Going to a playground without children?

[CantWaitForOctober]

Just watched a video on Facebook of a woman confronting another woman who entered a playground and sat down without having a child with her. The woman was shouting at her asking her why she was in the playground if she doesn't have any children with her. This happens a lot where I am adults will come and sit down in the playground on the benches. (To be clear I am referring to a children's playground gated with swings and slides etc not a park with loads of grass and benches) although this isn't something I would do personally AIBU to think this is ok and she shouldn't be confronting her and recording her? Lots of people in the comments agreeing with the woman and saying she was right to confront her.

Nothing like that where I am though people would ignore it anyway our local playground says no dogs but people still bring them in

Well, they’re twats. Exactly the people who need to be kept out.

My DC are adults now so I’ve no reason to be in a play-park but I still like a shot on the swings and anyone hassling me about it would be told to go away.

Plenty of people are twats, including those with children. 🤷‍♀️

I agree with you OP. The woman simply sat on a bench in a public place. I think it's awful that she's been confronted in an accusatory manner and posted all over the local social media.

So a person isnt allowed to sit in a park but filming someone in a park probably with chdren in the background and putting it all over the Internet is acceptable. If you are watching your children which you absolutely should be I don't see any danger. I can't stand people who think its acceptable to film people to put on social media

There are loads of reasons a lone female would sit in a park without children. Like PP said, if that’s where the benches are that’s where people will sit for starters. Perhaps that bench holds particular memories of when she was a child, or of bringing a child who has since grown up, moved away or even died. Perhaps she feels it is safer in the playground with families around than a bench on its own or in the trees or whatever. Perhaps she just likes people watching.

Poor woman, the one confronting her sounds like much more of a liability to me.

I wouldn't feel comfortable doing this unless the play park was empty. I'd feel out of place. Plus, I like to have a cigarette when I sit on a park bench, which wouldn't be fair to any children as they'll never have an opportunity to smoke given the incoming rising age smoking ban.

Just the other week I was walking to a park and wanted to sit on one of the benches inside the play area as they were in the sun but the ones outside were under trees in the shade. I decided not to go in the play park as I was worried what people would think. Glad I didnt go in now if there was a chance I would have been confronted.

I took my kids last week (it was kind of late to be fair, but they were hyper) and there was an adult couple on the swings. They rushed to get off but I said it’s okay, my kids need to learn to wait their turn anyway. It’s never really occurred to me that’s it’s weird, it only becomes weird if the person is exhibiting weird behaviour.

In my playground they don't usually get off at all 😂 hog the swings more than the kids

I wouldn’t look twice at a woman, I can see how you might want to sit in a safe space with lots of people around. But I would be suspicious of a lone man. I think the statistics would agree.

Me too, but I think DH is the kind of person who might sit and watch children playing when he’s old. He’s totally harmless and it’s a bit sad I’d be suspicious of him, if I didn’t know him.

I would always be more suspicious of a man - there have been a lot of creeps reported around playparks in our local area. In one instance it was a lone woman caught filming on her phone, when confronted she left and was seen to meet up with two men who were lingering nearby. Terrible state of affairs to even have to think about. I wouldn’t confront anyone myself but I can see why people are on edge.

My Nan used to go down to the local park and sit by the play area. She had dementia. It was just something she always enjoyed to do. There may have been a back story as to why this lady was in the park. It is a public space after all and she can do whatever she likes. The woman approaching her was out of order. Is she next going to approach someone on their own in any public space where her children are playing? What if this was the swimming baths? Anyone can use it, alone or with children, you can’t go round approaching every individual throwing accusations around. The police would tell her the same. If it’s a public space, anyone can be there. If she wasn’t happy, then she needed to remove HERSELF and her children from the situation.

seems wicked to video and confront someone

I think it’s weird because it’s a gated playground. If it was a man doing this then the replies would be different

Women can be pedophiles as well. Yes, statistics, but it’s a fact that women are known to be as well

It depends…at my local playground, there are often groups of youths 16ish taking up a lot of space, occupying the swings for ages and talking loudly. It’s intimidating for the children. I’d also be wary about a single adult sitting and watching regularly, but not so much if someone sits down on a bench and eats their lunch.

My DH's uncle was harrassed at a playground ten years ago because he sat on a bench watching the children...he did this once a week... waiting for me to show up and hand him my youngest DS to watch while I brought my older DS to his weekly meeting with speech therapist (I had to sit in because he wouldn't let me leave).

So even though someone looks "creepy" I'm sure uncle looked like a paedophile sitting there by himself smiling at the children, one should never judge. He's quite the opposite of a paedophile since all his partners have been significantly older than him:)

One of my neighbours does this in our local park quite often. His daughter was killed in an accident when she was 5. He just likes to sit on her memorial bench and see the children playing and imagine she’s one of them, it helps with his grief.

That is a rule or bylaw or whatever and it gives people some authority to challenge an adult or teenager without a child, but it doesn't answer the question of whether there is a massive overreaction to people either sitting where they can or horror of horrors actually enjoying being hearing or seeing children playing.

There are certainly some sick bastards in society, but society is in danger of eating itself.

You teach your children to wait behind adults in a playground? The one place where they should take precedence? Damn right adults should get off the equipment if a child wants to use it.

Well, if you want to bang on about stats, children are far more likely to be abused by people they know rather than strangers. Of course it happens but some woman sitting on a bench in a park surrounded buy dozens of parents and witnesses is very unlikely to be a threat.

Our local playground has signs up saying adults basically have to be with a child to enter. No unaccompanied adults.
There's a park around it for everyone. The playground is for 12 and under and their minders.

Thats probably more about deterring teens from hanging around in the evenings etc. Sadly plenty of paedophiles have children of their own.

The fact still remains that most children who are abused, are so by a relative or someone they know well :(

That said, i probably would assume someone was early to meet a friend, or something.