San Diego skate park feels the city’s budget pinch
Skateboarders wait their turn at Robb Field Skate Park in San Diego’s Ocean Beach. The park is now unsupervised because of city budget cuts. Many of the skaters are no longer wearing helmets, and there are suspicions of gang activity. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)
At Robb Field Skate Park, signs list seven rules of behavior -- rules the skateboarders are breaking without remorse. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)
Now that San Diego’s Robb Field Skate Park is unsupervised because of budget cuts, skateboarders are bringing dogs to the facility. They probably dont realize it, but the skateboarders fit firmly within the local political zeitgeist, which holds that government services should be free or low-cost, even at the risk of public safety. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)
A sign listing the mostly unheeded rules at Robb Field Skate Park. I know these rules are for our own good, but rules are just against the whole spirit of skateboarding, one skateboarder said. Plus, the whole idea of paying to skateboard is wrong. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)
A young stakeboarder wearing a helmet and kneepads rides at Robb Field Skate Park. Helmets are bummers, said an older helmet-less rider, an employee of a metal-fabricating business. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)
Winter shadows follow a skateboarder at Robb Field Skate Park. The idea of the city finding money to restore the Park and Recreation staff is met with mostly with groans in the traditionally tax-averse city. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)
