To be really angry with this man....

[NellyTheElephant]

I was in the play park this afternoon with DD2 (aged 3) and DS - 13 months. DS has been walking for about 6 weeks now and is very steady on his feet. He was running around all over the play park having lots of fun. I was playing with DD2 in the sandpit whilst keeping an eye on what he was doing. He had run over to the other side of the play park (it really isn't a very big play park) near the gate. A man was leaving with one child strapped into a push chair and another older child who clearly didn't want to leave and was taking a long time to go to his father. The man pushed his pushchair out of the park and was waiting for his other child. As he waited he held the gate wide open. DS ran out of the gate and made straight for the road (about 10 metres from the gate). The man watched as DS did this but made no attempt either to stop DS going out of the gate or to prevent him running into the road. I dashed over and grabbed DS when he was just about to step into the road. I then said rather crossly to the man that he shouldn't have let DS out. He replied that I should have been watching him. I said that I was watching him which was why I managed to get to him before he made it into the road. The man then said I should have stayed next to him at all times. I replied that everyone knows that when you are at a play park you should be careful not to let out any other children except your own (especially an unaccompanied baby). I was really upset and angry as I swear he would have done nothing to stop DS running into the road - he was just standing there holding the gate wide open while watching this happen.

Am I right or was he? It is a play park - it has heavy counter weighted gates which toddlers cannot open. Yes you have to watch your children but you don't have to shadow their every move. I am in a state of shock not only that he casually held the gate open and watched DS walk out of the park on his own towards the road but seemed to think that it wasn't in any way his responsibility to try and stop him from going into the road. If I saw a 13 month old baby running into a road I would stop it - regardless of fault or circumstances, but irrespective of that i think that he shouldn't have let DS out in the first place. Sorry for the rant.

[racmac]

twat - i would never watch a child walk out of a park - i would stop them by standing in front of them and saying "where are you going sweatheart" not just let them walk through the gate.

Im not surprised your angry

[undercovamutha]

YANBU - the man was an arse. Any idiot knows that when in a park, or at a M&T group, if you go out of a door you make sure no children (except your own) follow you.

[thisisyesterday]

you were in the right

this is one of my pet peeves... what kind of idiot just stands there and watches a baby run out of a park? regardless of whether you should have been by his side or not. you wren't, so he shouldn't have let him out

really pisses me off when people go, and leave the gate open too

[vicbar]

NO YDNBU What an arsehole!!!!!! If he had to hold the gate for his DC surely they werent glued to his side either.
Im always annoyed when you see a child hurt themselves at the park and parents just look at the screaming child but dont do anything as its not theirs.
Im going to strat ranting about lack of community soon.... Help me Im only 28

[jafina]

YANBU He's a twat.

But I have also watched DH let a toddler get past him coming out of a supermarket, almost in a polite way as if the toddler was an adult that wanted to get past. I stopped the toddler and admonished DH who was very embarrassed and basically hadn't realised the toddler was unaccompanied. Your situation sounds a bit worse than that TBH, the man should definitely have stopped him and I may be a bit sexist here but I think a woman would have stopped him.

[tasmaniandevilchaser]

YAmost definitely NBU. And to not even have any shame!!! What a twat. I agree with jafina, I just can't imagine a mother doing it.

[TheCrackFox]

He is a complete twat.

[Squitten]

YADNBU

We have those gates in our local little playground and I would never allow any child to leave without its parents!

[EdgarAllenPoll]

YANBU - gate should be shut.

[Sparkletastic]

YANBU - what a tit!

[UnquietDad]

Sounds like he was a twat for doing it and I can't imagine any of my friends doing so. Let's not genderise the debate unfairly.

[gingerbaby]

Wow, I feel angry on your behalf and I never get angry by proxy!

What a total nobber, hope you weren't too shaken.

[PussinJimmyChoos]

I see your point UQD but I have to say, I do think men would be more inclined to do something like this than a woman..

[Firawla]

YADNBU! Does he have no common sense at all, that's really bad of him and he should have atleast been apologetic when he realised his mistake

[traceybath]

He's an idiot.

As others have said - you don't let other dc's go out of those gates.

[Katisha]

Why can't people just say sorry when they know they are in the wrong? Never happens does it?

[sweetcat]

YADNBU surely everyone knows you don't let someone else's child out of a park. Am angry on your behalf and very pleased you were watching him or who knows what may have happened. The man was a complete idiot.

[angel886]

YANBU.

He's an a complete idiot

[RunawayWife]

He is a fuckwit

[Mamalade]

And a prick

[mnistooaddictive]

YANBU he is a complete idiot.

[pjmama]

Twat, prick, arsehole, fuckwit or all of the above.

I hope he takes better care of his own kids because he's clearly bloody stupid.

[chipmonkey]

My Mum was in a department store years ago with my younger brother. He ran away from Mum and headed to the main door out on to the busiest street in Dublin. A woman held the door open for him! When my Mum charged after her to catch my brother, the woman said snootily
"I was holding the door open for the child, not for you!"

The man was a fuckwit!