William Street Skateboarders

[Guest Cautious Driver]

William Street -Between Davis and Kingsland Avenues, Skateboarders that do not even live in this area are filling our street with their Skating accessories, their bodies, and all kind of trash and garbage. When you ride down the street, you must wait until the kids feel like moving out of your way. Beeping your horn, yelling "Move" creping up towards them, none of that phases them, they will just continue to skate, or just stand there staring at you. They dont only pose a hazard to the drivers, but also to themselves, as they are literally laying in the street, half in driveways, near the corner of the block, in parking spaces, casue cannot see them and they are going to end up getting killed. This problem is not easy to be dealt with. When anyone calls the cops, an officer will respond and tell the kids to move out of the street. So the kids leave until the cops pulls away and they are right back out there causing the same trouble. This is not a letter saying get rid of the kids from the town, Their parents just need to be aware of what they are doing, and the danger they are imposing upon themselves and others. One mother in particular actually brings her son dinner every night while hes there skateboarding. As soon as she pulls off she has no idea of the destruction that happens. Cars are getting hit with the skateboards, pipes, ramps, etc. Sooner or later one of the kids will be getting hit by a car. So anyone know what their children are doing away from home? Why not go to an empty parking lot or a skatepark instead of endangering so many things?

[Guest Resident]

These kids lay in the street and intimidate drivers, daring them to run them over so they can sue. They latch onto car spoilers to hitch a ride. Some days there are as many as 50 kids and the cops just ride by. You would think Motto the councilman would put a stop to it. They use his property as a take off ramp, but that's what you would expect from him. Maybe we could bribe some cops to do something by giving them doughnuts.

[Guest Guest]

These kids lay in the street and intimidate drivers, daring them to run them over so they can sue.  They latch onto car spoilers to hitch a ride.  Some days there are as many as 50 kids and the cops just ride by.  You would think Motto the councilman would put a stop to it.  They use his property as a take off ramp, but that's what you would expect from him.  Maybe we could bribe some cops to do something by giving them doughnuts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe he is thinking how to build a skate park and how to get a kickback!! Don't worry the taxpayers will be footing a skatepark for these kids. Keep complaining that the police do not do anything and the town will cave in.

[Guest william street resident]

I THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT ALL THIS KIDS IN THE STREET ON THERE SKATEBOARDS MAKING ALL KIND OF NOISE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. WHERE IS THE POLICE WHO SHOULD BE WALKING THE BEAT THE BEAT. WHATEVER THEY EAT THEY THROW IN THE STREET .HOW ABOUT THE GARBAGE CAN BESIDE THEM. COUNCILMAN OPEN YOUR EYES AND EARS .YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.HELP US.

[Guest Guest]

where would you like these kids to go? You tear down their stadium. How about learning how to drive maybe that will help

[Guest harrisonhankyhead]

STOP IT...LEAVE THESE KIDS ALONE...THEY'RE ONLY IN THE WAY...NOTHING WRONG WITH GIVING THEM A LITTLE LOVE TAP...JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SHOVEL HANDY.

[Guest skater]

Yeah I admit t the things we do in the street but not all are true.

Nobodys mother comes and gives them dinner eveyday,theres no destruction but the curb on the corner but that can be painted.There is no empty parking lot around here we tried to find one but theres cars there and people yell and call the cops.The closest skatepark to the town is all the way in Hoboken and our mothers who do care about us won't let us go there.Also there is never 50 of us the most theres ever been was about 12 not no 50 so stop exaggerating so much.We don't hit cars with ramps or pipes or rails because we don't have any.Not because were poor but we don't want them.You don't know how many times we got pettitions for a skatepark that we won and they never got built.So stop complaining and exaggerating about it.We try to go other places but theres no were.

[Guest resident]

where do you get off saying you do not come with pipes and whatever the come

with a kitchen table one day that was thrown in the garbage also the other kids from ann street come with a ramp that is history. these kids are in the street all daylong and are very annoying where is the police that is suppose to be walking the beat. election time is coming. go to the park skateboard no one is talking about going to hoboken stop climbing on the back of cars that go up and down william street i see you

[Guest guest]

YOU SURE DO COME WITH ALL KINDS OF TRASH YESTERDAY THE CAME WITH DRESSER DRAWS AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN FIND. THE PARK IS THE OTHER WAY GO THERE AND TAKE ALL YOUR TRASH WITH YOU OVER THERE AND SEE IF YOU CAN GO SKATEBOARDING WITH THE TRASH ON THE WALKING PATHS DOUBT IT .PARENTS OPEN YOUR EYES AND EARS BECAUSE THERE IS TRASH IN THE STREET. WHERE ARE THESE PARENTS OH I DO NOT KNOW NOT MY CHILDREN GIVE ME A BREAK.

[Guest Guest]

these kids. where the mother. why dont they take there kid to the park to play. you got parks across the street. the mother dont care about there kids no more and let them bother other people. cops should lock them all up.

[Guest guest]

where are the parents of the kids who are out in the street all hours of the day and night .they really should go to the park they do bring all there garbage here why not go to the park we will be call the police if this matter does not get handle quickly.one mother of these kids is homeless and her kid is on the street causing all kinds of trouble call dyfs. today.

[Guest Popeye]

I guess you were never children you were born all growed up. Lets put you up for SAINT HOOD.Maybe you would rather have the children rob your home ,drink do drugs. Did you ever speak your concerns with them? Perhaps if you spoke too them not at them they will listen Meet each other half way.

[Guest Guest]

YOU SURE DO COME WITH ALL KINDS OF TRASH YESTERDAY THE CAME WITH DRESSER DRAWS AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN FIND. THE PARK IS THE OTHER WAY GO THERE AND TAKE ALL YOUR TRASH WITH YOU OVER THERE AND SEE IF YOU CAN GO SKATEBOARDING WITH THE TRASH ON THE WALKING PATHS DOUBT IT .PARENTS OPEN YOUR EYES AND EARS BECAUSE THERE IS TRASH IN THE  STREET. WHERE ARE THESE PARENTS OH I DO NOT KNOW NOT MY CHILDREN GIVE ME A BREAK.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey deek you need smooth surface to skate on. Those paths in the park our rougher than one of your toothy b*** jobs.

[Guest Guest]

All of you posting here mean to tell me that you never rebelled as a child and annoyed the adults surrounding your house? I agree that the kids get out of hand, but so did you and so will children in the future. That's what kids do.

[Guest Resident]

Skateboarding is not a crime. However most of the participants are young teen-aged boys who do what young teen-aged boys do. Yesterday they built a fire in the middle of the street and jumped thru it on their skateboards. Unfortunately they picked a street with high traffic volume and many residents who can see their antics. They should move to a less populated area with less traffic, They would do better on Davis Court, Cleveland Ave behind the little league, the dead end of William St., Malone Place or even McGuigan Place.

Unfortunately we live in a town where people like, Motto the councilman, are ready to spend millions building a stadium for some third rate soccer team instead of building recreational facilities for town children and residents. We don't have a ball field, never mind a skate board park.

It's obvious, the police aren't interested in enforcing the law and keeping children from playing in the street. I don't think we could even get them down here with free doughnuts. They all want to be friends with the kids. I hope none of these kids get hit by a car while their friends are ignoring a serious traffic problem.

[Guest Cautious Driver]

Yeah I admit t the things we do in the street but not all are true.

Nobodys mother comes and gives them dinner eveyday,theres no destruction but the curb on the corner but that can be painted.There is no empty parking lot around here we tried to find one but theres cars there and people yell and call the cops.The closest skatepark to the town is all the way in Hoboken and our mothers who do care about us won't let us go there.Also there is never 50 of us the most theres ever been was about 12 not no 50 so stop exaggerating so much.We don't hit cars with ramps or pipes or rails because we don't have any.Not because were poor but we don't want them.You don't know how many times we got pettitions for a skatepark that we won and they never got built.So stop complaining and exaggerating about it.We try to go other places but theres no were.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe its not your particular group that is there day after day. But there is a group that brings all kinds of crap. And why not go infront of your own house?? Why? So your mother cant see you out there smoking and throwing the burning cigarettes on the cars? Its called having respect for the ones around you. No respect is showed when you are playing chicken with the cars. Slamming the skateboards until late at night. Whatever group is going out there "if its not you" is really making a bad name for skateboarders. So instead of you getting the blame for this, why dont you tell the ones that are out there to move on cause you are gettting the bad rap for all their antics. Besides, There is an Open Lot its called the Park. Theres a huge lot there with logs and everything for your convenience. By the way, mostly everyone on william street signed a petition to have a skatepark built for you. It was suposed to be across from Holy Cross School, but they turned it into a rollerblade park.

