Arizona Republic Article
Rex talked many times with Kirk Haines years ago when we started the 3BC, and reported that Kirk was favorable towards bikes, and bikes would be allowed in Peoria's next skatepark, provided BMX riders showed up for the community input meetings. I love how Kirk acted in his Arizona Republic interview as if he never heard of BMX riders wanting to ride skateparks in his life. Here park rangers are hassling people that pull up into the parking lot with a bike on a rack or in the back of their pickup, and Kirk knows nothing about it. Here park rangers are harassing people, making accusations that they're going to ride the park, just because they have BMX-related stickers on their vehicles, and Kirk knows nothing about it. Here park rangers are acting as thought police, and violating civil and constitutional rights every day, but Kirk is completely ignorant of it.
I was stoked to see how many skaters and bladers instantly sympathized with us that day. A good few of them came outside the park and asked for signs and even wrote up their own. This truly is a Bike, Blade and Board Coalition. These guys don't like to see their friends at school bullied around and discriminated against by authorities at the skatepark. They want BMX riders to be allowed to ride along with them. I love what Rudy Baranko, Prescott Parks and Recreation Assistant Director told me a few weeks ago. He said (and I'm paraphrasing) that he is happy that they allow bikes in the Prescott Skatepark, because skaters, bladers and BMX riders are getting along very well, but he is especially glad bikes are allowed, because it teaches kids to get along with each other, which they'll have to do wherever they go, whatever they do, for the rest of their lives.
Peoria can go on believing Site Design Group's baseless claim that bikes can't work in the skatepark, but that doesn't mean it's true.
Peoria can keep bullying kids for thinking about riding the skatepark with their bikes, but that doesn't mean it's right.
The Peoria protest illustrated so perfectly Albert Einstein's quote that the 3BC has fully embraced:
"When others are oppressed, no one is truly free."