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Mayor Nutter, David Oh Put On Best Crabby 1980s Faces For Dumb Anti-Skateboarding Legislation

Haven’t we seen this movie before? Today finds Mayor Michael A. Nutter and City Councilman David Oh puffing their chests and advancing legislation that seems like it’s about vandalism until you realize, oh, duh, it’s about skateboarding. Introducing strong penalties, the pair just announced their intentions for “those who vandalize or damage public art and memorials, including those that honor military, police, firefighters and other national defense or public safety subjects.” How stiff are those penalties? Pretty damned stiff:

The bill prohibits skateboarding, rollerblading and bicycling on monuments and public art and would make this new offense punishable with a maximum fine of $2,000, up to 90 days in jail for adults and confiscation of the skateboard, rollerblades or bike. The ordinance also eliminates the lower penalty level for ethnic intimidation and institutional vandalism, making all violations subject to a maximum $2,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

In fairness, yes, it’s true that no one should be scraping the shit out of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial with their skateboard, but this all feels so very “get off my lawn” that we’re surprised Nutter is even putting on his hard-guy face about this. Plus, we can see this law resulting in a lot of people getting fines and worse when in reality, they were just passing by. Nutter and Oh, given what skateboarding has given this city and how dumb City Hall has acted about it in the past, this is not a good look. There’s gotta be a better way.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2012 at 11:21 am.

  • EmmKay

    I agree that you shouldn’t be skateboarding on monuments, but also really don’t get why the city takes such a hard stance on skateboarding. Especially since it does little about ATVs because they’re “too hard to catch.” 

  • Joel Mason-Gaines

    So if you skate on or near the Art Museum you get a fine, but these guys can go up and down the steps on their atvs and no one cares? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP6CblkY_L0

  • http://twitter.com/realsteveeboy steveeboy

    ironic coming from David Oh the fake green beret!

  • thegreengrass

    The city already took skateboarding away from Love Park, aka, “that awesome place in Philly to skateboard”. They gave up FREE PUBLICITY that made kids think Philly was awesome. They are obviously idiots on this. What’s the dollar cost on economic activity from skate video shoots lost now that you can’t skate in the park?

  • Jim

    low hanging fruit to show some sort of interest in neighborhood level “nuisance”.

    skateboard culture brought a lot to the city and the city stabbed it in the back.

    multi million industry killed by Nutter.

  • adrian

    nollies 4 life.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rob.reed.14 Rob Reed

    No more wallies on the paint torch poop drop.

  • Zom

    seriously, did I just wake up in the 50′s?  While we’re at it, let’s ban poodle skirts and Elvis Presley music. 

  • anonymous

    mayor nutter is an idiot

  • Vinny

    Skating is probably the only reason people still come to the city no one cares about seeing all those historical sites and the only reason people say they cause trouble is because people or cops around cause it when really they should be out fighting real crime instead of worrying about us all the time for no reason what so ever

  • Sk8fdr

    i just quit skating right now and am going to homedepot to buy some paint. Need a new hobby graffiti should do its less punished. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Darkes/60710321 Andrew Darkes

    This has nothing to do with skateboarding.  The city just wants more money.

  • http://www.facebook.com/teckert09 Tyler Eckert

    Coming from an artist and skater myself, I find this completely bullshit. They always talk about skateboarding debeautifying the city, yet why are there homeless people sleeping on the benches in Love, and City Hall and everywhere else? How is that not making the city an ugly place? I not only skate the city, but i also go to school there and I have to admit, nothing makes me more disgusted than having some haggard old shit-scented homeless person asking for money or cigarettes or anything. I get that they’re people too but if you ask anybody what they’d rather see, a skateboarder or a homeless person, I’m positive at least 9 times out of 10 they would say skateboarder. 

  • truth

    fuck you nutter!!!
    lamest piece of shit move ever…
    first off, the STEEL from BIKERS PEGS does WAY more  damage to any thing than a wooden skateboard.
    second , isnt this the city with the HIGHEST MURDER RATE?
    glad u have ur priority’s in check nutter….
    third, who is gonna write these tickets? haven’t there been massive cutts for police officers?
    four, when is nutter gonna pave these damn streets? its like i have been driving around the same potholes and huge empty pitfalls littering the streets for over ten years!
    which is another thing the mayor should be focused on  alot more than skateboarding kids….INFRASTRUCTURE ….the city’s just falling apart and
    he’s  worried about some benches????
     I think mayor nutter has been smokin’ them bath salts!

  • Brad4580

    Blah blah blah u black ass kermit the frog muh fukka! U can’t stop real crime so u gotta pick on the lil guy!!!! Typical politician! Y don’t u man the hell up n get all them guns off the streets! Focus on real crime n stop wasting our tax dollars on this dumb shot!

  • Steve

    he’s right only reason me and a bunch of friends come to philly is to skate. nothing else. we don’t give a shit about your shitty art or monuments. like a closepin statue…forreal.

