Was I being unreasonable, RE: inappropriate behaviour in toddlers play park?

[newcommer]

I took my dd (2y) to the local toddler park today, when we arrived there was a teenage couple sat on the bench, girl straddled on bf lap, still fully clothed thankfully. After a few minutes it was obvious they weren't planning to leave, so I asked if they would please go somewhere else where they wouldn't be in full view of young children, which was met with ' why should we, we ain't doing nothing', which I responded with, ' well you're in a toddler play park, you haven't got any children with you, so can you go and do nothing somewhere else!' they then left.

I haven't got a problem with anyone showing public displays of affection, and had they been seated out in the open somewhere that's fine because you can always just look the other way as you walk by. Now, we could have always just found somewhere else to play, but I don't see why my dd should miss out when she had alot more right to be there than they did!!

So was I being unreasonable to ask them to leave? And what would you have done?

Hoebag- thankyou for the benefit of the doubt, I would ask an adult couple to move, not if they had a child with them- at least they would have a reason to be there. I might be mental, but I'm not a teen basher, I used to be one. I remember what it was like to be young and in lust/love, just used to not have liasons in play areas.

Yabu and extremely rude and arrogant, it's a public place, they have a right to do whatever is legal on the bench in a free country. They weren't stopping your toddler from playing, I would have let them be happily remembering my own youth a toddler wouldn't notice that and if they did you would just say 'aww they're in love, get back up on the slide'.

I suggest you mind your own tyrannical business in future, the next teenagers you choose to pick on may not be the overly nice type that you obviously came across today. Then your poor toddler could possibly be subjected to the sight of something genuinely unsuitable.

You "don't have a problem", you weren't "worried", it "doesn't bother you in the slightest", you were "not offended", so what the bloody hell, in the name of all things holy, is your point? Except that you were "annoyed" that they weren't "using the facilities"? What??!!

YANBU. Can't believe you're getting a hard time here.

Well I can.

PDAs are gruesome.

My point is I haven't got a problem with them doing anything they want wherever, I just think it is wrong that they choose to do it in a small toddler play area. I'm sure someone would say something if it was in a soft play centre that they weren't using for any other reason.

But a soft play centre is a privately owned business. The place you went to today was a public park. The clue is in the word public. And I'm sorry but I'm still PMSL that someone could be so vexed over something they're not "bothered", "worried" or "offended" about.

It's not up to you to decide whether its wrong though. Where they choose to kiss is their own business. You don't have more right to be in a play park than they do, it's a public space. Your child may morally have more right to a swing than they do, but a bench in a park is fair game for teenage snogging.

And it is still only teenage snogging. Unclench.

Toddler play area doesn't equal teenage snogging/straddling your boyfriend area.

Surely that's not hard to understand.

But public area does equal a doing whatever you like as long as its not illegal area.

That's a bit of a sociopathic approach to life.

Most people who live in society have some ideas about how their actions will affect other people.

True, but Teenagers kissing doesn't affect other people.

Whats the temperature over there right now?

What GrahamTribe is saying - either you were bothered, or you weren't.

In our local park, there aren't 'loads of other places to go' - the benches are all where the childrens play equipment is. IMO, any member of the public has the right to use them, so I'd say YABU.

Private behaviour on public display does affect other people. It makes them feel uncomfortable.

I wasn't bothered by what they were doing, just where they were doing it. But hey you win, IABVU, I've ran out of energy now.

Lots of things make other people feel uncomfortable, everybody is offensive to somebody. You can't run your life dictated by other peoples prissy sensitivities.

Probably would have muttered "Get a room" but not confronted them. However, would have wished I'd done what you'd done

PDA's are grim. No-one wants to witness other people's foreplay (well some do, but they usually just download it on their laptops)

I feel a bit bad for you now OP

Just on you saying it was an inappropriate place for them to choose to canoodle in, YANBU.

But unless they were doing something you think may have morally corrupted your DC, it probably wouldn't have been something most would have taken them to task about.

I'd take the opportunity to call all the posters vipers before a Superflounce so you can at least save a bit of face if I were you

You might not get another chance to attain that particular MN badge of achievement

FWIW, I wanted to say something to the teenage lad who was walking along the pavement with his hands down his trousers 'gansta' style, 'Having trouble finding it?' was the best we could come up with, but we were too scared to say owt kept it to ourselves

Too many cheesy grins in those posts, sorry gin

It's alright Agent I can take it, I just don't get it, I can handle BU, but I was under the impression that if people disagreed with you they would give you biscuits, I like biscuits, but now people know that, I'm never going to get one.

IAU obviously and maybe next time I take a different approach, let my DD watch and ask the couple questions :), probably have them running away as fast as they can.

Does that help? I quite fancy a snack myself - like a midnight feast.

We could meet up at the bench and eat a whole packet of the buggers

Oh please!!

but I just think it's unfair that they should choose to be there why? because it was your bench was it? They were talking, being affectionate, I think you massively over reacted to members of the public using a public space!

If they were being inappropriate, then yes..but to make them move because they weren't doing anything...what is the world coming to!

What would I have done? Left them alone to their own devices, if they had started to be inappropriate I would have nicely asked them to move along as I didn't want my children to see that, if they refused I would have left.

But really...asking people to move from a bench, that you didn't even need/want to use??? Please!!

There were a couple of teenagers doing the same outside DCs school the other week too, full-on snogging and groping. Wanted to tell them to get a fucking room

That is different, if they are groping.

But OP didn't say they were groping, just that they were kissing. my 3 & 8 yr old see me & their father kissing lots...I see no issue.

Seems more of an issue that they were using a bench to the op!

when they are a few years older they should consider how their actions may affect others!!

But they weren't actually affecting you, OP! They were minding their own business. Pity you were too busy minding theirs too, instead of your own!