[Guest resident]

that is nice be a punk and go and say your rob houses and do drugs that because you have the attention span of an idiot. get a life and stop bring us all this trash out here on william street tell your parents to open there eyes and ears yes i was a kid but you have done more than i have done in my whole life.loser !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WHERE ARE THE PARENTS WAKE UP NOW IS 2005!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!do you know where your children are ?

[Guest RESIDENT]

THE SMOOTH SURFACE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IS RITALIN TAKE SOME MORE AND GIVE SOME TO YOUR PARENTS.

[Guest Guest]

As a cop in Harrison and a former skateboader myself I find it disturbing that kids skating and doing nothing wrong is the biggest topic you guys could think of. I have directed the kids to areas where they could skate out of view from the public. What happened? Think real hard. If you guessed that people still called and complained, you would be correct. Now we're talking the meter parking lot under RT280 , between 5th and FER. How much more out of the way could you get ? That was still not far away enough. Not only that but the few rails and ramps they had were disposed of by the street department. You want them to go to skate parks well some towns have given kids a place to skate. Bayonne happens to have a nice park. Hoboken as well. Elizabeth has RexPlex. Now the last time I checked skateboards are not allowed on the Turnpike.

Now, most skateboarders dont conform to the norm. For the literary challenged that means they dont play sports or mingle with the general population their age. Let them be. Wait here's an idea. Oh my god! Why didnt I think of this sooner? Lets take away their boards, force them indoors and give them beer and weed. This way they'll be too drunk and high to skate, which in turn will save your precious material possesion you call a car. Give me a break.

[Guest resident]

we have no problems with them skateboarding but we do have a problem with all the trash and the problem they cause you being a police officer do you see them they climb on the back of the cars, and they lay in the street. and whatever they find as garbage they bring along to dresser draws, and all there garbage let them come in front of your house with all there trash.

[Guest Guest]

I agree with the police officer, there has never been anyplace/anything for these kids in Harrison. Unless you are playing a sport, oh, and make the coaches look good by being a good athlete, NOBODY CARES.

There is so much wasted space, there has to be some land to build a decent multi-sports complex. Indoor soccer field, and NO the courts is not a soccer field, and maybe an indoor roller rink and skateboard thing. Make it a resident only facility, give kids jobs there. An ice rink/roller rink could generate money.

Sounds like a pipe dream, I know, but these sort of places do exist. With the right sponsership, management and commitment I believe it could work.

What is going to happen when they build all the new condos? Were are all these kids going to go? Remember, it is a short walk over the bridge to crackland from there.

[Guest Resident]

It's time to look in the mirror with the skateboarders. These are just a bunch of kids who want to do what millions of their peers do across the country, skateboard. Some of these kids are very talented and quite athletic. Others just go home with sore behinds from the many falls they suffer.

Unfortunately we live in a highly populated urban area and our city fathers have decided the town needs a soccer stadium more than a skateboard park. I wonder what choice these kids would make if they were allowed to vote between the two.

Those of us who are adults have decided to elect officials who are going to redevelop half the town and have made no provisions for town residents recreational needs. Are we going to get a ballfield, a volleyball court, a skate board park? No, we are going to get thousands of additional residents to use the few recreational facilities we have.

To the cop who is a former skateboarder, I think your post is the most irresponsible one posted here. A person in authority should do his job and remove these kids from high traffic areas. Kids will find other places to go, just like you and I did. What they are doing is dangerous, if you don't think so, you should think about other employment.

To the other posters on the subject, I would like to say, let's stop complaining about the kid's mothers and where they eat supper. The problem is, there are no places for these kids to play and as adults we are responsible for that.

