Received from Joel:
Just wanted to let West Seattleites know that a disgruntled neighbor threw garbage, including glass bottles, into the Delridge skatepark this evening. He was upset about the refuse being left behind on a daily basis.
I cleaned up what glass I could, and notified the police, but I’m sure there are small shards left that could hurt someone if they were to fall.
We suggested also calling the Seattle Parks after-hours maintenance number (206-684-7250).
Thanks for looking out for the skateboarders! Skateboarders: the guy who threw the garbage is not in the right… but you want lights at delridge? Best way to be successful in that endeavor is to not make the neighbors lose their cool by leaving the place a mess. Be respectful neighbors and show what a great service the skatepark does for our community!
Lights!…..Right?? The ones who complain about rules, or don’t take care of what they already have, are the ones who changed things for the worse, in the first place.
It was hella inconsiderate of those skaters to make the neighbor lose his cool. We should all support the bottle-throwing neighbor in his time of need.
The kind of person to scatter broken glass where children play is the kind of person you shouldn’t expect to reason with. Much like motorcycles, skateboarders seem to evoke an inexplicably unhinged hateful nature from a lot of people. Whenever I skate there, the park seems to be well kept at any rate.
While I agree that is the best course of action, I know some of the slightly older crowd that goes there (18+) and it’s likely not skaters making the mess but people showing up late at night with other intentions other than to skate.
I walk by this park every day and have seen the amount of trash left behind by skateboarders. I just witnessed a few of them knock a garbage can over and the trash went everywhere. Did they pick it up? Nope. Not only that, but the antagonists amongst the group, while only a few, they do make people feel uncomfortable. This isn’t exclusive for the skateboarders, as there have been many teens lurking the area, just to pick fights/instigate unnecessary confrontations. This neighbor, was not in the right for participating in ridiculous behavior. However, making it known to residents and the PD (who rarely monitors the area as is), that there are concerns from safety within the park and by vehicles on the street, is important. The majority of skatepark attendees should be chastising those who commit crimes and have a reporting tool to get something cleaned up if they need help. I’d say the most important thing we can do is encourage parents of skatepark lovers to educate their kids on how to respect an area and people that live around it. On the other end, our city should be enforcing positive behaviors so that attendees and those that do live in the area, feel comfortable and safe at any time of day.
So the neighbor was upset about messes so he created a bigger mess? Ok…
I go by the skatepark on a daily basis. The boarders are not the problem. The deranged person who did this is the problem.
I have lived by this since it was built and this is the first I have heard of this. We sure its a neighbor? Had a few transients in the area recently. Usually this skate park is clean though recently someone is constantly tagging the crap out the bustop maybe that is your vandal?
Thanks Joel for the cleanup and warning! Fwiw, crows also like to pick up and drop garbage. Yes, some people litter for sure. Wouldn’t be surprised if the crows are also contributing. But it sounds like the biggest trash in the area is the neighbor.I’ve met folks at the skatepark that pick up trash, bring brooms to sweep. They are stewards of the places they use too!
I remember when I used to go to Delridge for soccer (this has been a couple of years). A house right around 26th Ave SW and SW Oregon had someone there would holler from the porch if we parked (legally) near the house. So we just learned to park well away from that house. I don’t know if it’s the same person, but at the time they seemed pretty unreasonable (and a tad scary).
I bring my toddlers to this playground frequently. The trashcans are sometimes overflowing, but for the most part the park is relatively clean and tidy. I also have found that the skaters are super kind and friendly to my young kids. Teenaged skaters have let my2 year olds sit on their boards, touch the wheels, and give them high fives. My experience is that they are mostly a talented, kind group of kids and I am glad they have a safe place to demonstrate and practice their skills. My kids love to watch them, and I look forward to when they are old enough to join in.
So nice of you to say and this me such a happy mom to hear. I have known a few of the kiddos since elementary/junior high and am the parent of one of them. Of course they don’t all clean up after themselves and some try to make up for it. I agree with some of the comments, if you want lights….thank you all for looking out for the teens and kiddos, glass? Seriously? Do we need more cans? Bigger ones? Ones that can’t be dug through?
For clarification purposes. I spoke with the person that was throwing the trash into the skate park. It was very dark, so I could not identify them visually, but other indicators, including my conversation, pointed to them being a disgruntled neighbor.
How is it known that it was a “disgruntled neighbor” who did this? The skaters there have not been a source of problems to anyone else, so it’s not like there would be a motive. But there has been a lot of overflowing garbage cans at lots of West Seattle parks lately. It could simply be teenage vandals, a mentally ill transient, or a skater-hating park patron who isn’t a neighbor using trash as the available material.
I live very close by the skatepark and saw a guy doing this several months ago. He just walked around the perimeter picking up trash and tossing it into the bowl. I walked towards him to ask him to stop what he was doing, but he promptly left. I ended up cleaning up the trash he threw in there. I would bet it was probably the same person. Like most public areas, I often see some people leaving trash behind, but I also see plenty of people picking up after themselves. Almost daily, I see skateboarders show up with brooms and trash grabbers and cleaning the entire skatepark.
Yeah, skaters aren’t going to trash an area that they are skating in – even little pebbles can make you eat $@?” unexpectedly.
A large number of adults need some therapy to learn coping skills. You don’t address problems by having a tantrum. As others have mentioned, the skaters here are largely well behaved and clean up after themselves. In fact, when my sons did the Skate Like a Girl program here, they taught them the importance of caring for the space. I sincerely hope the “mature adult” who threw trash all over gets fined heavily.
Are we sure it’s skaters making the mess and not other people coming in with other intentions? Will there be any security and/more patrolling the area for general safety,especially for the children who come to the skate park?
Sorry, comment time is over.
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