LOOSE / guidelines
Scene rules.
Swearing's fine. Being a creep isn't. Here's how we keep LOOSE worth showing up to.
The rules
- No harassment. No slurs, threats, hate, stalking or piling on someone. The crew board filters slurs and threats automatically, and we remove anything else that crosses the line.
- No spam. No mass messages, no copy-paste ads, no link dumps. Shops and brands: talk to us about partnering instead.
- No fake engagement. No fake accounts, no posing as someone else, no fake listings or made-up reviews. There are no likes or follower counts here to game anyway.
- Respect locals. Learn the spot's etiquette before you drop in or paddle out. Don't blow up secret spots or DIYs, don't leave trash, and respect the neighbors at parks and venues.
- Look out for younger riders. Adults don't ask minors to meet alone, move to private apps, keep secrets or send photos. Ever.
- Keep contact info off LOOSE. Phone numbers, email addresses, street addresses and social handles are blocked in every public post, room and message, for everyone. Meet up through the boards, not in someone's DMs elsewhere.
- Only post what's yours. Your footage, your photos, your music. Get permission from the band or filmer before using their stuff.
- Be straight in deals. Describe gear honestly, show real photos, show up to the session you booked.
LOOSE is 13+, and here's how we look out for teens
You must be 13 or older to use LOOSE. Members 13–17 get teen accounts: first name only, visible only to other teens, no messages from adults.
- You have to be 13 or older. We ask for an age bracket (13–17 or 18+) when you sign up. If you pick under 13, we stop right there and nothing you typed is saved or sent. That's the law (COPPA) and it's the right call.
- 13–17? We also ask your birth month and year. Only the month and year, never the day. It's private: it's never shown on your card, the wall, in emails or to anyone, and it does one thing: in your 18th-birthday month (we count from the 1st of the month) your account moves to 18+ by itself. If the month and year say you're under 13, we stop and save nothing. Teen accounts made before we asked get a one-time prompt on their LOOSE page, and chat stays paused until it's added.
- Turning 18. You can't switch yourself to 18+ early, and you can't change your age bracket or birth month and year yourself. If we got it wrong, email crew@joinloose.com and we'll fix it. When you turn 18 we send a short "Welcome to 18+" email and a notice on your LOOSE page. Your 1:1 chats with teens close (both sides get a notice), parent and trusted-adult links end (everyone is told), and your wall card stays hidden from adults until you tap to show it on your LOOSE page.
- Members 13–17 start off the public early-access wall. If they choose to be on it, we show a first name or nickname and their picks only. Never their age, never their city.
- Teens only chat with teens. Members 13–17 can only message, and be messaged by, other 13–17 members. Adults can't message teens and teens can't message adults. The only exception is a parent or trusted adult the teen links themselves (see below). Everyone can post in the moderated public pick rooms.
- No meetups or locations for teens. The "who's riding this week" meetup board, spot boards and crew cards (which show a city) are 18+. Messages from teens that share where they live, their school or where to meet are blocked.
- Parents: we encourage all-ages, public, daytime events only, with a parent's OK.
- Parent links, started by the teen. A member aged 13–17 can link up to 2 parents or guardians from their own My picks page by entering the parent's email. The parent gets a one-time link (it works once and expires in 7 days), confirms they're 18+, and becomes a LOOSE member with that email. Parents can't request a link; only the teen can start one. Once linked, the parent and teen see each other's card and get a private 1:1 chat. No other adult gets anything.
- Trusted adults, approved by a parent. After a parent is linked, a teen can add up to 3 trusted adults, like a relative or coach. Nothing is sent until a linked parent approves, and the link only starts once the adult accepts. Until a parent is linked, these invites wait with “Link a parent first.” A trusted adult gets the same small scope as a parent: only they see the teen's card, and they chat 1:1.
- Linked chats keep every safety rule. Phone numbers, emails, handles and locations are still filtered, both ways, and the ⚑ report and block buttons stay on. The teen or a linked parent can remove a link any time, the teen is told about every change, and emails are never shown to anyone.
- Report button on every message. Every DM, room post and wall entry has a ⚑ button. Reports go to a human moderation queue, and anything involving a member under 18 goes to the top of the queue.
- Rate limits and blocking. Messages are rate-limited and anyone can block a person so they can't message them again.
- Parents and guardians can ask us to delete a teen's account and everything they posted: email crew@joinloose.com with the email address they signed up with. We'll delete it and confirm.
If something's off
Hit ⚑ on the message, post or wall entry, or email joinloose@mail.grokbot.com with the handle or post and what happened. We can remove posts and block people from the crew board. If someone's in danger, call local emergency services first.