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.

It never occurred to me that there could be such a law. Oops. I'd probably pick a place to sit where I could watch kids, because I enjoy watching kids. The Y has something for toddlers in the morning, and when I'm on the weight machines I see them come in. They have to go up a flight of stairs and they're so earnest about it. Also, I smile at the ones who have decided that this is tutu and cowboy boot day. I hope I'm not creepy.

I would, however, never argue with a cop.

It's interesting to see the reactions to this issue.

From my perspective, these laws started going on the books in the 90s when there was a Public Panic about the epidemic of child kidnapping which proved to be wildly overstated.

But back in the 90s I had to learn that even when I was with Emmett at the playground I was sometimes viewed as Suspiciously Male and Unparental.

I had to learn not to pick up kids to reach the water fountain or help them up onto a swing.

And it sucked to be viewed so suspiciously but that was the cultural climate.

Things have actually chilled out at the playground since then and I don't get that vibe when I'm with Matilda now. And the last couple times I've been to the playground I've had more normal, less-fear-based interactions with other kids there, including talking to them at play structures or getting them up or down off some equipment.

Though it's still sometimes tricky to negotiate and I don't initiate contact with other kids - only if they start chatting to me. And I make sure that I include the other parent or guardian in the discussion and make it subtly clear that I'm with Matilda and like that. Still, the atmosphere at the park has changed even if the laws haven't.

There was a discussion of sports rivalries, and nobody mentioned UNC-Duke?

I was packing. Specifically and most rabidly, men's b-ball. Best sports title ever about the rivalry - "To Hate Like This is to Be Happy Forever."

Oh David - there's an ad on TV these days about a new phone/web service and the theme is "more cats on the internet!"

My first thought was that it would be your personal idea of hell.