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1. Jess
   Member Profile

   This is my first ever post and I'm usually not someone to complain on the blog, but I am still fuming about this. Yesterday around 6:30 pm, I was walking my baby on a nice evening stroll when I got to the area on Gennesee and California near the skate church. There was a group of about 10 teens- almost all of them smoking- hanging out taking up the sidewalk. I politely started to walk around them on the parking strip so that my baby didn't breathe the cigarette smoke, but they didn't move out of the way. When I said excuse me, they just stared at me as if I were in their way. I said excuse me again, and one of them laughed. I had to go out around a parked car, onto the street in busy Friday afternoon traffic with my baby in a stroller to walk around them. when they saw me go around they all started laughing and I heard one of them call be an expletive, for saying excuse me?!? If my husband were with me it would have been ugly. I just had to get this off my chest because you would think people would be polite to someone walking their baby, but I guess there will always be jerks out there.
   By the way, I teach high school and usually have no problem with teenagers, I think most of them are great, but these kids made me sad and embarrassed for our community.

   Posted 10 months ago #         

2. RarelyEver
   Member Profile

   

   We live on Beach Drive SW and teenagers parking their cars, playing extremely loud music and crowding the sidewalk is a problem anytime the sun comes out.

   It really pissed me off when I watched an elderly couple, multiple joggers and two moms with strollers having to get into the street to pass because the teenagers apparently weren't interested in even moving half a foot.

   Is there some sort of law or ordinance that could put a stop to this rude behavior? I'm no old get-off-my-lawn lady, but this completely misplaced sense of entitlement I see makes my blood boil. What is wrong with these kids???

   Posted 10 months ago #         

3. nighthawk
   Member Profile

   I believe that the only thing it could fall under is loitering. Unfortunately that would be pretty low priority but one could always call the non-emergency number.

   The loud music may be a noise violation.

   Posted 10 months ago #         

4. JanS
   Member Profile

   

   Skatechurch? I would take my complaints to the "elders" of said church...and then take my complaint to the elders of the church at Genessee and Calif. where the Skatechurch is holding it's meeting with permission. Being someone who is alternative, who skateboards, yet wants to be in a "religious" organization because you have a purported belief in God does not absolve you of doing the right thing. Time they started teaching these children courtesy as part of their relationship with God and with people.

   Ohhh...now I do sound like the get off my lawn lady - lol..and I don't have a lawn. :)

   Posted 10 months ago #         

5. Ken
   Member Profile

   

   Call the cops. Use 911. Or you could take pictures and post them here :) Even unruly teens have parents.

   SMC 12A.12.015

   Pedestrian interference.

   A. The following definitions apply in this section:

   1. "Aggressively beg" means to beg with the intent to intimidate another person into giving money or goods.

   2. "Intimidate" means to engage in conduct which would make a reasonable person fearful or feel compelled.

   3. "Beg" means to ask for money or goods as a charity, whether by words, bodily gestures, signs, or other means.

   4. "Obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic" means to walk, stand, sit, lie, or place an object in such a manner as to block passage by another person or a vehicle, or to require another person or a driver of a vehicle to take evasive action to avoid physical contact. Acts authorized as an exercise of one's constitutional right to picket or to legally protest, and acts authorized by a permit issued pursuant to the Street Use Ordinance, Chapters 15.02 through 15.50 of the Seattle Municipal Code, shall not constitute obstruction of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

   5. "Public place" means an area generally visible to public view and includes alleys, bridges, buildings, driveways, parking lots, parks, plazas, sidewalks and streets open to the general public, including those that serve food or drink or provide entertainment, and the doorways and entrances to buildings or dwellings and the grounds enclosing them.

   B. A person is guilty of pedestrian interference if, in a public place, he or she intentionally:

   1. Obstructs pedestrian or vehicular traffic; or

   2. Aggressively begs.

   C. Pedestrian interference is a misdemeanor.

   (Ord. 117104 Section 1, 1994: Ord. 116897 Section 1, 1993: Ord. 113697 Section 1, 1987.)

   Cases: Subsection B 1 was upheld as constitutional in a challenge based on breadth and vagueness and does not deny equal protection of the laws. Seattle v. Webster, 115 Wn.2d 635, 802 P.2d 1333 (1990).

   http://clerk.seattle.gov/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?d=CHAP&s1=12A.12.h2.&Sect6=HITOFF&l=20&p=1&u=/~public/chap1.htm&r=1&f=G

   Posted 10 months ago #         

6. Ken
   Member Profile

   

   Also note "a branch of the evangelical Foursquare Church"
   Theo-fascist of the worst kind. Though I am sure these kids don't know anything about the history of this dangerous cult. If they are ever lifted out of ignorance they will survive this and if the Skate church keeps them alive and out of jail until that happen then it is a good thing in the long run.

   Posted 10 months ago #         

7. Irukandji
   Member Profile

   

   Ken FTW!

   Posted 10 months ago #         

8. Kevin
   Member Profile

   And let's not forget the 25 foot rule. Illegal to smoke within 25 feet of a doorway, if the smoker is not walking down the street. Unfortunately, another law that seems to be rarely enforced.

   Posted 10 months ago #         

9. Cait
   Member Profile

   

   There have been quite a few issues that I have heard of related to behavior of kids around the SkateChurch and I have experienced it a few times myself. Talk to the SkateChurch folks for sure.

   Posted 10 months ago #         

10. Jess
    Member Profile

    Thank you so much everyone for all of the advice, I will contact the skate church, even though I'm not sure that these kids were a part of it, but it does give the place a bad reputation for having that kind of loitering going on. Ken- Thanks for the legal advice, I wish I would have known all of that before so I could have called the police. At least I know what to do next time!

    Posted 10 months ago #         

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