The Editor,
My son and his friends love to longboard. Unfortunately, longboarding has garnered enough bad press of late to have media-frightened grownups lambast these 14-year-olds with profanities and threats to call the RCMP. Recently, a police officer responding to complaints told my son that longboarding in Port Moody is illegal. The truth is, longboarding in Port Moody is not illegal and for all the years it's been popular, I don't know of a single reported accident here - knock on wood.
Like all parents, I worry about my children longboarding. I've also worried about them jumping on a trampoline, riding a bike in traffic or crossing Ioco "highway" when they've taken a bus to school. But rather than insulating my children in bubble wrap to keep them safe, I've had to, for my sanity and theirs, talk about road safety, respecting others and making sure they have their proper helmets.
Those who take longboarding seriously frown on those who whip around blind corners, doff their helmets, skitch behind cars or go down on their stomachs, all of which seem to be the case of recent accidents that have been reported in the media.
My heart aches for the parents of these children and I, too, worry that my son and his friends are also at risk but mostly because of drivers who disrespect road rules or take their stress out on kids who are not doing drugs or smashing windows but exercising and having fun.
So instead of banning the sport so many children love, why can't we come up with solutions in our city that allow for designated areas where kids can longboard safely? Additionally, why can't we begin safety campaigns to educate our children on the rules of longboarding the way we have in the past with bike riding and wearing seatbelts?
Besides, if we look at this situation realistically and compare how many longboarders there are compared to the number of reported accidents, I think it's obvious there are more kids following the rules than those who aren't.
Tara McIntosh,
Port Moody
