Are public tracks a thing of the past?

Thanks, coach d!

Who cares? Who wants to run around in circles anyway?

anapaix wrote:

pop_pop!_v2.1.1 wrote:

Liability is the first reason.

########

Jamin, WTF? Here you are jizzing about conservative this-and-that and you dare to ask for public welfare in the form of a track that you can run on, for FREE?

If you actually believed your own conservative talking points, then you would not dare ask the question. Pull yourself up by the mythical bootstraps and BUILD YOUR OWN TRACK.

The track has already been paid for by tax dollars. He is not requesting a new track be built. Try to keep up.

Right back at you Chip. Jamin, defender of conservative values, was looking for a track he could use for free. Free is contrary to whatever pases for ideology on the Right.

pop_pop!_v2.1.1 wrote:

anapaix wrote:

The track has already been paid for by tax dollars. He is not requesting a new track be built. Try to keep up.

Right back at you Chip. Jamin, defender of conservative values, was looking for a track he could use for free. Free is contrary to whatever pases for ideology on the Right.

Right back at you... idiot.

Below are a few reasons why it may be necessary to close the track... Also some pointers why liability is a concern. I am a hs coach and is really troublesome and time consuming that I had to stop coaching to speak to people who just show up on our team facility during practices. Believe me when I say that I love the community using the track and seeing the track guys and gals doing intervals. I just asked all of them to do it after team practice is over.

Some people will show up on lane 1 to walk wearing headphones. While the hs track team of 150 members is practicing.

Some people bring their dogs and we find tons of poop not only on ethe track but in the infield were the team does a lot of conditioning, wu, exercises.

Some people will play fetch with their dogs throwing balls across the track while our hurdles are running thru some fast 60 going over hurdles.

Some people will remove our PV pit covers and use the mats for recreational purposes (impro gymnastics, etc). One time I found a bmx ramp that they tie to our PV standards.

Randon personal trainers scheduled med ball throwing sessions along the 9 lanes on the main straight during team practice.

Private football coaches scheduled their practices on the in field and brought their boom box with them. They turned volume up and we had to stop practice to ask them to turn off since we could not communicate with our team and their music choice included tons of f words among other things.

Add to these the walkers side by side taking 3-4 lanes, the biker, skateboarder, football kickers, soccer, baseball, golf, frisbee, volleyball and kids in the sand pit digging and making castles during team practices.

These are not isolated incidents but rather a common week at our facility.

I'm not arguing that the track should be open to the public during HS track practice.

Blazing trails wrote:

Who cares? Who wants to run around in circles anyway?

You mean "ovals", right?

Circular egg wrote:

Blazing trails wrote:

Who cares? Who wants to run around in circles anyway?

You mean "ovals", right?

You mean "stadiums", right?

There's also a track at Green Lake and one down by the arboretum at Montlake. You should join a rock climbing gym. It's probably easier to meet women there than running on the track.

Calling it like it is wrote:

Circular egg wrote:

You mean "ovals", right?

You mean "stadiums", right?

You mean "stadia," right?

You mean "stadia", right?

Urban Steepler wrote:

You mean "stadia", right?

Comma goes inside the quotes.

In my experience the reason really nice all-weather tracks are frequently unavailable to the public is because of the really nice artificial or natural turf fields they surround. Ignorant people see all that green grass and decide it's a great place to have a picnic, or play with their dog, or practice their golf shots, or play every neighborhood pick-up sport known to mankind.

AW Pharmacy wrote:

In my experience the reason really nice all-weather tracks are frequently unavailable to the public is because of the really nice artificial or natural turf fields they surround. Ignorant people see all that green grass and decide it's a great place to have a picnic, or play with their dog, or practice their golf shots, or play every neighborhood pick-up sport known to mankind.

Correct. The rise in popularity of artificial field turf means more and more tracks will be closed to the public. Between the artificial field and the track, it's just too big an investment to leave exposed to the tomfoolery of the public.

Urban Steepler wrote:

You mean "stadia", right?

No.

my D1 college track is open whenever we aren't using it as long as the infield isn't in use for other teams' games. The indoor track has scheduled public hours, i think its like 11-1 M-F. its not even locked half the time though

Where do you live, Idiotsville?

Seems odd that there would be all this activity during your team practices. Maybe a few signs indicating some basic rules and when the facility was available would go along way in your area.

Ballard's track is almost always open but there are no lights. I have done lots of workouts there during school hours and have never been asked to leave, and PE classes are often out there at the same time. Once the principal was out there while I was running and said I could stay but there was about to be a fire drill and in about 3 minutes 1200 kids would be on the track. I am female so maybe that is why I have never been asked to leave.

Was running at Salmon Bay's short track during school hours and was asked to leave but that was right after Sandy Hook.

Lately I have been running at the Ingraham HS turf soccer fields. About 3 laps = mile.

jamin wrote:

Tried to do a track workout today, while schools are on break. Thought it would be the perfect time. All the high schools in town had their tracks closed off. I was going to hop the fence but the sign said that doing so would be trespassing and violators would be prosecuted. I don't get it.

You have to be kidding! What are you going to ask for next, maybe take a few classes at the high school also while you are at it and eat in the cafeteria. Why should a HS track be open to you, that makes no sense?