To expect an outdoor gym to not be used as a playground by children?

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

Went for a run yesterday and afterwards went into an outdoor gym which is (unfortunately) next to a kids' play park. There are some weights attached to vertical beams, an exercise bike, ropes, cross trainer and markings on the ground for relay runs. Loads of signs saying age 13+ only and children weren't to use it as play equipment.

It was absolutely over run with small kids aged about 4-10 climbing all over it, using the equipment and just generally getting in the way while their parents sat in the play park in clear sight of them doing nothing. When I did manage to use some equipment kids were waiting as if we were taking turns. I'd been on the exercise bike for about 15 minutes with one little girl who was about 6 staring at me...she went to get her mum who actually came and asked if her DD could have a go as she'd been waiting for ages I said no this bike is for adults and they she got all huffy and was all "Never mind darling, the lady won't get off so we'll have to just wait won't we". I was then doing relays on the markings and they were running in front of me nearly knocking into me. I gave up in the end!

Is it really so much to ask that parents tell their children to keep out of adult only areas and stay in the massive park built for children? Want to go again today as it's a great little gym, council spent a small fortune but CBA with all the unsupervised kids.

@Womencanlift

YANBU we have the exact same set up near me and I have been wanting to use it but it’s right next to a huge, adventure play park. Really don’t understand why they would want to sit on a leg press rather than a pirate ship!!

Because kids always prefer stuff that's supposed to be too old for them and that they're not really supposed to be doing!

Yanbu.

And I also get annoyed by adults using the children’s playground for boot camp stuff which I used to see in our old park - there was a personal trainer who was a repeat offender.

yabu

Ooh the equipment sounds really good! I assume they are next to the play area so parents can use while keeping an eye on the kids but I’ve never seen adults using the various ones near us.

I would be annoyed too, especially as we were told by park staff my dp's disabled dd couldn't use the (adapted) swing in the kids play park because she's a adult and it was for kids. If they want to enforce rules it goes both ways and so they don't discriminate they need to install a disabled swing in the adults only area!

@OhShitShit

I’m torn. Prepared to be flamed too....

Normally I’d say YANBU, and I certainly don’t let my DS play on the adult gym equipment BUT for over a year now- until last week- parents have had nowhere to take their kids except the local park. (Where we live we’ve only had a break from lockdown / additional measures for a few weeks all year)

Even the most avid swings and slides enthusiast will be bored of them by now.

Kids have given up an awful lot this year. There have been no classes, no soft play, school closures, no swimming, no travelling, no grandparents, no days out for such a long time...

I understand why you were annoyed, I really do. To be honest though, I’d find it hard to get upset on my own account in the current context.

This is ridiculously entitled. I've also really struggled with being stuck at home so much with a little child over the last year but I don't think it means he can now treat the whole world as his playground regardless of how it affects other people!

I actually think it's poor planning to have it right next to the play park as I imagine the kids easily spill over from playground to exercise machinery, they probably see it as an extension of the playground.

Kids often play on the one near us and I never thought anything of it as I've never seen an adult using it! But even so YANBU.

YANBU, although our local park has had the opposite problem - 'personal trainers' using the play equipment for their workouts. Equally infuriating!

Ours is the same either over run with kids or completely empty bar two topless men with loud music swearing and generally making anyone else wanting to use the area uncomfortable

Reminds me of a brilliant outdoor gym I saw on holiday.

Really posh, expensive, beautifully designed equipment in some quantity. The best bit of the design is that it’s on a strip of land between a dual carriageway with no fencing down the side

So parents would have to be utterly insane to let their kids in... we’ve been three times and never saw a single child!

Op next time just go over to the play park wait grumpily for your turn on the slide and swings.

Yanbu. We have one of these in my local park, and it’s generally occupied by small children with parents watching on. I really like the idea of using it (and have on the rare occasions it’s free), but I feel very uncomfortable with using it if there are children about - ridiculous, I know, but it makes me feel like I’ve just walked into the kids’ area and starting playing on the swings: lone weirdo alert! Also, like it’s not really for adults and I’m embarrassing myself. I think it wouldn’t be so bad if families were using the equipment. But, no, it’s kids on it, adults watching.

Just an extension of the other two areas for children, both of which have had new equipment recently.

This pre-dates Covid by a long way.

@Hardbackwriter

I’m sorry I’m prepared to be flamed but not to be told I’m entitled?

