Comments about the Safe by Design guide

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Permalink Reply by R(O)(O)(O)(O)ger on January 31, 2009 at 6:27am

This Safe by Design guide they have put together was very well thought out and written up, it should be an eye opener for organizers of running and cycle events to consider adding a Skate portion to their events that would be safe adding excitement and revenue for them. Our local skate group, SoCal Skaters, will use this guide for existing as well as any other event organizers we are able to approach for consideration of adding a Skate Event to existing venues. Great job SDSE. Thanks, for taking the time, effort to put this together for others to see & use in the future trying to promote skating. R(O)(O)(O)(O)ger

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Permalink Reply by Mr. T on February 2, 2009 at 2:00am

In principle it is all good and I doubt that anybody would disagree with the Safe by Design guide. However, we are missing one little detail, but an important one, unfortunately. I have a feeling that in many races we are just tolerated for the marginal extra income we bring in (see the Silver Strand Half Marathon for an example close to home. While the race is a beautiful event, I have to say that I never saw a more ill-conceived finish line, a few sections were fairly dangerous, and there were more than a few of us who took the wrong turn and were headed for destination unknown until almost 1/4th of a mile later a police officer told us that we were going the wrong way).
So, in my opinion, if we are talking about skaters only marathons, then we are ok and I would say that most suggestions have already been accepted and implemented.
However, if we are talking about mixed events (with cycling and running) the first, second and third points should be "how to make ourselves more acceptable to the organizers" for I have the strong feeling that if they thought we are important, they would be more than capable to accomodate us. After all, let's be honest here, those points in the list are more or less common sense and I do not think that organizers lack in that department.
Unfortunately, being more acceptable to organizers means "bring in more money" and for that we need numbers which often we do not have. Why aren't there a Los Angeles marathon or a Long Beach marathon anymore after all? I heard from local skaters (I only moved to CA recently) that the organizers had had enough with skaters and their requests and considering that they were not bringing in much money compared to cyclists and/or runners, they erased us from the "menu".

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