  • Kciambella

    Go worry about the murders, drug dealers, rapists, etc. They city will find anyway they can to get more money from the people. Absolutly ridiculous.

  • Gnarturd

    Dumbasses coulda had a million $’s from DC! SUCK MY BALLS NUTTER!!!!!

  • Gnardoggie

    nutter eats chodes!

  • Factotum

    i remember nutter high-fived me as i rode past him and a group of people whenhe was running a few years back..iws like “fuck yea”..what a fucking sellout, dc still offers like $1million a year in upkeep from us skating, mayor street said no, and nutter said no…..wtf like an ice rink in city hall is really going to help …whatever, they cant arrest us all, i used to run track…..

  • 1980CHAMPS

    Haha!  You uncultured & illiterate rubes! Millions of people every year come to the real cultural events in the city.  No place in America has the glut of historical & museum attractions.  Enjoy your little kids games in your exurb.

  • 1980CHAMPS

    Do you even think before you write?  What do you think the LOVE monument and park is?

  • philebrity

    Way to erode sympathy for your cause, skateboarders. Jesus.

  • Dohnjevine

    shucks, guess I’ll pick up a drug habit now since I can’t skateboard anywhere that’s fun anymore… Bath salts sound fun

  • Jon

    You really think people come for the “real culture,” skateboarding is a big culture in Philly. It gives kids something to do instead of wasting their lives on doing drugs and a lot of other bad things.

  • Joann Uva

    Philadelphia is known  for skateboarding, a lot of pro skaters started here or live here, Michelle Obama says get off the couch and get out and do something, these kids are moving,  Mayor Nutter and David Oh should make  more skateboard parks  in and out of the city for kids to skate, and make one a replica of love park, people come from all over the world to skate this area. think of the hotel and money the city would make for this kind of park, Skateboarding is not a crime, it keeps kids busy off the streets and free of drug, SUPPORT SKATEBOARDING IN PHILADELPHIA AND AROUND THE REGION. I bet if Mayor Nutter and David OH had a kid that skateboarded this would not be an issue.

  • Joann Uva

    This is  true, I saw a cop on a bike in your video, he didnt do anthing. you would think with all the city problems.  Skateboarders are not killing anyone or selling drugs. If they want to help they need to build more places for kids to skate and do their thing. 

  • Joann Uva

    @ EmmKay, I saw cop chance skateboarders out of love park one Sunday and the skateboarders skated faster than the cops on bikes. I think the city should teach the cops to skateboard they might catch someone.lol

  • Joann Uva

    Well said, I agree with you, I’m a mom of a skateboarder, and I too thought the same as most people about skateboarding until I got to know them. They should have an event for all the local skaters, to show their skill and alot of kids have skill, at least they arent killing people and doiing drugs.  I don’t think Mayor Nutter knows most skateboarders, have other jobs, some are Nurses, Business people and lawyers. And yes Skateboarders and their parents pay taxes, 

  • yep

    i hope michael nutter knows that kids are gonna do what they love no matter what its a passion not a nuisance i just hate how older people cant see that besides it helps kids stay out of drugs but i guess the homeless herion addicts need somewhere to sleep and we cant be messing around with there benches

  • CHUNKYPOO

    dude trucks on your board are made out of steel and do just as much damage as pegs. 

  • IAINTNOMC

     MOST PEOPLE RUN PLASTIC PEGS….. GET WITH THE TIMES.

  • TRUTH!

    ok chunky poo, why don’t u try and remove ur head out of ur ass !!!!
    first off…. skateboard trucks are NOT made from steel!
    they are made from two soft metal alloys called….magnesium ,
    and aluminum …. you are WRONG. now go back to ur hole!
    and please stop spreading misinformation u fucking moron!

  • TRUTH!

    BULLSHIT!!!!!
    if  most bikers used plastic pegs then the ledges would NOT be getting  ruined all over the place….

  • Guest

    Shut the fuck up you skateboard elitist. Not all skateboard trucks are made out of magnesium, just as not all bike pegs are steel. Some trucks are made out of aluminum alloy, and some bike pegs are made out of aluminum as well. You know the skateboard aspect but are ignorant as shit towards the bikers. And yeah, chunkypoo is right, a lot of bmxers I see have been running plastic pegs. Maybe learn the other side of the story. 

  • Thenewphilly

    Since my previous comment was “removed” by “somebody” I am posting back up. We could be losers and pontificate all day with emotion fueled rhetoric, or we can study, understand and act to make a change for the better. 1. No city that lets its art or war memorials to be damaged or used for purposes other than intended is going to have global respect.  2. Why don’t the skateboarders take their passion, energy, and desire and form a group that seeks to build a skateboard park of its own … you could solicite donations from potential sponsors etc.  3. David Oh acted honestly, and admirably about his military service, you can read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Oh .

    Working from a goal of a globally competitive city, arming yourself with facts, and proposing constructive solutions might be a better approach than ranting.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ThatBuhlLooks Nicholas Remington Koletas

    clearly you know nothing about the culture of skateboarding.