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.

This is my thoughts too. Terrible to have to think that way but a woman can get away with it more than a man.

Most playgrounds have signs on them saying no unaccompanied children. I could see the appeal as no dogs and some people are afraid of dogs.

What's no unaccompanied children got to do with an unaccompanied adult

I assume the poster meant that all the children in the playground will have an adult with them. Which means the adult sat on a bench isn't alone with lots of unsupervised children.

Of course they wont be

I mean you can ask a polite question but why film it and embarrass someone online for a few likes? It’s unkind. I’d be more suspicious if it was a lone man, that isn’t sexist to say. Men are statistically more likely to be predators.

I mean you can ask a polite question but why film it and embarrass someone online for a few likes? It’s unkind. I’d be more suspicious if it was a lone man, that isn’t sexist to say. Men are statistically more likely to be predators.

Yes I find it very odd, only last week there was a man in the children’s playground on his own and he approached me and asked if he could ask me a question. I thought he would ask me something kids related but he asked if I was married I asked him to leave me alone. He left the park so thats how I found out he was without a child in the park, total creep.

Yes it happened to me last week. A lone man was sitting in the playground I didnt know he was alone I assumed he was with his children. He approached me and asked if I was married I asked him to leave me alone, he left the park alone so I found out he was a creep in the kids playground looking for women. Creep

On the one hand it’s a public space and they are entitled to sit there. On the other it would make me feel uncomfortable, especially if it was a lone man, and I’d probably take my children away and find a different park.

An unaccompanied woman wouldn't bother me at all- I'd assume she was meeting someone or just fancied hanging out in the playground. An unaccompanied man would concern me more, but I also think there are plenty of people (male and female) who like to see children play in a completely non-dodgy way. It's sad that we have to assume the worst, although I can see why.

I think its odd that anyone without a child
would enter a fenced off gated designated children’s play park to sit on a bench and watch random children play.

Id actually take my children and leave.

You’d probably end with a group of teens coming and harassing the adult out of the park for being “noncey” after a short while anyway. With added video on tiktok no doubt.

There was a man who did this at the park near me 2 days ago, came into the park along speaking to someone on the phone.

My town has a very large park which has a playground at each end. The park itself doesn't have very many benches so I have in the past used the benches in the playgrounds.

I wonder if the woman felt safer in the playground than in the open park or maybe she loves kids and likes to watch them play or maybe, she is lonely. Any number of reasons she could be there.

I would be much more worried about a man sat in the playground, however, which could be completely irrational of me!

I think this comes under the category of "its fine if a woman does it, but weird if a man does it".

Although not according to the creator of the video and all the comments from people agreeing she was right to confront the woman.

The world has gone mad when a woman can't sit and watch children play. I used to walk past a school playground going to get lunch some working days, the sheer energy (and noise) was amazing and I would dawdle and maybe pause for a second or two just to watch. Probably a hanging offence by now.

If there were limited sitting places and mum's wanted them fair enough to give the seat up to them, or if it was crowded and you were going to be in the way find a seat or watch from outside. Adults using the equipment, even if it was quiet no way. But if the rules say only adults with children are allowed in then that's the rules and people should obey them.

The song is not about a pedophile - it's a story of homelessness and how society deals with it and about how people see him.
Inspired by a photograph Ian Anderson's wife took of a homeless man.

Most people would probably believe I sit in play parks on my own but actually I let my daughters walk on ahead and I just sit quietly so I’m there if they need me while giving them a bit of independence so it’s not always what it seems

As a mum to two moody teenage boys I do sometimes sit in the park and watch the little ones play. They are so delightful, the excitement and the reactions everything is fun and I remember when mine were little and reacted in the same way. I miss those days but I certainly don’t have any bad intentions it is just a reminder of days gone by.

Who cares if you like it or not though? It's up to you not to go there if you don't like it, not somebody else to be moved on.

Depends on the playground I think, the times it’s happened near me my kids have been the only ones in the playground so it was obvious the adult was alone

Fucks sake. The old nonce on every corner narrative. Grow up and stop reading the daily mail.

Are you not going to be watching your children in this fictional playground?

If I am honest, I do find it a bit odd.
The only time I'd ever consider doing that is if I felt so unwell/tired that I had to sit, and there was nowhere else suitable.