Sidewalk Snakes

Otherwise known as cracks in the pavement or road that have been filled with tar.  Just like with real snakes, there are dangerous ones and relatively innocuous ones as well.

The worst kind are those that have been ground out by the highway maintenance crew, and then partly filled with a softer rubbery tar.  This is done to stop the crack spreading, and the rubbery tar allows the road to expand/contract with changes in temperature.  Unfortunately this is bad for skates in two ways - the grinding out often is done at a width that lets a skate wheel drop into the crack, but is still narrow enough to then grip the wheel tightly.  The rubbery filling doesn't help either, since it gives and helps to catch wheels as well.

The innocuous sidewalk snakes are filled level with a much harder tar, and are thus relatively safe to skate over.

In general, approach with caution!

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