It seems like more and more within the skateboarder realm, people are innovating. Ā Creating new ways to shred old spots, skating faster than before, and going harder than their friends in a never ending contest of one-up-man-ship. Ā Unfortunately with all of the new ways to shred and spread stoke, people are ALSO coming up with more ways to be terrible to one another. Ā So here's a quick, non-encompassing, stream-of-consciousness, guide from someone who has no place to be giving such a lesson, on how to not be a terrible person.
If you're being aggressive and calling people out on the internet and shaming them for any reason, you're terrible. Ā First of all, it's the internet. Ā More than likely, you don't know them, and they don't know you, so you get no lasting benefit when you walk away from the keyboard. Ā Now I'm not opposed to rational discourse and discussion as that is what leads to new ideas, and is life-blood of innovation. Ā But conversation and discourse the first time anyone adds "tard" to the end of a word to use it as an insult. Ā Please feel free to explain why someone else's ideas are bad or wrong, God forbid someone is wrong on the internet. Ā But if you ever find yourself devolving to name calling and shot-in-the-dark insults, you're losing, and you're just terrible.
If you are a menace or acidic to the community, you're terrible. Ā No-one wants to have to argue with police or deal with them at all for the most part. Ā But there are some who take it to the next level, and can ruin perfectly good local relationships and in turn skate-spots, by being aggressive and a menace. Ā I understand that not everyone wants to roll over to the police and give up, but keep in mind that unless we're talking about your driveway, you represent every other skateboarder who uses that spot. Ā On a whole we are not a dangerous community, but our reputations stem from the most extreme examples, and if you bring that extreme to the table, so will the local law enforcement, not just on you, but on all the local groms as well. Ā Keep your cool, be good to one another and to local residents and enforcement, and you will be less terrible.
If you intentionally make someone feel unwelcome at a skate spot for any childish reason, you're terrible. Ā Now if the person in question is a known menace or acidic to the community, I understand the urge to shun them. Ā But consider another track. Ā Explain to them (with backup if they are extra menacing) why what they are doing sucks and why you don't want them to keep it up. Ā Realistically you've got like a 50% chance of it working and a 50% chance of them continuing to be terrible and ignore you, but at least you tried, and for that, you aren't terrible!
There are many many many more ways to not be terrible, but my stream-of-consciousness is running dry at the moment. Ā So go forth and in the indelible words of Abraham Lincoln, "Be excellent to one another."
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