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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be worried about 3 strange grown up men in the playground

66 replies

MintChocc · 23/06/2014 18:35

They came to the playground (without children), and started using the swings. They were talking loudly and drinking beer. A lot of parents left.

Technically the playground is only for children up to 12 and their parents. If I see them again, can I report them? Who to? Sorry I am just asking because I don't know English laws.

Thanks

OP posts:
maddening · 23/06/2014 20:46

It's anti social for a group of adults to hangs around the park drinking alcohol.

My local park gets regularly destroyed by teens and young adults drinking at night.

careeristbitchnigel · 23/06/2014 20:53

Playgrounds are for children, not loud adults swigging beer. It's not fair that the target audience have to leave because of a group of adults that should not be there.

I do sometimes wonder if a prerequisite for joining MN is "lose all sight of decent, normal behaviour"

careeristbitchnigel · 23/06/2014 20:55

and not all adults in playparks want to go in for an innocent laugh. They are a favourite location for dealers to meet their customers.

Not saying this is the case for you, OP but there is a reason why we do foot patrols in parks and playgrounds

Dutch1e · 23/06/2014 20:59

Branleuse Grin

I literally lol'd and then read your response to my fella. Two rare achievements.

Drgonzosattorney · 23/06/2014 21:12

Reason and rationale prevails. They shouldn't be there. As advised by other posters, report the losers!

NewtRipley · 23/06/2014 21:55

Career

Most people on this very short thread agree with you. So I don't know why you making generalistaions about MN from it ..

NewtRipley · 23/06/2014 22:00

Why you are making generalisations about MN..

kim147 · 23/06/2014 22:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CarpetBagger · 23/06/2014 22:11

Yes report it...the play ground is for children.

call 101 its the non emergency police no and THEY CAN DECIDE what they want to do and probably come and move them on.

CarpetBagger · 23/06/2014 22:12

We cant go to our local park because of men in their 20's drinking and smoking spliffs.

HowsTheSerenity · 23/06/2014 22:16

Were they hurting or threatening anyone?
Were they just being annoying knobs?
There are no rules about daytime drinking are there?
Would you post the same question if it was three women?

Hakluyt · 23/06/2014 22:19

They were grown ups using play equipment intended for under 12s and preventing kids from using it. They were loud. And if they were drinking alcohol, people might well be less inclined to approach them. And yes I bloody would mind just as much if they were women. They shouldn't have been there. And anyone who argues otherwise is just being deliberately confrontational. Which is silly.

Drgonzosattorney · 23/06/2014 22:30

Seriously, HowsThe, are you for real? I give up!! Are people just arguing for the sake of it? Well said Hakluyt.

HowsTheSerenity · 23/06/2014 22:58

My mistake - thought id read that the parents had left already.

However, did you ask them to leave? Or did they appear aggressive? Did they threaten your or others safety? If they refused to or you felt unsafe then you are totally within your rights to call police etc.

There is a difference between tipsy adults recreating their youth and drunk yobs being wankers.

Hakluyt · 23/06/2014 23:04

"There is a difference between tipsy adults recreating their youth and drunk yobs being wankers"

But neither of them should be on the play equipment at a time when kids are using it.

And why the fuck should the OP or anyone else have to ask them to leave? They shouldn't have been there in the first place. And even if the park was empty when they went in, somebody might turn up wanting to use the park and be intimidated by their very presence and go away again. It is a park for under 12s. Over 12s should not be using it. I just can't understand why this is even a matter for debate.

BackforGood · 23/06/2014 23:44

Holding a different opinion from you Hakluyt does not mean being confrontational. It means people hold a different opinion from you. Hmm

Hakluyt · 23/06/2014 23:57

Usually yes. In this case, no.

It is not possible to rationally hold the view that it is OK for adults to occupy play equipment specifically intended for under 12s- particularly at a time when under 12s want to use it. It is not possible to rationally hold the view that it is OK for adults to drink and talk loudly in a play park specifically intended for under 12s- particularly at a time when under 12s are using it.

Happydaysatlast · 24/06/2014 04:45

There is a no drinking in public places rule by us.

chrome100 · 24/06/2014 05:36

Goodness, some of you lot are right old misery guts! It's not "unacceptable" or "strange" for ANYONE to use the swings if they do choose. Lighten up.

londonrach · 24/06/2014 06:09

There are now some parks for adults, about time. Across Europe there s always been teen and adult parks. I don't see anything wrong with anyone using the equipment (like a swing myself) but I would not allowed my sisters two near the swings when they were using it. See what I belief is different to how i act. How to confuse me!

londonrach · 24/06/2014 06:10

By the way unless private property and they not doing anything wrong you can't report someone for having fun in the uk.

Iseenyou · 24/06/2014 06:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ComposHat · 24/06/2014 07:43

It seems people on Mumsnet are always champing at the bit to report something to anyone, they must have the cops, social services, dss and the lea on speed dial. Every minute spent dealing with trivial mattees is time they aren't able to hrlp people with real problems.

Adults on swings is annoying, possibly mildly anti social but no more, a bit like noisy children in a museum or gallery. Certainly not worth a nanosecond of anyone else's time.

FishWithABicycle · 24/06/2014 08:00

If there are signs up saying that the play equipment is for under-12s (or whatever age) or if the council ha a byelaw saying so, such that there is a rule they are breaking, then that's one thing.
If the equipment is just there for public use, that's another.
Some playparks are deliberately not restricted for children-only because they are regularly used as a destination for adults with very severe learning difficulties who have a mental age of 4 or 5 but an adult body. They are brought there by their full-time-carers who would obviously try to ensure that families with young children didn't feel overwhelmed by them, but it would be wrong to have rules that would exclude them - and in some authorities that means that the byelaws don't exclude older lads with no such issues.

In any case it is always fine to report antisocial behaviour like this to 101 - it's then up to the police to work out whether any rules are being broken and whether it's happening often enough and seriously enough to be a real problem.

slartybartfast · 24/06/2014 08:00

it is breaking a byelaw, there are generally for 14 years and under and I am sure drinking alcohol is also breaking such a law. and the parents took their dc's away from the park due to the adults.

adults went on the sea saw near me, ages ago, and broke it, what a larf.
not.