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Original poster

Personal trainer using local park to train clients inside actual playground near children

340 replies

lucindalovescats · 07/08/2020 11:25

I was dumbfounded this morning when I took my children to a big local playground in surrey to find a personal trainer teaching an adult man (who was obviously a client) using the play equipment.

She had large heavy metal dumb bells on the floor next to the swings and stretch equipment and a harness attached to the climbing frame.

It was 0830 am (took the kids early today as it's so hot) but there were already atleast 6-8 children playing with their parents so not empty.

I approached them and calmly said that the equipment was unsafe and was preventing the children from using the swings so could they please leave.

They didnt look embarrassed at all and said they were almost finished anyway.
After 15 minutes the man had left but the personal trainer was still there slowly pacing away equipment without a care in the world.
I must admit I lost my temper at this point and raised my voice to say it was completely illegal and unsafe for her to use the playground in this way and that I would be sending a photo of her to the local council. Not to mention it's a pandemic.

She was very brazen and told me I needed to calm down and take a muscle relaxant.

All the while no other parents said a word to back me up.
Why is that people dont say anything? That upset me as much as the situation did.

Or am I just an uptight cranky mum who needs to keep quiet?

OP posts:
LakieLady · 07/08/2020 16:08

one thing doing it in a park (where you usually need a license to carry out any kind of paid work, all you Mumsnet lawyers who apparently think 'no law has been broken' www.southwark.gov.uk/parks-and-open-spaces/hire-a-park-space-run-a-class/park-s-exercise-licence)

The link only refers to fitness, not "any kind of paid work". For which I am thankful, because I've got a socially-distanced appointment with a client and his MH worker in a park next week and if we had to cancel I'd be really pissed off!

honeygirlz · 07/08/2020 16:10

Ugh you don’t want to be using the play equipment after sweaty adults doing a work out . Gross.

TreestumpsAndTrampolines · 07/08/2020 16:11

Bylaws were probably broken if nothing else - I think you're getting a hard time OP.

If a playpark says it's for under 7s, and it's filled with 15 year-olds then that's wrong.

If the playpark is for children, and adults are using it and interfering with the children using it, then that is also wrong.

If they're leaving exercise equipment hanging of the equipment and on the floor, then I'd be interested to see the PT's liability insurance for that.

PeacefulPlease · 07/08/2020 16:13

How selfish of her to train her client in the children’s playground 😮 Some people are just shit

PeacefulPlease · 07/08/2020 16:16

And I’m sorry she abused you OP. Well done for saying something.

As a parent of a very inquisitive toddler I wouldn’t be happy at all about that....do you know anyone with rowdy teenagers? Maybe send them along to join in 🤣

Xenia · 07/08/2020 16:17

"VinylDetective Fri 07-Aug-20 14:28:45

this is one reason we may need resident park keepers again who get accommodation provided by the park in the house in the grounds. They were pretty good at enforcing rules

Who’s going to pay for them? We all know what you think about paying tax @Xenia."

We have almost 3m unemployed. Many would be delighted to be put up in a free park house (many parks still have these houses on the grounds) and mind the park in return for their benefits.

wewereliars · 07/08/2020 16:18

I live in Surrey and OP comes across as absolute distillation of many entitled Surrey mummies I have encountered.

MrsKypp · 07/08/2020 16:19

Some parks specify max age in the play area e.g. 12, 15 etc. If that was not specified in your park's play area then there is no reason why they shouldn't be there.

daisypond · 07/08/2020 16:26

In my local council you need a licence for fitness work and dog walking if they are commercial enterprises.

