Todd Lappin took some great photos of the 2008 Illegal Soapbox Derby
Well, turns out there's a reason why it's called the *Illegal* Soapbox Derby.
When we arrived at Bernal Speedway in San Francisco to take in the 2008 running of the Illegal Soapbox Derby, some unpleasantness ensued between the racers and several representatives of the San Francisco Police Department. It seems the Parks Department had received a pre-race complaint from someone in the Bernal Heights Temperance and Abstinence League, and the cops were under orders to put the kibosh on the event. (According to the police, San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano had attempted to intervene on behalf of the Soapbox Derby, but to no avail — Ammiano was overruled by the bureaucrats at the Parks Department. Thanks for trying, Tom!)
Major buzzkill.
After some futile and frustrating attempts at negotiation, the crowd dispersed peacefully and relocated (no less peacefully) to an another gravity-rich location elsewhere in the city.
Photos of the Really Really Illegal 2008 Illegal Soapbox Derby
