robert wrote on Apr 17, 2007 4:02 AM:oh quit your griping skaters learn how to clean up after your self and stop usin such vulgar language hey then dont you think you will have your skate park back

ANNOYED wrote on Apr 17, 2007 5:08 AM:LEAVE THE SKATEBOARDERS ALONE IF THEIR NOT DOING ANY VANDALISM. THEY'RE NOT ALL LIKE THAT. SOME OF THEM ARE TALENTED IN THEIR RIDING AND PUT ALOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO THEIR TRICKS. IT'S LIKE ANY OTHER SPORT AND IT'S A GIFT.

Come on wrote on Apr 17, 2007 6:32 AM:Daryl what makes you think the cops should go out and bust somebody else because you think the laws you are breaking aren't important. Get over your self because now in 15 minutes he could give you a ticket and take your board and be on his way to bust somebody else breaking another law, you now the laws you want him to enforce.

blm wrote on Apr 17, 2007 7:28 AM:Give some paint to the skaters and some tools and a small amount of direction and have them do the skate park maintenance if they want to have a place to skate--paint it how they'd like, cover up the graffiti or replace it with their own, and fix the broken stuff. They often put in more effor than that to create other places to skate, and it seems like it's better to have them painting and skating than the various other things idle hands and minds might figure out to do...

Vista Resident wrote on Apr 17, 2007 7:45 AM:I agree with "blm" If they want the park, make them responsible to maintain it. Somewhat like an "open source" skate park. They must join the park and commit a defined amount of time to maintenance activities. A board of directors would be appropriate with representatives comprising the the Council, community, and skaters. I think the Sheriff's and code enforcement could better spend their times catching "taggers" and gang-bangers.

get with it wrote on Apr 17, 2007 8:27 AM:Are you telling me that there is nothing more important than getting the skaters? These kids are not ALL bad. All they want is something to do. Skating gives them something to stay out of trouble, if the park is trashed then have them clean it, but taking their boards away? That is only going to cause hate and discontent.

Pete Nice wrote on Apr 17, 2007 8:50 AM:Skaters vandalize the curbsides when they cover them with their skate wax & they often act unruly & disrespectful towards senior citizens. I had one skater try to take my baseball hat at the movies the other night, so I had to punch him in front of his friends to teach him a lesson. A note to skaters: you are not cute, you are not funny, you are not cool and you are not exempt from a beat down!

WHAT? wrote on Apr 17, 2007 9:26 AM:You all (with the exception of ANNOYED) sound like you forgot what it is to be a kid. Maybe we should pass laws against playing baseball in the streets in fear that windows might be shattered by flying baseballs. I also wonder if most of you are transplants? Most that grew up in SD county are quite used to kids skating the streets, its part of our culture, SOCAL is the birthplace of street skating! Stop judging kids and take a good look at your own life. By the way, skateparks did not exsist when skateboarding was founded, I argue that parks are not a natural place to skate, there a place that makes all you people feel happy, safe and isolated from your kids hobbies!

Skeletor wrote on Apr 17, 2007 9:32 AM:Im a freestyle walker, what next...am i going to have to wear a helmet to walk down the street! Ive got no problem wearing pads at the skatepark just dont tell me i cant skate it because of some graffiti because thats {not true}. Spending city money to hire a security company to say i cant skate doesnt make any sense, why not just throw a city shirt on him and have him supervise and enforce the rules. The city is wasting money and taking away my sanity!

NICE WORK wrote on Apr 17, 2007 10:56 AM:Way to go, Vista! Something good for a change! Keep on confiscating those pesky boards!

esteban wrote on Apr 17, 2007 1:53 PM:What part of being a kid gives you the right to vandalize another's property???? The city goes out of there way to build you a skate park (which they didn't have to do), and you go and trash it....then you complain!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelieveable!!!

to Vista resident wrote on Apr 17, 2007 2:04 PM:what makes you think these skaters aren't the same taggers and gangbangers you want them to bust.

Ridiculous wrote on Apr 17, 2007 2:29 PM:This is ridiculous!!!! Organized skate parks keep kids off the streets and them from being bored!! When they get bored is when they get involved in a lot of trouble. Since when did taking a legal item from a person on the street become legal? Are you going to impound a car for one parking ticket?? When did we turn a blind side to the raging meth and heroine problem in this city?? I would much rather have one drug dealer off the streets then one hundred skaters!

