Sometimes it is good if it rains...
Where I leave is a perfect hill for skateboarders to come down...somehow though they decide that the best time to do is between 11.30 to 12.30 in the night. While due to many old people living around is pretty much a quite area and I have even experienced a complaint once cause I arrved late and did not immediately turned off my car's engine...however I do not see any reaction to the skates phenomenon...it is the time that everythign is quite and then suddenly you hear at those people coming down...often shouting "Achtung" if they realize that a car is coming up the from the road...is there anywhere where ne can complain about that? Plus I always park my car on the other side of the street from where they are coming down because I could not have all night my mind to whether someone will fall and his skate will hit my car (I saw one guy actually one night whose skateboard hit a car and then he picked it up and simply left..but I had no time to get a picture of him or so..I am sorry if I sound too harsh for those loving skating but those guys should think the time they do their loving sport!
Let me try and give you some answers and because there is never a tone in a text, do not take the below in a bad tone or take it to heart.
The reason a lot of skaters do this at night is to avoid the traffic and to make the sport safer. Let me guess, you live somewhere near rigiblick or the seilbahn rigiblick or the Zoo?
If it is this area you live, it is a known area for the skateboarders of Zurich, it is known by the police that they skate there and as far as im aware pretty much nothing can be done as this has been going on for over 10 years there.
As for the skateboard hitting a car, this is find very hard to believe. First of all if someone did fall off their board, because a board is only a few inches of the ground, the only part of a car it would hit is the wheel realistically.
I have skated for over 9 years, probably 4-5 years in the areas you are talking about, race proffesionally and have never in my life hit a car and never been with someone that has.
I can say all of this from experience as I skate there sometimes and with many people but not always at night. Isnt it better that the kids are there skating having fun than on the streets doing drugs and causing problems?
It's also not a constant noise as I assume they wizz past your house?
So I theory your talking about an occasionally "achtung" shout and a few seconds noise. Is it really that bad to live with?
The other people are probably used to it, or even dont mind as I said before. Its better for them to skate and have fun than the alternatives.
If it was cyclist doing the same, would you also be complaining?
They would also try to be as safe as possible by wearing helmets, saftey pads etc.
This reminds me of the Nike adverts:-
Hi there! No not at all taking something hard...we just discuss afterall
I do not think the people here feel OK with it but as I said they cannot do much...what could they do go out at night waiting for thie scateboarders to come down? Apart from the noise though...which however I am sorry to say but this is for a few minutes ...but multiply this by 3-5 times that they come down...there is another very important aspect. Driving limit is 30 and in the evening I drive with 10 and always without any music on and the window open so that I can hear if they are coming down. the street to my flat has many turs and there have been two situations where it was just luck that I did not hit someone. The same happenned to two other people in the area. So why should I adjust my life to this hobby? There are other places where this sport can take place...places exactly for that ..not on the street which is for cars and pedestians. So if someone is hit who will then be responsible? And I am sorry to say that most of these 18 something people (who I am not saying that they are not nice or anything!) are not taking the necessary safety attention for themselvees.
I understand your points and would like to add this:-
There is no where that this can be done. Do not confuse it for normal skating where you can go to a skatepark, this is not possible. For this sport you need a hill.
If its the same as what I am talking about, the speeds we hit are around 20-50kph, so im not sure how the noise can last for mins as they would fly past your place?
Who is talkin about you adjusting you life?
Also what if these were people on a bike? Would it be the same? Do you also understand that we can also brake?
Can you confirm, do you live somewhere around the zoo or rigiblick area?
Hi again. Yes I live in that area. If the problem was people with bikes I would write about them. I never had a problem with bikes though..Perhaps I am unfortunate living next to the road. And the noise would not be a problem if it was not that late...I am sorry that I work early and sleep hence early! But even if we forget the noise I am sorry to tell you that the last time the person on the skate jumped off his scate and my car and I braked just in front of him. It was a matter of seconds that nothing happenned. I do agree that many of those persons may be experienced and more carefull on how they take the turns but some aren't I am afraid. And apart from that clearly hopefully I can avoid getting into an accident, I have to admit that I was in shock because I was just seconds before hitting someone.
I cant understand where your coming from, obviously we "the skaters" are just trying to have fun and as strange as it may seem, this area is the best and one of the safest areas to do it.
Altough I am not skating there at the time you mention, perhaps some of my skate team are. I normally skate there on a Sunday afternoon when the traffic is at its smallest.
The main thing to remember is that they are just trying to have fun and enjoy their sports. We do not make noise on purpose and generally are focused on skating not talking or making noise. Most the time we actually clap our hands loudly as "achtung" can be lost in the wind.
As far as im aware, ive been skating there for many many years, I have never heard of anyone being hit by car or similar. I hope it stays like that.
Most if not all these guys are really nice, down to earth people. I hope that the noise doesnt disturb you too much and that you can find a way to tolerate and accept it.
Ohhh, that is very nice of you to ask sorry also for colleagues...clearly I am very tolerant otherwise 6 yrs that I live here I would have gone to the other end (extreme though) and called the police...but as I said I can tolerate the noise even though I have to admit I am disturbed by it but I just then think if I have children in a few yrs and want them to play outside they will make a more significant noise and I will hate it if someone complaints about that! My concern is higher on the safety issue and as you said it will remain as so and noone is hit..