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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be a little bit 'grr' about this...

105 replies

tyzer2001 · 10/02/2011 10:35

Every morning I walk my two dogs in the local field/park/grassy area. It's designated for dog walking and has poo bins etc. 99% of the time I don't see anyone, not even another dog walker.

This morning as I got to the gate I was stopped by a teacher who said 'I'm sorry, you won't be able to go into the field as we have the children in there'.

I asked what was happening and she said that the Reception class were having 'Wild Time' and running off some energy.

It's quite a large field and doesn't belong to the school, which is a few minutes walk away.

I said to her that I would keep my dogs (both of whom are very placid and good with children anyway) on the lead until we were well away from the children, but she insisted that I couldn't use the field!

I walked the dogs five times around the much smaller, not-designated-for-dogs park instead, but can't help feeling a bit put-out.

OP posts:
scurryfunge · 10/02/2011 11:41

ronshar, your argument is distorted because you are coming across as it being reasonable for a member of the public to tell another member of the public that they cannot use a public place that is designated for their use.

atmywitssend · 10/02/2011 11:44

"I said that the teacher wasnt being unreasonable to prevent a dog walker going into a field where lots of small children were running freely around."

But a teacher has no right to prevent an adult from carrying out a perfectly legal action in a public place. She could reasonably have requested the OP not to go in the field.

Op - you are not at all unreasonable.

wildfig · 10/02/2011 11:44

YANBU. Didn't she realise it was a dog designated area? I'm surprised she wasn't terrified of the children treading in some 'horrible nasty'.

I have absolutely no problem about keeping my well-behaved dogs away from play areas, playing fields, and so on, because I totally understand that not everyone likes them. But when an area is designated for dog use - for their own supervised 'wild time'! - then it's U to be ordered off it, and U of her to force you to exercise them in an area where presumably dogs weren't as welcome.

Ormirian · 10/02/2011 11:44

LOL! Next time gets some badgers on a lead and when she tackles you tell her that your 'pets' will contribute hugely to her pupils' experience of 'wild time'!

ronshar · 10/02/2011 11:46

I accept your point Scurry.

If there was no where else to go then yes I would agree it is very unreasonable to prevent access to a public place. However there was another field to use so all that was being asked was not to use that particular field at that particular moment in time.

scurryfunge · 10/02/2011 11:47

I may stop children having access to the play park,to allow my dog wild time on the slides Grin

ThisIsANiceCage · 10/02/2011 11:47

So Ronshar, why were the children not using the other field?

The one not covered in dog shit?

ThisIsANiceCage · 10/02/2011 11:47

In your little universe, I mean. I understand you weren't actually there.

Unless you were? Grin

ronshar · 10/02/2011 11:48

I dont know I wasn't there.

Can you imagine a dog on a slide. Harry Hill would pay good money for that video.

KangarooCaught · 10/02/2011 11:48

Just beyond weird. I've known schools that do own land away from school sites & open it up for community use (my Dad is just about to apply for an injunction against some travellers who've started an illegal fee paying car park on the school's land) but the teacher has overstepped his/her authority here.

ronshar · 10/02/2011 11:48

Blimey did you know I was going to type that?Shock

Tee2072 · 10/02/2011 11:49

I am not a dog lover. In fact, I can't stand 99% of the dogs I meet.

Ronshar, you're being silly and extremist.

It's a public dog walking park. There will, therefore, be dogs.

I would ring the school and next time walk around the teacher or say 'Please let me past. You do not own this park.' And shove past her.

But I'm a rude person when other people are rude to me first.

HeroShrew · 10/02/2011 11:49

If I were you, I'd contact the headteacher's office and ask if they could inform you of when this teacher next plans to take over the public park, so you may avoid dog walking at that time?

scurryfunge · 10/02/2011 11:49
Grin
ronshar · 10/02/2011 11:50

Or perhaps being devils advocte in AIBU?

HeroShrew · 10/02/2011 11:51

Good grief, I am a passive agressive horror

ronshar · 10/02/2011 11:53

Is that Great Dane sliding into the pool? I love Great Danes.

Ephiny · 10/02/2011 11:53

It's ridiculous, she had no right at all to tell you where you could/couldn't go, and you were being very reasonable by offering to compromise by keeping your dog on lead. I would have just kept walking, what exactly could she have done about it?

DitaVonCheese · 10/02/2011 11:53

Our dog used to go down the slide, those really massive tall steep ones they had in the 70s Might try to dig out a photo later!

SoupDragon · 10/02/2011 12:01

Oh, calm down. If it was a one off, I"d let it go. If the school began regularly asking people not to use the field then I would kick up a stink. As a one off does it really matter??

The teacher handled/worded it poorly mind you.

Original poster
tyzer2001 · 10/02/2011 12:02

I am calm!

All I said was I was a little bit put-out!

OP posts:
purpleturtle · 10/02/2011 12:11

Do you think they would have asked you to leave the park if you were there before they arrived with the children? It does seem rather odd to me.

SoupDragon · 10/02/2011 12:24

Yes, you're calm but others seem rather less so :)

Original poster
tyzer2001 · 10/02/2011 12:26

I don;t suppose thee could have done - as I said, it's quite a large field and I would have been happy to stay at the far end.

I'm considering ringing the school, not to complain but to ask if this is a regular slot so that i could go earlier/later if necessary. But as I've said, I walk there every day and haven't seen the class before...

OP posts:
Original poster
tyzer2001 · 10/02/2011 12:26

Sorry, that should have read 'I don't suppose they could have done....'

OP posts: