When Street Ball Is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Street Balls

Depressing and pathetic barely get at a new craze sweeping America: the banning of basketball hoops and other sports equipment that front onto public streets.

The AP reports from Paulsboro, NJ, via Newsday. Here's a snippet:

Citing safety concerns, communities in Kentucky, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania have banned the placement of portable hoops in or around streets. Others are shooting to do the same.

No one, it seems, is against a friendly game of two-on-two.

The problem is that portable hoops have become permanent fixtures, according to municipal officials who say they pose hazards to emergency vehicles, trash trucks and the players themselves.

"We all want to be Mayberry, but no government official can look a parent in the eye and say `It's OK for your children to play in the street,"' said Police Chief Kenneth Ridinger.