Thing 59 Skateboard Holding A Car

Children, when operating a self-propelled vehicle in a public place, helmets and knee pads are required by law. Elbow pads too probably. Under no circumstances should you try this at home. Mostly because if you've got the dexterity and coordination that I have, you'll end up in a heap at the entrance to a housing estate with a cut on your arm, and your pride and dignity in tatters all around you. When I say children shouldn't try this at home, I of course mean, nobody should. Kids would probably do a better job.

I got a brief lesson in skateboarding from one of the local kids. About ten years old I'd say. Made it look easy. Surely it can't be difficult eh? Just stand up while the board rolls forward... Ahem. Before you try, buy a bottle of Dettol and have someone kind and considerate around to clean your wounds afterwards. Many thanks to Pixie Head for that one.

And yes, the skateboard is about seven feet behind me in that photo... I didn't exactly nail this first time.

While we're on the subject of thanks, Dr Zombie and Blond Boss are owed gratitude. Blond Boss did the driving, and Dr Zombie shot the photos, and laughed his ass off when I fell over. It's nice to have friends. That's the Blond Boss there in the picture, getting her skate on. Hardly dressed for the occasion, but I'm not judging... Well, only a little.

Inspired by Michael J Fox (how many times are you likely to see that typed anywhere?) from Back to the Future, which is an amazing movie, I decided that this one would be a great one to try. Poor mam and dad were blue in the face from telling me and and Thorny Wire not to try things we'd spotted on tv when we were kids. It didn't work. We tried the lot. The Undertaker and Ultimate Warrior had nothing on us. MacGyver? Ha. Amateur. We also developed super-powers from the amount of time spent getting x-rays for broken bones. Reckless little monsters we were...

Skateboarding is pretty cool. Not for everyone mind you, but it is cool. I've never done it before though - loved my bicycle, thought roller-blades were cool for about ten minutes in the mid 90's, just never got the skateboarding thing.

Ultimately this makes the decision to get on a skateboard, hold on to a car, and allow the oft crazy driver to hit 35kmph, even more monumentally stupid then you'd first imagine. Which is why you pay the price of a tumble in public. Can't remember the last time I fell off something... Actually, it was kind of a welcome flashback.