didn't know about our arrangement, and that he doesn't care if I skate around there at all either... it's just that it's a private school with young kids and parents can get worried. I was very polite to him. He wished me a nice day. I returned the gesture and apologized for making him have to come all the way out there. He said he was already on business out that way, so it wasn't a problem.
He shook my hand, got all the way back in his SUV, closed the door, and drove off. I went, grabbed my board, walked back to the top of the hill and kept on skating for probably another half hour w/out a single interruption.
Not all cops are bad. Just be polite to them and explain the entire situation calmly.
SG
Now, I'm not one to try to dodge a bullet. I'd honestly like to get an answer from someone who truly knows what they are talking about versus someone who may or may not know.
So, after an initial kinda nasty reaction on my part, I went into the school, and he and I ended up having a nice, calm probably 10 minute conversation where he essentially told me that when the school is closed, he doesn't care ate all if I skate there. He's only concerned about the paying clients calling during business hours. Essentially, in more words, he told me that, as long as I didn't skate there from 6:30AM to 6:30PM when they are open, he's fine with it. I asked him about the weekends, and he said they were closed. He asked me to make sure that there weren't like gatherings of cars at the school because sometimes they have weekend open houses and the like, but otherwise, have fun and don't get hurt.
So, I shake his hand, apologize for how I reacted, thanked him, and went back to skating since, by that time, it was after 6:30PM.
(enter cop) About 20 minutes later, a black SUV starts driving straight at me in the wrong lane while I was bombing this hill (not easy to stop once you gain some speed on a long board). He got in my way enough that I ended up having to get off my board and it ended up stopping probably 30 yards down the road on the other side of the driveway.
He immediately got out of the car and said something to the effect of, "You can leave right now, or you can go to jail." I was a bit out of breath, shocked and thirsty since it was over 90 degrees out there. So, he repeated himself this time adding that this wasn't a grocery store parking lot but instead a private school and that he had gotten a call from the guy inside about me being on private property and not leaving after being asked.
I went, sat down in the grass right beside his open door. He sat down in his car. I explained the whole situation to him and even offered to go back in and talk to the guy who originally asked me to stop if the cop wanted to. He essentially said that he was just going on what he'd heard, he didn't know about our arrangement, and that he doesn't care if I skate around there at all either... it's just that it's a private school with young kids and parents can get worried. I was very polite to him. He wished me a nice day. I returned the gesture and apologized for making him have to come all the way out there. He said he was already on business out that way, so it wasn't a problem.
He shook my hand, got all the way back in his SUV, closed the door, and drove off. I went, grabbed my board, walked back to the top of the hill and kept on skating for probably another half hour w/out a single interruption.
Not all cops are bad. Just be polite to them and explain the entire situation calmly.
SG