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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be upset with the woman with dog in a playground

134 replies

MumOnAShortFuse · 27/10/2015 13:29

I was walking my dog at a local area that has a popular playground. It has a strong swing gate in it that has a very obvious sign that quite clearly states no dog by way of a nice little picture of a dog with a red line through it. At least, I thought that the sign made it obvious. I saw a woman with her kid and her dog in the playground whenI drove past to park. As they were still in there 15mins later (with said dog off his lead and running about on, and jumping on and off,some of the play equipment that has a platform on) I approached her and advised her she shouldn't have the dog in there. I've got 2 DD and I often don't take them in there as there is dog poo in there.
They were the only ones in there and she was insistent it was ok as she had bags with her.
I pointed out this wasn't good enough and if it said no dogs, it means no dogs whether they've pooed in there or not. If we know we're going to the playground, my dog stays at home. If it's been spontaneous, he gets tied up to the railings on the outside of the park.
She didn't like this pointed out and seemed to feel I was being unreasonable. Thoughts?

OP posts:

MajesticSeaFlapFlap · 27/10/2015 13:31

I honestly don't see the big deal.
No one else was in the park and she said she had bags.

MajesticWhine · 27/10/2015 13:31

Obviously YANBU. No dogs means no dogs. She sounds a bit thick.

Twitterqueen · 27/10/2015 13:35

Yes, you were unreasonable.

You drove past and 'noticed' this..
and then you approached her later and told her off, although you didn't have your DD with you and you didn't want to go into the playground.

Of course she shouldn't have had the dog in there. But if she was on her own in the playground with only her child and her dog, I would have just walked away.

There's being in the right, and then there's just being interfering...

gamerchick · 27/10/2015 13:37

Some dogs owners are like some parents.

They think the rules don't apply to them.

WorraLiberty · 27/10/2015 13:38

They were the only ones in the playground and you thought you'd busy yourself by going out of your way, to tell her off?

YABU

You remind me of that Harry Enfield character, who used to say "You don't want to do it like this, you want to do it like that"

LittleRedSparke · 27/10/2015 13:39

dog poo might get picked up, but traces remain and its still gross. If it says no dogs, then its not hard to keep your dog out!

LemonBreeland · 27/10/2015 13:40

YABU because at that point it was not affecting you. If you had been in the playground with children and she brought her dog in then I think you would have been within your rightsto say something. But saying it because you were passing just makes you look like a busybody.

VeganCanBeFabulous · 27/10/2015 13:40

I think YANBU. Just because she was the only one in there at the time doesn't mean other people who might have wanted to go in wouldn't be put off. My 5 year old is very wary of dogs and would have been frightened by a dog jumping up on things. If we had been planning on going in he would have been scared and would not have wanted to go in. The playground is there for children NOT dogs and she was being unreasonable.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 27/10/2015 13:41

YANBU. Dog shit smears and playparks do not mix, neither to dogs and wee children.

Lazy dog owners using the fenced areas of parks (playparks/tennis courts) do exercise their untrained dogs safely off the leash is one of my pet hates.

Those saying there was no-one else there - perhaps that is partially because people felt uncomfortable taking their kids in?

honkinghaddock · 27/10/2015 13:44

No dogs means no dogs regardless of who is in there. I know a few children who would not have gone in there if they had seen a dog in there and in my experience people don't remove their dogs from playgrounds when others arrive.

starkers1 · 27/10/2015 13:45

YADNBU! Cant believe anyone else would say otherwise. With a young DS I'm so grateful that play grounds/areas ban dogs so I know he can run around happily to his hearts content and not worry if he falls/stumbles in grass etc. I am disgusted that some people think rules don't apply to them and they still take their dogs into this area. I also would've said something.

There'd still be trace faeces left over if the dog did poo. Just read up on toxocariasis=
The worms produce eggs, which are released in the faeces of infected animals and contaminate soil.
Once the eggs are passed into sand or soil, they can survive for many months. Humans can become infected if contaminated soil gets into their mouth.

formerbabe · 27/10/2015 13:46

Yanbu.

This pisses me off big time. Playgrounds are dog free for good reason. Surely even if you clear up after your dog, there could still be residue left on the ground.

I have challenged people who allow their dogs in dog free zones....They have without doubt been some of the most ignorant c*s I've ever had the misfortune to try to reason with.

Damselindestress · 27/10/2015 13:47

YANBU, if it says no dogs allowed it means no dogs allowed, they are allowed in other areas, just not the playground. She was BU.

spanisharmada · 27/10/2015 13:49

Yanbu, a dog free zone is a dog free zone. I think it was good of you to say something even though it wasn't directlY affecting you at the time, to just think 'ah well not my problem' smacks of the old 'I'm alright Jack' attitude which I can't abide.

StrawberryTeaLeaf · 27/10/2015 13:50

Thoughts?

YABU for ending an OP like that. That is all

PeterParkerSays · 27/10/2015 13:51

Having bags won't help if the dog wees against the slide will it? Dogs stay tied up outside the playground's perimeter fence.

StampyMum · 27/10/2015 13:53

YANBU - I would not have gone into the playground if there was a dog in it. Dog owners can be deluded and selfish, and this is just one example.

thelittleredhen · 27/10/2015 13:55

I felt the same when a man was walking his dog (off the lead) through the churchyard the other day.

No dogs means no dogs.

RiverTam · 27/10/2015 13:55

If she's twat enough to take her dog into the playground when it's blindingly obvious that she shouldn't, then she's twat enough not to remove her dog the second another child entered the playground, or to properly clean up after her dog. Yanbu.

Original poster

MumOnAShortFuse · 27/10/2015 13:57

Thanks for all the replies. I really didn't want to be confrontational about it with her, but her attitude was immediately defensive I found myself getting really annoyed with her. We ended up having a heated discussion on it and it's been on my mind since.

OP posts:

SarahSavesTheDay · 27/10/2015 13:59

Well, you do have a point but I think it's a bit strange that you made a special trip to an otherwise empty playground (without your kids) to tell this woman she shouldn't have her dogs in there. It strikes me a bit as 'borrowing trouble'.

Axekick · 27/10/2015 13:59

I would say Yabu, as you went out of your way after driving past. But that's up to you. In all honestly I wouldn't have bothered.

You say it's often full of Poo but also a popular play ground...really? Lots of parents take their kids to a playground covered in poo?

Yabu to say you didn't want a confrontation.....that's exactly what you went to do. To Confront her and tell her to move.

LuciaInFurs · 27/10/2015 14:02

YANBU and I haven't got children or dogs, rules are rules.

Original poster

MumOnAShortFuse · 27/10/2015 14:07

Sorry I maybe didn't make it clear. I saw her in there with her kid and dogas i drove past to park up and go for a walk with my kiddie and dog. I didn't say anything thinking she probably wouldn't be in there long but seeing as she was still there with it 15 mins later and I had to drive past again, I stopped the car and got out to talk to her.
I was initially feeling that as she was the only one in there, that it was probably not a real issue, but to still be there 15mins later with the dog all over the equipment made me change my mind. We didn't have time to stop at the playground that day, but we often do. Sometimes I've had to pick up poo that's in there before my kids can play. Sometimes I can't face it after clearing up after my own dog that we turn around and go somewhere else.
I'm sure she was telling the truth that she had bags with her but it's often hard to get every trace of it off and I thought that was the reason for no dogs?

OP posts:

PegsPigs · 27/10/2015 14:12

Ours says no dogs or bikes. I'm really impressed how everyone every time I've been is respecting it. They just tie their dog up away from the gate and prop their bikes up. YADNBU.

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