PR Scofield, Fish Hoek
Skateboarding has been going on for a very long time in many places in South Africa. It is accepted and encouraged. I really don’t want to be a spoilsport, as kids need to play, but if they are given these things as gifts, well what to do, but use them?
However, what many don’t know, is that it is against the law (paragraph 15 of the Municipal By-Laws) on a street. I don’t think even the police know it. I have a copy of this if anybody wants to see it.
There is good reason for this, with speeding cars, and no brakes on the skateboard. Besides, all the children I have seen lately, are without helmets or any other kind of protection for their knees or arms, some children as young as six.
Recently, a boy crashed into a car in Fish Hoek, causing the owner to be terribly shocked as he could have been killed. If she didn’t have insurance, she would have personally had to pay for all the damage, which is not right.
We live in a crescent, towards the mountain, off Poplar Road. The children are using the fairly steep slope to skateboard down, at speed, into Poplar Road, which is a fairly busy road above Silverglades.
People in their cars, turning up into any crescent could so easily crash into a skateboarder coming down at speed, as it is a blind corner. I warn any children every weekend about this, but still it is going on.
I would hate to see a child killed in this way before their parents realise the danger and what their children are doing. Having spoken to them today, Sunday March 5, they have told me their parents haven’t warned them, nor their schools. These are accidents waiting to happen.
Perhaps parents could get together, and suggest to the municipality a skate board park at the cricket ground off Nelson/Riverside roads – there is plenty of space there. Alternatively, I believe there is a skateboard park near Pick * Pay, or they could use safe open roads where cars can see them from both sides, even though, in truth, skateboarding is not supposed to happen.