Surf De Earth wrote on Apr 17, 2007 3:37 PM:I have lived here my whole life and, at the risk of dating myself, skated at surf de earth and other north county skate parks, way back when. So no one can say I have no empathy for skaters. But the reality is a lot of them are punks. They claim skating does no harm but doing grinds does damage anything they grind on. They also have no respect for the right of way of pedestrians or anyone else. They also have no respect for property, first example being the skate park itself. The city had to close it due to vandalism. Showing some respect for others would go a long way towards eliminating the animosity many non skaters and old former skaters have for them. That isn't going to happen because the problem skaters are still of the opinion that the world should revolve around them. Young dumb and full of, well themselves. By the time they grow up there will be a new batch of punks to replace them. No I haven't forgotten what it is like to be a kid, I was a little punk too. Don't want to lose your board don't break the law. You are not above the law. One last thought, I don't think 5 impounded boards is enough to impact Mr. Ehrengruber's buisness.

Grandmother/Mother wrote on Apr 17, 2007 4:13 PM:I remember skating down the streets in Vista with my metal wheels, when there were no pads or helmets. Let the kids play in a safe environment. Spend more money on catching gang members that are terrorizing streets and find the graffiti artist.

Beep Beep wrote on Apr 17, 2007 6:27 PM:I am a frequent pedestrian over near Buena Vista high school; the skate boarders have little respect for others and particularly for Srs. They seem to delight in almost running us over as if we don't have a right to take a walk. I hope the sheriff's enforce all the laws.

to Ridiculous wrote on Apr 18, 2007 5:20 AM:Yes they do take your car away if you drive with out Ins or a license and so they will also take away your skateboard if you ride it with out a helmet.

Crack me up wrote on Apr 18, 2007 5:24 AM:Everybody complains about leaving the skaters alone and to go after the drug dealers, gangs, taggers, and vandals. Guess what? That’s what some of the skaters are, especially vandals. Who do you think tagged the skate park? So they are actually doing what you asked..

william wrote on Apr 18, 2007 7:59 AM:While skaters are not above some ammount of graffiti (mostly nonsensical stuff like "gary coleman for president"), most of the graffiti that ends up in skateparks is not done by skaters but by taggers or other full time miscreants. They rarely get hassled when they "work", may intimidate or start fights and the everyday users who are least likely to want distracting scribbles get blamed.

sk8mom wrote on Apr 18, 2007 2:18 PM:My son just had his board taken and was given a $100 citation for being in the parking lot in front of the skate park. He and a friend were waiting for the park to open.A group of undercover cops came charging out of the bushes and scared the hell of of the boys. Apparently it is illegal to be in the parking lot of the skatepark on a skateboard. Not only is the city discriminating against a group of people they are creating a bigger problem. God only knows what a group of angry kids with nothing to do might do out of frustration.

Get Back To Basics wrote on Apr 18, 2007 3:24 PM:If skaters used skate boards the way they were intended to be used, skate parks wouldn't be necessary. Likewise, helmets and pads wouldn't be required. I'll be some of you might even know why.

to sk8mom wrote on Apr 19, 2007 9:02 AM:A kid in Oceanside was run over when riding his skateboard in the street. Then you wonder why Vista makes up these laws. It's for their safety.

GoSkaters! wrote on Apr 19, 2007 1:40 PM:I agree with "Ridiculous". I guess it is less work for the city to target skateboarders then to get rid of the real deliquents,gangs/taggers! I've been to several skateparks where childred from 2 to adult are enjoying their sport, not tagging or vandelizing! Obviously, other cities see the big picture because they are building MORE skateparks! Get your head out Vista!

Thankful MoM wrote on Apr 23, 2007 1:14 PM:Thank you to the gentleman that stopped his car when he witnessed a punk pushing my son off his skateboard on to the street. God bless you and your family! I would say something to the punk but he probably can't read!

darron and jason d. wrote on Sep 29, 2007 7:59 PM:yea fight the power we got to keep strong and keep kickin

vista skater wrote on Sep 29, 2007 8:06 PM:yo keep on skatin it's sick that thier still skatin out in vista im in nyc and its sucks no skate spots it"s me jason pullin melons at the skate park so keep it good

pissed off wrote on Sep 29, 2007 8:10 PM:.. who is anybody to say stop skating when skating to us is life. its just like saying stop breathing not goin to happen

matt wrote on Jun 26, 2008 5:00 PM:come on you no let us skate if you got a prob stop closing all the skate parks are let us ride

what the wrote on Nov 19, 2008 5:54 PM:Hey old people why dont chu waer a helmit when your plain bingo. skating is never going to be stopt so stop trying.