Tom Young

I have never skateboarded, so I don’t speak from experience — so I have some things to say and some quesitions to ask.

The street which runs in front of my home comes to a halt at a stop sign. There are two other streets that feed into the same intersection. One of the streets — the one in front of my house is on a slight incline, as is one of the other streets at the same intersection. It has become a haven for skateboarders. They can pick up some speed and then for three or four hundred feet, just ride the board. I have checked the asphalt and it’s no softer than any other piece of asphalt I’ve ever checked.

Did I mention the stop sign — that most people simply ignore?

Many will slow, but precious few really stop.

Now what about those professional skateboarders I see on television? Many of them are in their twenties, they don’t fall of their boards very often, but what do they know that ammatuer skateboarders don’t?

For some reason, the pros always have a helmet on. For some reason, most of the kids who skateboard outside my house don’t have a helmet on. Maybe it hurts more when you’re in competition and you fall and hit your head than it would if you fell on the asphault and did the same thing.

Just the other day I saw two kids, the oldest one couldn’t have been anymore than ten years old go speeding by my house on their skateboards, of course — wtihout their helmets on. It strikes me that one mistep, one small piece of gravel lying on the road, plus a car failing to stop at the stop sign and a skaeboarder without a helmet on — and we’ve got a problem.

I’m sure this story is repeated everyday over and over in every neighborhood in Atlantic Canada.

I have no idea how many youngsters across this region are injured every year, but I’d like to suggest that wearing helmets while skateboarding, whether it’s done by the pros or the amatuers is just good common sense.

It appears come parents and some skateboarders are sadly lacking.

I’m Tom Young.