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.
This, and plus if you then selectively enforce the law (which many people are advocating for these doughnut-eating girls), I start to worry about things like racism and classism. I'm betting the "discretion" would be a lot less kind for a black man, or a homeless guy. Even if they just want to sit on the bench and eat a doughnut.
And if you're just sitting there to talk to a friend and eat donuts, the kids probably barely register, so it's not as though (in this case) the women would have been staring at the kids.
So, what if I have a friend who has a kid, and she and I meet up on the playground to chill? She's there with her kid--can I also claim to be there with her kid, or does it need to one person per child? Even though I'm not a parent? Could ten of us (aunts! uncles! parent! friends! grandparents!) all go there for one child? Where do you draw the line?
There is also this, a bit further down in the article:
I got really angry and asked the officer if he honestly believed he was helping this community by giving us these summonses. His response only made me more angry. “I don’t believe in anything,” he said. “You don’t believe in anything? In helping people? Then you probably shouldn’t be a cop,” I said.
Whether or not she was doing anything illegal, the above is a pretty textbook way not to talk your way out of a ticket.
Huh. I often enjoy watching kids I don't know play in public settings. They're cute. I don't have kids. I think being around them is fun and reminds me of the simple pleasures in life.
The question about sun and oxygen and God just about made my faith in humanity die. It's like the person knows just enough science to get in trouble.
Maybe they should not selectively enforce, but maybe everyone should get a "move it along" before being issued a summons.
I personally would never think that I could not be on a playground without a kid-- say just reading my book in the sunshine or whatever. Or maybe swinging. Or chatting with a friend. I am not sure I would be kid-watching any more than if I was at the beach without kids.
I don't think this in in effect in Western NY that I have seen, as most playgrounds that are not at schools are in very open public areas.
Fucking magnets, how do they work?
So, what if I have a friend who has a kid, and she and I meet up on the playground to chill? She's there with her kid--can I also claim to be there with her kid, or does it need to one person per child? Even though I'm not a parent? Could ten of us (aunts! uncles! parent! friends! grandparents!) all go there for one child? Where do you draw the line?
As far as I know, as long as you can point to one particular kid and your specific relation to that kid you're fine; there's no upper limit (Matilda's 2nd birthday was in a public park, mostly attended by family, so there were 20 grown-ups and one other kid, and nobody cared).
Huh. I often enjoy watching kids I don't know play in public settings. They're cute. I don't have kids. I think being around them is fun and reminds me of the simple pleasures in life.
Again - there are benches on the sidewalk outside the fenced-in playground area. Nobody's saying it's illegal to watch children play. Brooklyn is not short on public places to sit down.
So, what if I have a friend who has a kid, and she and I meet up on the playground to chill? She's there with her kid--can I also claim to be there with her kid, or does it need to one person per child? Even though I'm not a parent? Could ten of us (aunts! uncles! parent! friends! grandparents!) all go there for one child? Where do you draw the line?
It can be fifty people as long as you're in the company of that child.
As far as I know adults can't hang out in school yards anywhere without some connection to a child. If they're public schools how is this any different?
