$250 citation for playing footbag

bluntobj3ct · Post by **bluntobj3ct** » 05 Oct 2006 14:38

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 05 Oct 2006 14:43

wow. thats stupid. that city must be bored and needs some money.

this is worse than the time my dad got a ticket for riding an electric skateboard around the local high school.

its pathetic when people have to be charged for doing something that doesnt hurt anything. i guess i would understand if the ticket were for loitering. but its not. silly po po.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 05 Oct 2006 14:45

Hmmm the kids name is Stephen Barnes... isn't that a modified user... or is this just a weird coincidence?

Outsider · Post by **Outsider** » 05 Oct 2006 15:04

Stephen Barnes wasn't the one ticketed for kicking. Stephen was simply quoted in the article as another kid playing in another location. But yeah, thats gotta be the same SB. He's from Denver, just a half-hour from Boulder.

But yeah, thats Boulder for ya. Boulder has a reputation as being fun and laid back. The way I see it, the powers-that-be in Boulder are doing everything they can to change that reputation.

I was often rousted from the Pearl Street Mall starting around the late 90's. Prior to that we used to play there untroubled. Many epic sessions were had on that pedestrian mall. The tragedy is that the Pearl Street Mall, particularly the area in front of the courthouse, is like a public park. Lots of people strolling around. Nice grassy lawn, nice red brick paving, good scenery, good vibes --- stupid rules. There are even various buskers out on Pearl in the warmer parts of the year juggling all kinds of objects (those guys usually have to have permits, so they're on firm legal footing when they release projectiles). Numerous stores on the mall sell footbags, frisbees, and juggling gear, but you can't use them on the mall any more without a performer's permit. Boulder is simply up-tight. It used to be cool, but not so much any more. I think its because all these intelligent counter-culture types settled down in this laid back college town years ago and bought homes. A couple of decades later, those old hippies gradually found that their property values had gone through the roof. Suddenly all those old hippies were rich because of where they lived, and so they all changed from care-free liberals to greedy conservative tight-wads and made a concerted effort to stamp out any evidence of free-living freaky lifestyles that brought them all to Boulder in the first place in an effort to protect their high property values. Money corrupts. C'est la vie. So long Boulder, we'll miss ya.

save.cullen · Post by **save.cullen** » 05 Oct 2006 15:05

Stephen Barnes, 16, has been hacking along Denver's 16th Street Mall for years and said he's never been in trouble for it.

bwaha! gg sb.

BenRea · Post by **BenRea** » 05 Oct 2006 17:20

thats just the city saying "look at me! I'm stupid!"

thats really blows...

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 05 Oct 2006 21:07

yea, that reporter called me when I got home from school yesterday. and no I did not say hacking.

this is weird because I know for a fact that Pearl St. is torn up on the regular, with no problems. I know none of my boys have been hassled for it. I can't say I know this Kallen Ford kid - he may have just been being an idiot and booting it around for all I know.

whatever, me and Jose will probably go tear up PearlSt this weekend. see what's up.

peace, thanks for the concern
s

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 06 Oct 2006 08:45

I'm just glad you weren't connected with all this, and was just there to make a commentary. It sucks for this Kallen Ford kid, and the reporter for writing in 'hacking.'

Shred it up at Pearl St. and represent!

BenRea · Post by **BenRea** » 06 Oct 2006 19:52

wierd...after i read this last night....i had a dream about it happening to me, then i couldnt figure out for a while if it really happened...

Iron Clad Ben · Post by **Iron Clad Ben** » 10 Oct 2006 11:11

Update: This is on the front page of footbag.org right now.

Here's a link to the story with a TV news clip that Steve G must have found:
http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_ ... 35449.html

That Kallen kid has potential. He hit Toe > ATW-inside-kick

footbag.org wrote:Read the coverage by clicking the link above and then call or write the Boulder Police Department and let them know that you won't stand for this type of injustice. Footbag in all its forms is a safe, athletic discipline, and deserves the same respect as juggling on Pearl Street and around the world.

Boulder, CO Police non-emergency line: (303)441-3333.

Address:
1805 33rd Street
Boulder, CO 80301
303-441-3300

http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.ph ... Itemid=126

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 10 Oct 2006 18:15

If you do not want this to happen to you, or you don't think it should happen to other people then instead of laughing about it, do something about it! If you do nothing and then get fined for the same thing you can only blame yourself.