I clearly said that I wouldn’t let me DS do it, but I can understand how bored children would like to play on something “exciting” and parents with lower levels of resilience, more children, less resource at home etc, are on their knees?

I don’t see how that makes me entitled?

My old park gym was covered in toddlers well before COVID. It’s not a COVID thing. Actually, there’s a little skating/ bmx area in my old park too. I felt so sorry for the older kids who were trying to use it properly.

@Yourcatisnotsorry

Ooh the equipment sounds really good! I assume they are next to the play area so parents can use while keeping an eye on the kids but I’ve never seen adults using the various ones near us.

I guess this must be the logic but it doesn't work at all - I really think putting them next to playgrounds just encourages people to let children use them. In general park designers often don't seem to know any children - like a pp said about toddlers using the play equipment for older children, which I agree is an issue, but often occurs because they put in an area ostensibly for under 5s which is all too small for an 18 month old and offers no physical challenge to a child who can confidently walk so parents of, say, a 3 year old can't keep them in it for more than 5 minutes and just let them go on the 'big kid' stuff.

@Jobseeker19

yabu

Why though @Jobseeker19 ?

[quote OhShitShit]@Hardbackwriter

I’m sorry I’m prepared to be flamed but not to be told I’m entitled?

I clearly said that I wouldn’t let me DS do it, but I can understand how bored children would like to play on something “exciting” and parents with lower levels of resilience, more children, less resource at home etc, are on their knees?

I don’t see how that makes me entitled?[/quote]
I don't know how to describe thinking that children can inconvenience others 'because they've had a hard time' other than calling it entitled. Because it is entitled.

I would have told the mother the child could have her turn when she was 13 as stated on the the signage.

Yanbu.
I can't be doing with people who can't read.
On a tangent I had 2 men walk into my place of work, the door has to be open for appointments, they stopped and read the extremely large sign telling them not to come in unless they had an appointment. They then ignored the huge sign telling them to sanitize their hands and wait to be seen. They marched up to my desk and asked if I could provide a service then there and then. I asked if they had an appointment and when they said no I told them to leave and follow the procedure needed. They then asked again if they could get what they wanted, errrr no, they looked agog I told them in no uncertain terms to leave and that they had ignored the huge signs telling them not to come in!
Christ how hard is it? We have been operating like this for over 12 months. Why do these people think they are so special?
The mother of this child sounds like a tit.

I also think the adult gym should not be near a kid s play area, just so it discourages use by under 13 year olds.

Probably because it was a busy sunny saturday that it was hard to get on the equipment.
I thought these outdoor gyms were to encourage older kids and teens to be more active. They dont have same resistance as proper gym equipment, but i bet if you went for a run in the week youd get more availability

There’s an outdoor gym like this in a park by me and last summer when restrictions eased I can remember going in there and the equipment was covered in children. Surely they are adults only for reason! I.e they are dangerous for children?! bet these parents would soon kick up a stink if their precious darlings injured themselves.

@UselessTrees I was thinking the same thing. Busy Saturday morning in the children’s playground and two guys using the monkey bars to do pull ups. Poor children desperately waiting to be able to play on the equipment!

@OhShitShit

I’m torn. Prepared to be flamed too....

Normally I’d say YANBU, and I certainly don’t let my DS play on the adult gym equipment BUT for over a year now- until last week- parents have had nowhere to take their kids except the local park. (Where we live we’ve only had a break from lockdown / additional measures for a few weeks all year)

Even the most avid swings and slides enthusiast will be bored of them by now.

Kids have given up an awful lot this year. There have been no classes, no soft play, school closures, no swimming, no travelling, no grandparents, no days out for such a long time...

I understand why you were annoyed, I really do. To be honest though, I’d find it hard to get upset on my own account in the current context.

As a mother, I think this is a ridiculous statement. The fact is, the quipment isn't for under 13s. Most likely due to it being dangerous for them to use and their bodies not being physically big/strong enough.

Just because kids have had a tough time, it doesn't mean they get to do what they likr at the expense of others and their own safety. The playground is for kids to PLAY, the excercise equipment is for older people to EXCERCISE.

We have the same set up at my local park. I have let my toddler look at the equipment, shown him how it works when he has asked about it, sat him on the seat with me holding him etc, but wouldn’t let him use it like a playground (it’s not safe for a start) and definitely wouldn’t let him bear if any adults were using it or wanting to use it. I’ve never seen adults using them though, maybe they stick to early morning and later evening when the children aren’t around!