no violent incidents. about 10 street people. am I crazy in thinking that numbers of moms ( and dads ) and singles would create saftey and open the park back up to use by everyone? without seriously endangering your kids?

This is hard. I agree with both Beth and Betsy.

I wouldn't want my kids to see anyone peeing in public, and I wouldn't want to lose my park.

we all appear to share the common Baltimore-D.C. area delusion that the Potomac River is a Berlin Wall.

Mr Bush. Fill in that River!

I thought I got it from your explanation of the process. It's just proving that the square root of two is irrational, isn't it? Which is great because you can draw it so easily.

Right! Right! Proving that the square root of two is not a rational number, and thus that there are numbers which are not!

I suggested that they should take back the park - go in large groups - be visible be present.

Dogs, man. Dog neighborhoods are great for this - there are enough people out and about at all times that, in my experience, it does exert a certain pressure keeping park areas and such more or less liveable. I'm not suggesting that a pack of dogs is the solution for your neighborhood (though - fun!), but an example of the effect you're wondering about.

I may add that my experience in the streets of San Francisco does not lead me to believe that population density prevents homeless people from doing anything at all.

It didn't sound to me like the homeless people were the point here. I mean, they're what people are hanging their fear on, sure. But critical mass is a powerful thing - get enough so-called normal people using the park and the handful of homeless won't be only thing that sticks in people's minds.

This is hard. I agree with both Beth and Betsy.

I wouldn't want my kids to see anyone peeing in public, and I wouldn't want to lose my park.

That's it right there. Especially if your kids are young. "Why don't they use a bathroom, Mommy? Why can't I pee in the park, Mommy?" But I wholeheartedly agree about not wanting to lose the park, too. No easy answers there.

askye, where are you?! It sounds lovely. I shouldn't complain. I'm just in Pennsylvania and it will be spring here soon enough...but not really soon enough for me.

Thanks, Betsy. Something you said made me think -- my idea of Take back the park- I don't see it as a public service. I see it as not being afraid to do things in my neighborhood. More of what the take back the night rallys were about.

Mind, the Yankees are now sporting an All-Star at almost every position, and then they added Randy Johnson.

They'll still choke. Been choking every year since 2000.

Muahahah.

(Yeah, this is a Red Sox fan practicing a rare shot at schadenfreude at the Skankees' expense. First season in 84 years we've had the right, and I'm exercising it.)

Also, I just derived the quadratic equation. You know, I had never done that before. That's going to be my new occupy-the-brain exercise (e.g., what I do while waiting to fall asleep), now that the proof of irrational numbers has lost its charm.

Huh. When I was in high school, I used to do this in my head to help me fall asleep.

A kindred soul! Who got further in high school than I did.

See, this is part of my problem -- I didn't finish high school, so I missed some courses.