The following appeared as a letter to the editor from a Central Plaza store owner."Over the past two years, the number of shoppers in Central Plaza has been steadily decreasing while the popularity of skateboarding has increased dramatically. Many Central

The writer here is correlating three events here : decrease in number of shoppers in central plaza, increase in number of skateboard users and the increase in amount of litter and vandalism throughout the plaza. Though we can find logic to correlate vandalism with decrease in number of shoppers in the central plaza, the writer does not prove any connection between skateboarders and the above events.

The vandalism and litter caused in the plaza can be result of various factors. The maintenance and security in central plaza may be insufficient. After all it is the responsibility of the owners to maintain their property. The writer does not delineate the details of any complaints lodged against the skateboarders in the central plaza. If the skateboarders had been affecting the plaza and littering, there should have been complaints and resultant severe action taken against them, which the writer does not mention.

The conclusion for decrease in number of shoppers has been made without any opinions of shoppers themselves. There is no mention of any survey and suggestions by any consumer that state any inconvenience caused by the skateboarders. Hence, these conclusions have been made without even taking opinions of the shoppers themselves, which is the abates the argument gravely.

Hence, there are absolutely no evidences against skateboarders to cause reduction in number of shoppers. In fact, if the popularity of skateboarders in the plaza has increased, the number of people may have increased in plaza. Any skateboarding practices are more prone to attract attention than to discourage people from coming to central plaza. Hence the writer needs to put a lot more effort to ban skateboarders from Central Plaza