All the parents and nannies and whoever are sitting there looking at the kids, aren't they?

Yeah, but they're there with their own kids, and primarily watching their own kids; I'd find it just as off-putting and strange if they wandered over during their kid-free time, plonked themselves down, and said, "Oh, well, I ran through my Netflix list and nothing good was on cable, so I thought I'd watch your kids for a while."

And ITA that the officer was using poor judgment in this particular case; I just can't get that exercised about the oppressiveness of a law preventing total strangers from pulling up a chair to sit close and stare at kids in a designated kids-and-caretakers-only space.

And ITA that the officer was using poor judgment in this particular case; I just can't get that exercised about the oppressiveness of a law preventing total strangers from pulling up a chair to sit close and stare at kids in a designated kids-and-caretakers-only space.

I dunno, I have concerns about it both from a civil liberties perspective (restricting areas of a public park skeeves me) and from a false-sense-of-security parenting persepective.

how does the sun stay burning if there's no oxygen in space?

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas; a gigantic nuclear furnace. Where hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees.

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas; a gigantic nuclear furnace. Where hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees.

The sun is a miasma of incandescent plasma, the sun's not merely made out of gas, no no no.

The sun is a miasma of incandescent plasma, the sun's not merely made out of gas, no no no.

That doesn't rhyme so it can't be true.

You'll have to take that up with TMBG - [link]

But there are lots of spaces within a public park that are, if not restricted, then at least designated. My child doesn't have the right to play tea party in the middle of the tennis or basketball courts if someone comes along who wants to use them for their intended purposes; certain paths are set aside for bikers only, others for bikes and skateboards, others for feet only, no wheels except wheelchairs or strollers; only barbecue in the barbecue pits; the museums and Hall of Flowers are open to the public, but only if they pay admission; etc. etc. etc. Some of them are enforced by stated law, some by request, some by spoken or unspoken agreement.

About the false sense of security... I don't know. I never thought of it that way.

But there are lots of spaces within a public park that are, if not restricted, then at least designated. My child doesn't have the right to play tea party in the middle of the tennis or basketball courts if someone comes along who wants to use them for their intended purposes; certain paths are set aside for bikers only, others for bikes and skateboards, others for feet only, no wheels except wheelchairs or strollers; only barbecue in the barbecue pits;

But all of those are because the activity interferes with the intended purpose of the space. Someone sitting on a bench in the playground and watching the kids play doesn't interfere with the kids anymore than someone sitting on a bench at the sidelines of the basketball court and watching the people play basketball does.

But there are lots of spaces within a public park that are, if not restricted, then at least designated. My child doesn't have the right to play tea party in the middle of the tennis or basketball courts if someone comes along who wants to use them for their intended purposes; certain paths are set aside for bikers only, others for bikes and skateboards, others for feet only, no wheels except wheelchairs or strollers; only barbecue in the barbecue pits; the museums and Hall of Flowers are open to the public, but only if they pay admission; etc. etc. etc. Some of them are enforced by stated law, some by request, some by spoken or unspoken agreement.

You're not generally going to get a ticket or arrested for wandering through the tennis or soccer courts. Designated is one thing, legal restrictions are another.

You're not generally going to get a ticket or arrested for wandering through the tennis or soccer courts. Designated is one thing, legal restrictions are another.

In NYC parks, you can absolutely get a ticket for loitering on the ballfields if you're not there to play ball.