Skateboarding is fun, and skateboarders surely are having fun while they skate. However, even though skateboarders have fun while skateboarding, they face discrimination and hate from people they encounter. Yep. Many people hate skateboarders. However, what is the reason why skateboarders are hated? Let me tell you why!
Why are skateboarders hated? Some people hate skateboarders because they dislike those who skate in general. However, other people might hate skateboarders because they fear for their property to get broken by skateboarders. Skateboarders have a bad reputation because they tend to vandalize and break properties. That is why some people hated them.
However, there are other reasons why skateboarders are hated, and we are here to know all of it! Also, I will list down the different kinds of people that hate skateboarders. Lastly, I will answer other questions related to our topic. If you are ready to know more about why skateboarders are hated, let us move on!
5 Reasons Why Skateboarders Are Hated
Below are the five reasons why skateboarders are hated by some people. Let us check them out all!
Skateboarders Cause Accidents To Pedestrians And Car Drivers
The first reason why skateboarders are hated is that they cause accidents to pedestrians and car drivers.
Skateboarders usually skate on the road and sidewalk. Why? Maybe because there are no skateparks near them or it is closed. Because some skateboarders don’t skate in the right place, some of them tend to hit people or vehicles.
People who walk on the sidewalk with children hate skateboarders because they are afraid for their children to get hit by skateboarders. Of course, who likes to see their children getting hurt. Right? No one!
Car or motorcycle repair is expensive. Also, paying bills to the hospital is expensive. It is the reason why vehicle owners hate skateboarders that skate on the road. Vehicle owners must not hit them, and they don’t like that because it gives them additional responsibility on the road.
When vehicle owners hit a skateboarder, the skateboarder might get injured and should be brought to the hospital, and the one paying the medical bills is the vehicle owner, of course. Vehicle owners don’t like paying bills! Aside from injuring the skateboarder, vehicle owners also don’t like their vehicles to get some dents. It is expensive to repaint a car!
Skateboarders Make Irritating Noises
The second reason why skateboarders are hated is that they make irritating noises.
The noise of a skateboard, while it is moving, can be irritating, especially for those who don’t skate. Skateboarders who skate at eight in the morning irritate people who are still asleep during that time. It wakes them up!
Aside from the people sleeping during that time, those people who do something essential that requires silence become irritable too once they hear the sound of a rolling skateboard.
Yes, the sound of skateboards is irritable. In fact, before, I was also one of the people that got irritated when I heard the rolling sounds of a skateboard. But when I started to watch skateboarders here in our skateparks, I got used to it. The sound of skateboards is irritating for people that are not used to the sound of it.
Skateboarders Damage Properties
The other reason why skateboarders are hated is that they damage properties.
Yes, I have talked about this on vehicles. However, there are other things skateboarders used to destroy. Some skateboarders vandalize walls and buildings. Because of this, the stereotype about skateboarders was invented and people started to hate all of the skateboard community.
Aside from vandalizing things, some skateboarders also destroy other things that are placed in public places, for example, bench chairs. Skateboarders used to do tricks on bench chairs, and some of them tend to break them after many attempts.
Skateboarders who don’t skate in the right place are the ones who often break public properties. If you are a skateboarder, I advise that you skate in the right place to prevent arguments from authorities and monetary fines.
Skateboarders Are Labeled Vandalizers
The other reason why skateboarders are hated is that they are labeled as vandalizers. Yes! Before, skateboarders used to vandalize things. But now, only a few of them do this. However, even though the number of vandalizers from the skateboard community has reduced, most people still think that all skateboarders are vandalizers.
Skateboarders Have Bad History
The last reason why skateboarders are hated is that they have a bad reputation in history.
Like I have said, most skateboarders before are vandalizers and reckless. Yes, somehow, it is true based on what I have researched. But in today’s world, the population of bad skateboarders is already less. However, some people still mark all skateboarders as reckless and vandalizers. They judge the community itself rather than looking at the personality of each member inside the community.
We can’t blame these people actually because this is how they get used to it. Let us just make the name of the skateboard community fragrant by doing good things and not disobey the laws. Let us respect people who walk on the sidewalk and just carry our skateboards.
Who Hates Skateboarders?
The people who usually hate skateboarders are the:
- Old people
- Cops
- People with kids
- Vehicle owners
- Longboarders
- Scooter users
- Property owners
Old people hate skateboarders because old people tend to walk on the sidewalks. Yes, they walk slowly like a baby. That is why they get angry when skateboarders skate on the sidewalks. They fear getting hit by skateboarders.
Cops hate skateboarders too. Not all cops but some of them. They hate only the skateboarders that break the law, like vandalizing or damaging the properties of others.
People with kids also hate skateboarders. Like I have said above, individuals with kids hate skateboarders because they fear their child getting hit by skateboarders skateboarding on the sidewalks.
Vehicle owners hate skateboarders because they don’t like paying expensive hospital bills if they hit a skateboarder, and car repair’s price scares them.
Longboarders and scooter users hate skateboarders too because for so many reasons. One similar reason they have is that skateboarders are bullying them and do not allow them to enter the skatepark. I have made an article about why skateboarders hate longboarders here!
Are Skateboarders Really Bad?
No. Not all skateboarders are actually rude and impolite. But yes, some skateboarders are impolite and disrespectful towards strangers.
I have many friends who are into skateboarding, but none of them shows an impolite and disrespectful attitude towards others. However, I also know some skateboarders, whom I don’t know personally, who vandalize the streets, trains, and other properties.
In my opinion, we should not judge the book by its cover. Because they are skateboarders, it does not mean they cannot be good human beings. We should not judge the group by itself! We should look at the personalities of each skateboarder!
Yes, some of them are impolite, but that doesn’t mean everyone will be labeled as bad because one of them has done bad. Let us stop this stereotype. And for skateboarders out there, please don’t do things that will degrade and put a bad reputation on the community.
Final Verdict
Skateboarders are hated because some of them did bad things. Also, skateboarders are being hated because the past skateboarders made the reputation of the skateboard community bad, which was instilled in the minds of individuals.