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.

There’s a bench at the edge of the playing field in the village where I grew up. A few years ago the council put some playground equipment in (yay!) next to the bench and erected a fence round the both. Are people seriously suggesting that adults shouldn’t be allowed to sit on the bench anymore to watch the cricket/football because there’s a climbing frame next to it?

Leave the woman alone she can sit wherever she wants! Jesus. What’s the world coming too. Unless the woman is harming you or your child then leave her be. Clearly got to much going on upstairs to confront and record a random woman!

We can all sit wherever we want - surely?!

I can’t believe this post.. insane

Nothing weird, especially if benches are there and the adult was eating lunch, reading a book; they could be waiting for a friend or not..
I would call Police if photos were being taken or if it were a man who was staring at the children inappropriately.

It's not ok to harass someone just for sitting on a bench, that's hardly a crime. Obviously if they were filming kids or acting inappropriately that would be different.

Playgrounds always have a sign saying 'no unaccompanied adults' in my experience. If the adult is there is a child, or meeting a family with a child, then fine, otherwise they should find a bench outside of the playground. I have never known a park without them.

Not where I live. I've never seen a sign saying no unaccompanied adults.

Never seen one either

The thought of it actually makes me smile as it's funny to read 'adults' at the end of 'no unaccompanied'. Of course if they do have that sign it's not for happy reasons but it still makes me chuckle.

Our local play park is halfway up a hill that separates the local newsagents/post office/minimart from the houses at the edge of the village. Lots of people of both sexes sit and watch the children play while they rest before the rest of the their walk.

it would be considered odd here to be suspicious of anyone sitting there.

I think it’s odd but could be a valid reason. Saying that I also thing a mums gut instinct is mostly correct! Yesterday I was at a park and there were a few random men just loitering about the kids play area (not inside) they had no dogs or kids or anything and I didn’t like it.

I have seen a video like that, it seemed like a staged one. Often if there is shouting it is not real just for likes

Definitely didn’t look staged, the woman was a Muslim woman and the other person shouting seemed to have an agenda to me as she mentioned the fact the woman couldn’t speak much English saying “you can’t even understand me can you”, I don’t think it was staged.

Great. Now we’re reaching the place where not only men in the vicinity of children without their own, but also women in the vicinity of children without their own, are assumed to have sexual motivations.

You may have nailed the answer there. Perhaps she felt safe in a space where there were other women and children. 🤷‍♀️

Are we going to get to the point where children are in more danger because of this hypervigilance? If a child is lost or in need of help then no-one will help them if every adult is terrified of going near any child that is not their own in case they get filmed and branded a peadophile.

You don’t own the playground and it’a a free country! They can do as they please 😊

Never said it was a problem my whole post says it’s ok 👍

I wouldn’t be suspicious of a middle aged or older woman doing this, as she might be lonely and genuinely enjoy the laughter and play going on. Or she might be waiting for a friend or relative who is bringing a child.

I would be suspicious of a solitary man doing this though, because statistically their motivations are more likely to be nefarious.

How do you know her religion?

Really? I still take my young adult children who both have severe learning disabilities to playgrounds. They just love having a go on the swings. It’s calming for them. I’ve never seen any signs stating that. I guess I’m weird.

And? Is that it? He might have been meeting someone there with a child or he just didn’t want to walk around talking on the phone in case he bumped into someone. I like to sit down when on the phone.

That explains it then I’m sure she wouldn’t film her if she was white. I’m fed up of rascists posting videos of ethnic minority families and the old well we’re paying for this so I’ve a right to film them.🤬😒

Why? Because women can’t be paedophiles? Think again…

What about a woman younger than middle aged?