Dear Editor:
Regarding the longboarding debate: The "safe" course of action - enforcing the law - is not practical, possible or desirable. Even the voice of the sustainability movement that encourages "active transportation" (admittedly, usually on foot or by bike) flies in the face of the safest possible option of bubble-wrapping our kids.
So even the so-called middle road of finding a site for regular longboarding doesn't meaningfully contribute to solutions, as longboards are an efficient means of youth mobility, not unlike bicycles.
Perhaps we need to look at the issue differently. Is the problem the longboards, or is it how we expect and demand to use our public road surfaces overall? Perhaps we should take a critical look at how cars and other vehicles are permitted to use them. How many potential cyclists will not get on their bikes for fear of cars? What if there were fewer cars that travelled more slowly? Would more people ride a bike or a board? Would there be fewer incidents and accidents of all types? Would our community be both healthier and safer?
Tom Walker North Vancouver
