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?

maybe everyone should get a "move it along" before being issued a summons.

Oh, no question. But then how would anyone make any money? Raise taxes? That's crazy-talk!

Again - there are benches on the sidewalk outside the fenced-in playground area.

It wasn't clear to me from the article regarding this particular park, and I don't think that's been the going assumption in this conversation. That makes a difference of course, but it's not always the case.

That makes a difference of course, but it's not always the case.

I can only speak about Brooklyn parks and NYC city regulations. I don't know about other cities.

Maybe they should not selectively enforce, but maybe everyone should get a "move it along" before being issued a summons.

I'd imagine that is what's usual. And if they run someone off more than once they have an interest in that person. They probably had a quota. Or, quite possibly...

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.

...It started off as "move along" and she talked herself into a ticket.

From an admittedly anecdata pov of having been approached by a creep on a playground, I have a hard time seeing this one as security theater. It is certainly useful for someone wishing to abuse or kidnap a child to befriend the child, learn his/her name, appear to be in the company of a child... all things quite easy to manage at a playground.

Argh, my office smells like hairspray. EW.

Time to leave the building and get some lunch, I think.

It is certainly useful for someone wishing to abuse or kidnap a child to befriend the child, learn his/her name, appear to be in the company of a child... all things quite easy to manage at a playground.

Even leaving this aside (stranger abduction is vanishingly rare), people without kids are infinitely more likely to leave the gates open when they come and go, which is a safety risk for toddlers wandering into bike/car traffic.

I'm really very sad, now. Our first date, close to penniless, was wandering through a park, on the walking trail, yes, but also pushing each other on the roundabout and seeing who could swing highest. There were no children there at the time. Perhaps if there had been, we would have watched them play for a while and speculated about our possible future offspring before we walked on.

I understand the need parents feel for caution and vigilance, but I agree with Plei that denying use of public areas of a park is not necessarily a good idea. If you section off a park into: Baseball and/or Softball Only, Tennis Only, Soccer Only, Bicycles Only, Footpath Only (wheelchairs and strollers allowed), Children Under Ten and Caregivers Only, Dogs in Offleash Area Only, you've eliminated a sizeable chunk of citizenry who may just want to spread out a blanket, have a sandwich and an apple, and read a book. Or if my joints don't allow getting down onto a blanket or getting back up again, the use of a bench in the shade.

It's public, taxpaid space.

edited to say what I actually meant to say.