Seriously? You’re Just Going to Stand There While Your Kid Ruins the Coffee Park Experience?
I must admit, I hadn’t made it to the awesome new barrier-free Coffee Park until last Friday evening. I can see why everyone loves it. It’s incredible. The experience would have been perfect if there weren’t two kids ruining it for every other child. I think we need park rangers to crack some skulls, I’m just sayin’.
Punks ruining it, causing parents to grab their children and leave the park:
- A kid on a skateboard zooming across the equipment at 95 miles an hour during a jam-packed hour. His parents were watching and would occassionally shout, “Watch out for the little ones, honey.”
- A kid riding his bike across the equipment, missing toddlers by inches. His parents watched from a distance and said nothing. Nothing.
UPDATE from Steve Mace:
Some weeks ago the Park Department ordered signs for the playground at Coffee Park that prohibits the use of bikes and skateboards on the play equipment. The signs will be installed later this week. Similar signage is already in Germany Park .
Ok….. are you really surprised by this. I see lots and lots of behavior by PC kids that parents choose to ignore. These are the same kids that are out of control high schoolers. Wonder what they will be like as adults? Any guesses?
Parents need to be pro-active. Picture yourself yelling “hey get off the park equipment with your ________.”. Picture the kid’s parents hurrumphing around for 5 minutes and then leaving.
Oh, the humanity!!
We love this park. The City of UP, the Parks Department, and citizenry did a great job working together to re-develop this park. This was parks money better spent than on other park modifications more recently in the news.
This particular situation is not hard to solve. Ironically, add a sign. A couple of no-skate board, no-bike signs on the equipment could do it. Note to Parks Dept.: don’t go crazy with the signage … the sidewalk surrounding the park is perfect for young ones learning to ride a bike.
Also, many parents are indeed proactive. While there once for the youngest to play, my 7-year old brought his basketball. While attempting to pass it over the expanse, he came close to hitting a 3 or 4-year old. That Mama was in my son’s face, telling him to be cautious. Good for her! You can bet my son then apologized!
And Parks Department, if you are reading this, in my opinion, the playground area should have some level of fencing around it to keep the younger kids from too easily running off.
It is a great park! I brought my six year old son and two friends one Sunday and they seemed like the oldest kids there. They were playing hide and seek … I was a nervous wreck because of all the babies and little kids .. and I, too, kept on telling them to be careful of the little kids. I was almost thinking they were too old for the park when I located a sign that indicated the appropriate ages for the park … it said 5 to 12 year olds!
Add a sign? Right. I think speaking up is the way to go and I’m surprised no one did. Seems that whenever there is an opportunity to call a punk out in an area park there is someone there who is ready, willing and able to do it.
At the very least, dial 911 and send an exclamation point-laden email to all your nearest and dearest.
Note addition to this post above.
UPDATE from Steve Mace:
Some weeks ago the Park Department ordered signs for the playground at Coffee Park that prohibits the use of bikes and skateboards on the play equipment. The signs will be installed later this week. Similar signage is already in Germany Park .
OMG, just call the cops………I never knew a kid that didn’t stop being annoying when the Police showed up and walked straight toward them. Or some of you parents simply do the “dirty work” yourselves. These older kids know you adults will be pusses, can’t you all yell? I know Merritt can. I know, Merritt take your pad and pen and get names or pics with your iPhone and put them in print just like you do the carpool abusers. That will get them. No?
Get in the little b@stard’s face and smile doin it. Then get in the parents’ faces for being losers if they look at you sideways. This sort of opportunity makes my freakin day.
Geez, people. Lighten up! All the world’s parks are not for your toddlers and therefore guaranteed safety from older children’s activities and interests. Stop vilifying skaters.
Kev-o, my kid skateboards on the street, not the kIddie bridge on the play fort….