teenager skateboarding down Wisc. Avenue

[Anonymous]

This afternoon, I watched a teenage boy skateboard right down Wisconsin Avenue at around 4 PM, downhill, at fast speed. He was crouched down in a squat, such that he was below eye level for just about any driver. While he was wearing a helmet, I can't imagine this would have made any difference had a car pulled out or come to a sudden stop. This isn't a tattletale "I saw your bad child" post or an anti-teenage-boy post, or an anti-skateboarding post (I also saw a handful of boys on the sidewalks and back streets on boards around the same time, and while some of their jumps and moves might have seemed like bruises were in their near future, none of them scared me the way this one did). It's just a post to say if you've got a teenager/Wilson student (it was close to the school) who skateboards after school, you might want to have an extra talk to talk about risk and safety (I realize it might not make a difference, but it's better than not addressing it). It was pretty terrifying to watch, because I couldn't help but think that kid wasn't going to be around for much longer. I've been thinking about him all evening--trust that he's okay this time and hope he wises up before trying it again.

[Anonymous]

The canyon blind curve skateboarders scare me.

[Anonymous]

darwin awards

[Anonymous]

It could have been a GDS student.

[Anonymous]

Or Burke.

OP hopefully you aren't the same person who posted about the nanny and kids riding bikes at Chevy Chase Circle at rush hour. It seems like there is a weekly dramatic post like this one.

[Anonymous]

Well Burke's on Connecticut. GDS is right there off Wisconsin. It could also have been a Deal student.

In any event, it sounds like a dangerous place to skateboard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This isn't a tattletale "I saw your bad child" post or an anti-teenage-boy post, or an anti-skateboarding post (I also saw a handful of boys on the sidewalks and back streets on boards around the same time, and while some of their jumps and moves might have seemed like bruises were in their near future, none of them scared me the way this one did).

Of course it is.

[Anonymous]

Pretty typical for a teenage boy to take risks that involve speed. Sounds like he has already been given a talking to seeing as he had a helmet on!