Sheriff's office: Skateboarders were given prior warnings

Three teenagers were shocked last week when they received $47 tickets for riding on the wrong side of the road.

In a story published in Friday's Hernando Today, the mother of one of the boys said she could not understand why her son was not given a warning instead. Her son's skateboarding hobby keeps him out of trouble in their neighborhood north of Brooksville, said Tonya White.

But the sheriff's office said Friday the deputy who gave them tickets, Richard Purchase, had given the teenagers "numerous" warnings to ride on the left shoulder of the road. Even after the boys were given citations, the boys continued to ignore the deputy's instructions, Sgt. Donna Black, spokeswoman, said.

"We're just trying to save lives and that's our whole purpose," Black said.

Instead of complaining, the parents should be thanking deputies for keeping their children safe, she added.