There is a topic at .org/forum where people are discussing ways of doing something about it:

http://www.footbag.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4007

Or if you have to stay here this is what you should do:

1. Go along to the hearing.

2. Write a letter or phone the boulder police.

3. Write a letter, phone or have a meeting with any local politicians in the area.

4. Write a letter to a newspaper (closer to the area the better).

5. Call talk back radio.

6. Email one of the above people.

---

When you write letters and make an effort, although it doesn't seem like much, it has an enourmas impact. One hand written letter is viewed as containing the same views of 100 people. So if 200 people from this forum made the effort to do something that would be viewed by the politicians as 20,000 people significantly caring - as opposed to presumably 0 people who support what happened enough to write a letter about it. When a politician is faced with choosing to support 20,000 people or 0 people they always go the same way.

edit: a very insignificant thing but you can also vote in this poll:
http://cbs4denver.com/local/polls_poll_279105754

Currently 76% of people think it was wrong to give Kallen a fine. It would be fantastic to see that rise to over 90%

HighDemonslayer · Post by **HighDemonslayer** » 10 Oct 2006 20:40

Fuck Officer Stephens!

You should pelt him with some real projectiles, and then run away.

-n

FootbagGuru · Post by **FootbagGuru** » 11 Oct 2006 18:06

fuuuuuuck that shit.

RawSko · Post by **RawSko** » 11 Oct 2006 18:23

I'm writing a letter to help a brotha' out, but I think that we're only seeing one side of the story. The cop said that he had a bad attitude. Just from the look of that kid, he seems like he could have been SUPER mouthy to that cop. I realize that you can't fine somebody for being a jerk, but it certainly will provoke the cop to dig deep and find something that he can fine you for. I don't know either the kid or the cop, so I obivously can't say anything for certain, but I'm just saying that there is the possiblity that the kid was just being a stupid punk and mouthing off like crazy, which earned him a fine. If so, that's his bad and it sucks that the police wound up pinning shit on the "launching of projectiles" but maybe this kid just needed a wake up call.

On the other hand, maybe the cop is just a big asshole and used to get beat up in elementary school by a kid that resembled our hacky sacking friend. Maybe the kid wasn't doing anything wrong and it was all the cop's fault for being bored, stupied and pathetic... maybe.

I'm just sayin,
we don't know...

Keep it real

QuantumBalance · Post by **QuantumBalance** » 12 Oct 2006 23:57

Props for the multi perspectives Rawsko!! Noooice!

Anz · Post by **Anz** » 13 Oct 2006 10:33

I wonder if in any other country you would get a ticket from footbagging and your bag would be taken for you as an evidence in a crime?

CRAZY!

blitz · Post by **blitz** » 13 Oct 2006 18:05

Having lived in Boulder for two years and practiced for hundreds of hours on Pearl Street mall, I must say it is common knowledge that using projectiles of any kind on Pearl Street Mall without a permit is a ticketable offense. I was told several times to stop playing hacky sack, but was always let off with a warning, of course never by the same police officer. One time actually someone I was with started arguing the law's validity with the cop who had just asked us to either stop or play elsewhere, and the cop was millimeters away from writing us tickets because it became apparent that we already knew about the law and chose to play there anyway.

The notable benefits of the 'projectiles' law are: 1) so permit-holding street performers are not squeezed out by non-permit holding performers, 2) to deter hippies from hanging around the Mall to play hacky sack and beg for money, 3) to protect passers-by from being kicked by said out of control hippies. The law applies to all projectiles (balls, clubs, frisbees, etc).

When we practiced there, 9 out of 10 times police would just walk by without a second glance, because we were not performing for the public (without a permit) and we were off to the side, away from endangering any passers-by. If you get a ticket for playing footbag on the Pearl Street Mall, then you probably mouthed off to the police after being asked to stop, were endangering people in your vicinity, or already knew better.

Good luck with that though.

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 05 Dec 2006 06:09

Kallen Ford's trial is today. send good vibes.

Switch Kicker · Post by **Switch Kicker** » 07 Dec 2006 08:57

... Boulder Colorado you say? Well I'll be in that area around March of '07... And I was planning on playing Footbag with my bro, who lives nearby with his mom. If I get ticketed for it... lol, hell no. That's all I can say. I wonder if I shouldn't just do it at the mall there for spite...

I will be writing a letter though. And calling if I can get the number.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 17 Dec 2006 02:33

I found this while searchng myspace

About me:
Chicago Cop on leave of absence from the Department. Haven't worked since 30 JUN 06. Said I'd never do police work again, but applied for Boulder PD.... Not sure why, but the hours are better, and I'd rather give a ticket for hacky sack on the Mall, then pick up a child who fell three flights. I've seen a lot, felt a lot. And none of it makes for good t.v.

I need sleep.