fascinated · 07/08/2020 16:31

@wewereliars

I live in Surrey and OP comes across as absolute distillation of many entitled Surrey mummies I have encountered.
Oh come on. I’m about as far as you can get from Surrey and I’d be pissed off at adults taking over a kids‘ playground, with no insurance, then giving me attitude about it when I complained. It’s no wonder things are misused, dog poo left everywhere, vandalism and antisocial behaviour left unchecked when the minute anyone points out that someone is breaking a rule, people like you exaggerate and call them things like ‚entitled‘ (when in fact it’s the trainer and client who are the definition of entitled here, looking to hog public equipment for free) and that it’s none of our business. The authorities only enforce the ‚Rules’ in society as a last resort. The social contract is supposed to do most of it, and it used to work reasonably well. It’s now breaking down, and it’s sneerers like you that are the cause because people are now too afraid or embarrassed to point out even flagrant breaches of the rules. Well done.
lyralalala · 07/08/2020 16:34

@Xenia

"VinylDetective Fri 07-Aug-20 14:28:45

this is one reason we may need resident park keepers again who get accommodation provided by the park in the house in the grounds. They were pretty good at enforcing rules

Who’s going to pay for them? We all know what you think about paying tax @Xenia."

We have almost 3m unemployed. Many would be delighted to be put up in a free park house (many parks still have these houses on the grounds) and mind the park in return for their benefits.

Are there many jobs that you'd be happy to give over to people on benefits or only ones that you consider beneath you?
MummytoCSJH · 07/08/2020 16:45

@Xenia Are there no prisons? and the workhouses, are they still in operation?

Hmm
fascinated · 07/08/2020 16:46

More hyperbole. What’s wrong with employing a few folk as park keepers on minimum wage? How is that worse than minimum wage in Tesco or similar?

ballsdeep · 07/08/2020 16:49

Seriously op, get a grip. There are more important things in life to get worked up about

Augustseemsbetter · 07/08/2020 16:50

Parkkeeper was a useful role.

lyralalala · 07/08/2020 16:50

@fascinated

More hyperbole. What’s wrong with employing a few folk as park keepers on minimum wage? How is that worse than minimum wage in Tesco or similar?
There’s a difference between employing people to do a job and mandating them do it for benefits levels

If it’s a job needing done then it should be done for a proper wage. Not another guise of the workfare scheme

Skyla2005 · 07/08/2020 16:57

The other parents didn’t say anything because they thought you were being ridiculous ! You do need to calm down how do you get through everyday life getting so wound up about trivial things ? And then to post about it on here after. My god

itsgettingweird · 07/08/2020 16:58

If he was using a public space to provide a paid service I hope his liability insurance is top notch!

If a a child had fallen in a dumb bell playing in a park designed for children (which probably states for under 12's) he's actually opening himself up to possible trouble.

Disclaimer - I am no legal expert (or legal at all!) I just know the laws around liability are actually quite odd!

rosegoldivy · 07/08/2020 17:07

OP why haven't you come back? Has your muscle relaxant kicked in?

unmarkedbythat · 07/08/2020 17:14

@rosegoldivy

OP why haven't you come back? Has your muscle relaxant kicked in?
Hmmm, I wonder why OP hasn't come back... could it be that the thread has become a pile on with people like you making unnecessary snide comments? Maybe she doesn't fancy being the afternoon's entertainment for a bunch of people who don't seem to have moved beyond the level of playground bullies (which is probably why they are so confused by others thinking a children's playground is not a good place for adults working out, come to think of it).
MrsSpookyM · 07/08/2020 17:15

This is like an "Angry people in local newspapers" article.

Goingdownto · 07/08/2020 17:16

I would be more amazed if the OP had come back after this pile-on.

Goingdownto · 07/08/2020 17:16

I notice 38% of people actually agree with the OP

woollyheart · 07/08/2020 17:28

@lucindalovescats Many posters here must live in very different environments or don't really understand the difference between playground and exercise equipment. I don't live in Surrey, but I have lived in quite a few different places, and people have respected children's playgrounds everywhere that I've lived.

Children generally feel free to play with everything in a play area and you have to remind them not to play with other children's toys. Most older children I know would have been trying to play with her equipment if it was left there. Maybe you need some older children to come along to help you take the swings over next time.

Augustseemsbetter · 07/08/2020 17:30

Also what kids on there own are going to say 'oi you're hogging the climbing frame" to a couple of entitled kidults?