Kickstand Ramp: now charging

Today on Facebook I saw that Kickstand Pub was starting to charge $5 to skate their mini ramp. That's all I know--no idea what the exact reason is, who is affected, but I'm assuming the worst and I'm really disappointed. It's been open for 3 weeks, with no fee; why start now?

Once you start charging admission to skate, it's about business, not fun. Well, it is about fun--for the people who have connections and get to skate for free. After attendance starts dropping (which I expect), I won't be surprised if 90% of the people who are skating at any given time are people who aren't paying to skate (or drink for that matter). But for someone like me, to them, it's about money. I mean, if I can stop and reason for a second, I can ask myself why shouldn't I pay? It would be like buying a share in something of which I could have only dreamed, taking ownership and responsibility, like a food co-op. Perhaps the problem is that yesterday when I was there to skate, 8 out of 10 skaters were underage. Unfortunately Kickstand doesn't sell food, so at best they are only collecting money for beer from those over 21. For minors, not even that. And then you are only profiting on the mark-up of the beer. Either way, I would guess that their attendance on Sundays and Mondays has doubled or tripled (which doesn't paint an accurate picture, if you consider who is drinking and who isn't). Should they just charge minors that aren't going to be patrons? Aside from that issue, they are attracting new patrons who--because of the ramp--are establishing loyalties to the bar and, thus, a future patronage. In essence, the ramp could be looked at as an investment in more, future patrons. Think of the ramp like every one of Kickstand's 10 flat-screen TVs... but cheaper. I'm guessing about that number, but let's say each one is $550. Times 10. $5500. Plus the cost of cable. Consider the fact that of the 20 people in the bar at 5:00pm yesterday, 10 were there to skate.

But the fee they're charging isn't to pay for the ramp or its upkeep; there are ways around that: namely, sponsorships in the form of banners or stickers on or around the ramp (currently, they have one giant logo for a Harley Davidson dealership right in the middle). I bet you it's because they didn't realize that the paint was going to chip so bad and that they are going to have to resurface it again, and again, and again; and maybe they can't find sponsors. Bummer.

Maybe I'm just pissed it's going to be a choice between drinking a beer and skating. In past weeks, I would drop $6 for a beer and tip, maybe $12. Now, they are getting $5. Ok, so maybe I stop drinking the Sunday afternoon beers I've started to enjoy. Or just drink a beer at home. I can buy a six pack for less than they charge for 2 pints. I guess that will save me a good bit of money after all. Thanks Kickstand.

Thoughts?
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Alden says "Hi."