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

[lucindalovescats]

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?

[justoverthehorizon]

in my local park there is a sign saying that the equipment is for use only by people under 15...so I have of course never been on the swings. honest guv!

[NameChange84]

I’m shocked that other posters don’t see this as wrong.

They weren’t just in the park, they’d attached things to the play equipment! The kids couldn’t use the climbing frame or the swings.

It’s not like they were just working out on a patch of grass here.

Maybe it does breach Health and Safety Rules of the park OP. If they damage the play equipment ie weaken the frames/damage the swings or even if a child is hurt through falling over the equipment/getting tangled in it then I’m sure the local council wouldn’t want any cause to be blamed. I can’t see them being happy with this set up.

[Waxonwaxoff0]

How is it illegal?

It is annoying if an adult is using the children's equipment but not illegal.

And what does the pandemic have to do with it? If it's for hygiene reasons that's ridiculous because an adult using the equipment isn't going to be any less hygienic than the hundreds of children that have used it.

I hope you didn't take a photo and send it to the council because they will think you're ridiculous.

[Tohaveandtohold]

Yes, calm down and take a muscle relaxant!. I wouldn’t mind this so long as they are not taking over the whole space and being a cf about it.

[RedskyAtnight]

As long as they were making sure that no children used their equipment, I can't see what was unsafe about it? How was this different to children (for example) tying skipping ropes the climbing frame and propping tree branches up against it?

It would have been courteous for them to move away from the equipment to allow children to use it, but again that's an issue you get with children hogging equipment anyway!

[scrappydappydoo]

I think if they were just using the space then I think that’s fine but they should have left the minute children arrived. Not using play equipment for its purpose by attaching things to it could make it dangerous and unstable and preventing children from using it is not on. I would have muttered but not been brave enough to say something. I think inconsiderate is a better description rather then illegal.

[Elastins]

Attaching things to the climbing frame would be unsafe.

There is nothing inherently unsafe about attaching things to a climbing frame. It depends what the bit of kit was, how and where it was attached, and what type of climbing frame it was. Given that a climbing frame is designed to hold a number of children scrambling all over it, it’s designed to bear weight - it’s an ideal structure to attach a “harness” (by which I’m assuming OP probably means something like a TRX) to and do some body weight stuff with. A climbing frame is pretty similar in terms of form and function to a gym rig tbh, but likely far better fixed into the ground and far more robust.

[Heffalooomia]

Let us know what the council say won't you...

[Ginger1982]

I couldn't get worked up about this. It was all over 15 minutes later?

[Spikeyball]

"Only if the climbing frame isn't securely fixed itself."

I think the council would say it was unsafe because it isn't designed for that purpose.

[Cattiwampus]

In our local playgrounds, it’s the rule that only under 12s can use the equipment. Attaching adult exercising nonsense to play equipment would count as using it. And putting stresses on it that it wasn’t intended to bear.
Ask the council what the rules are.
Complain about it on your local SM page and see how others feel.

[pigsDOfly]

I thought play areas for children had an upper age limit.

Surely the pt shouldn't be attaching things to a climbing frame that is there for children to use and making use of other play equipment in a children's play area?

[tttigress]

Yet another person using Covid to rationalise their grievance against another person. Covid is the gift that keeps on giving for angry self centred Mumsnetter's.

As others have said, what law has been broken?

[Heffalooomia]

It is a bit of a cheeky thing to do but I hope the council will respond by installing adult outdoor gym type equipment, that would be a result👍

[amicissimma]

"Why is that people dont say anything? "

Probably because they don't think there's any need to.

Personally I'd be grateful that they weren't leaving used needles and syringes lying around as the 'adults' who use our local play park do. A delay of a few moments while they removed some equipment wouldn't bother me.

[Spikeyball]

And if someone does it and someone gets hurt the council won't want the health and safety hassle about it.

[Pebblexox]

It's a bit inconsiderate, but Christ on a bike they've done no harm.
You're overreacting massively.

[Cattiwampus]

Unleash feral children with water pistols.

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

I think it is good that the parks get used more by PT. Far better than being stuck inside a gym. Boot camps springing up all over the place which can only be good for people's health and fitness levels.

In my local park there are the usual child and dog walkers, professional dog walkers, the occasional children party, a Saturday morning term time football club and some PT. Plus a couple of tennis courts with professional tennis coach giving lesson during the week.

[ScorpioSphinxInACalicoDress]

I'd rather have a PT and their client next to me than some godawful precious parent thinking Junior should be allowed up the slide the wrong way (taat ) because the law doesn't say he can't.

[jellybeans44]

No wonder no-one backed you up oh my god LOL!!! honestly can't believe you lost your temper at them!!!

[burritofan]

Could be worse, OP, the last three mornings in our nearest playground I've found dog owners in the playground letting their dogs shit there. As in, in the playground, within the fenced-off bit with signs saying "No dogs, £100 fixed penalty". Which actually is illegal, not to mention sociopathic. And bizarre given the playground is surrounded by an entire park they could let their horrid animals ruin.

I'd be mildly annoyed at adults using children's equipment but by comparison to my fury over the FUCKING DOG SHITTING BASTARDS I'd struggle to get worked up, tbh.

[Iminaglasscaseofemotion]

I agree with you that they have no need to be in the actual playground, and shouldn't be attaching things to the play equipment, but you massively over reacted. You had already approached them and then you started shouting at her while she was packing up to leave! I wouldn't have backed you up either. You caused an unnecessary scene. She was probably taking her time to annoy you.

[TheMandalorian]

I would have been annoyed with this. Attaching something to the climbing frame can damage it, especially if this is her new business model and is going to happen frequently. I may have said something politely (found out the name of the business) and then taken pictures and sent off to the local council. This is not a police matter.

[Toilenstripes]

I wouldn’t have even noticed anything wrong with the situation. It’s not for you to police public spaces. Do you normally lose your temper?