When you see the mayor or one of the councilmen, you should point out the need for recreational facilities as part of the redevelopment. And I am not talking about spending millions for a soccer stadium which will not be available on a daily basis for our children. I'm talking about facilities that can be used by all the town's residents on a daily basis.

[Guest Guest]

where would you like these kids to go? You tear down their stadium. How about learning how to drive maybe that will help

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

where would you like these kids to go, no stadium, no recreational area for their sport. at least these yound men and women are not doing drugs, drinking or stealing behing your back, they are where they want to be recognized and appreciated for their hard work on their port skating.........

[Guest DRIVER]

As a cop in Harrison and a former skateboader myself I find it disturbing that kids skating and doing nothing wrong is the biggest topic you guys could think of. I have directed the kids to areas where they could skate out of view from the public. What happened? Think real hard. If you guessed that people still called and complained, you would be correct. Now we're talking the meter parking lot under RT280 , between 5th and FER. How much more out of the way could you get ? That was still not far away enough. Not only that but the few rails and ramps they had were disposed of by the street department. You want them to go to skate parks well some towns have given kids a place to skate. Bayonne happens to have a nice park. Hoboken as well. Elizabeth has RexPlex. Now the last time I checked skateboards are not allowed on the Turnpike.

      Now, most skateboarders dont conform to the norm. For the literary challenged that means they dont play sports or mingle with the general population their age. Let them be. Wait here's an idea. Oh my god! Why didnt I think of this sooner? Lets take away their boards, force them indoors and give them beer and weed. This way they'll be too drunk and high to skate, which in turn will save your precious material possesion you call a car. Give me a break.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok COP if you think that it is perfectly fine to have these kids running rampid in the streets, why dont you have them go in front of YOUR HOUSE. OH WAIT A MINUTE, you must not live in the town. Like all the others. Or is it someone in your family? Then thats ok, we know how it goes in this town anyone with a certain family name is allowed to do ANYTHING they want. Shows how much of a croc of you know what this town is being run by. No one says to take away their skateboards, but just go infront of their own house. About having them sit at home with "beer and weed" Maybe it is one of the cops kids, cause we all know good and well that they are the biggest "Drink and Dope" Partiers in the town. Learn to crack down on your own family before you start accusing other poeple of causeing kids to reform to this type of "recreational activity". By the way, are you going to take responsibility when one of these kids get run over, or slammedinto the back of one of the trucks that they are taking a "free ride" on all the way up the block? Oh no, then you will disappear and destroy all the "paper work" that you should have filled out when you were called for the complaint. Being how your family has so much pull in the town, and you care so GREATLY for their WELL BEING why dont you foot the bill to have a skatepark built, or do like you do for all your friends and Drive them to Hoboken to those "Nice Parks" in your police car. Grow Up, and stop trying to be friends with the kids only because when they 'go down for doing illegal things" you dont want your family going with them.

[Guest skateboarder]

[/b]one thing i would like 2 straighten up is 2 stop saying all that shit 2 the police. ur just mad because we would rather take orders from the police who let us skate in peace rather then someone who wants us out of william street. I am one of the skaters that skate in william street, and I am one that picks up the garbage so u dnt complain.sometimes u even call the police wen me and my friends just sit on the curb and talk. practically half of wat you said are lies.i dont want 2 point them out because its alot.i really dont want this to turn into a war or anything.ill tell y i skate at william street.its because my friends live their, and sumtimes my ex-girlfiend comes to visit and i dont get to see her that much. i dont mean to disrespect anyone i just want 2 see my friends.And also we dnt hang on to car bumpers anymore. i admit that only 1-3 of us try it, but its because we ask 4 permission, and we ask not 2 go fast.so dont even start thinking about the cars running over us.yes just a few days ago we bought a dressor droor to william street, but u didnt include that we broke it into small peices so it can fit into the trash can.just let us skate in peace and we'll lower all the sound we make, and well clean up the trash.but if u come out and start yelling at us and give us attitude then well most likely get angry and just walk away.so i want 2 restate thant i dont want there to be a war or anything, all we want 2 do is skate. thats really not much to ask for.