to be amazed that I had to ask a woman to take her dog out of the "No Dogs" area / playground today

[LittleRedBook]

and that I was the only one to do so?

Got into playground / green area on our local common and huge staffordshire-type dog runs up to me and ds who is only just 2.

There are about 100+ acres of green space on the common for dogs and 1/2 an acre of fenced off area for playground and no dogs. Two signs say quite clearly on the gate that dogs are not allowed in.

So I go up to woman with dog and say, quite pleasantly and calmly "scuse me but do you realise that you're not allowed to bring dogs in here, please would you take yours out?"

Cue massive litany from this woman about why she should be allowed her dog in the area (she had 4 kids with her), how the dog would be stolen if she tied him up on the other side of the railings to where they were sitting; not her dog so a bigger responsibility to keep him near; why was it a problem if the dog crapped or pissed anywhere cos she'd let the kids have a wee on the grass if they needed one; she didn't know that you couldn't bring dogs in when they came in; she'd tied him up now so why was did it matter ...

She was an au pair and she ended by calling me a bitch and telling me to fuck off - in front of her charges... nice.

But what I really wonder about is why the other 12 or so parents already in the playground, some of them men, were keen to congratulate me for standing my ground until the dog was removed - but hadn't had the guts to say something themselves. AIBU to wonder why people don't grow a pair? Perhaps I was BU to have a word with this woman?

This drives me crazy! We went to a lovely local castle estate yesterday, acres of land, woods for people to walk dogs. The only area out of bounds to dogs is the play area which is fenced off and gated.

Two women with several children came in with a dog, off the lead no less!

I asked them if they knew that dogs were not allowed in the play area and they said they were going to take it out in a minute. Ten minutes later they were still there lighting up cigarettes I was just about to go and ask them to take the dog out when a park warden pulled up in his van and as he approached they took the dog out. Although as we left they re-entered around the other side!

I am a dog lover and owner myself but play areas are dog free for a reason and I hate it when people ignore the rule. Not least because it gives all dog owners a bad name.

They should also be amoke free too.

sorry smoke free not amoke free.

I wish I was brave enough to tell people on the beach. Not only can the dog owners not read the notices they don't take any notice of the lifeguards telling them through a loudspeaker either.

Last time we were there one pissed on our sandcastle (dog, not owner).

Good for you for standing up and saying it. I have said similar to a women who was letting her dogs frighten swans, as in "get your dog out of the water". I also added "your dogs barking is upsetting my baby" to which she replied, "your baby will have to get used to barking" I said " no she will not!"
These people cannot see sense as they think we should all have untrained dogs around as a matter of course - why?!!

YANBU and although I HATE confronting people,if I think something needs saying (and no-one else is doing it) I will speak up. I'm suprised none of the other parents backed you up though. Even if I wasn't bothered by the dog, if I'd heard that woman swearing & you and calling you a bitch I'd have said something to her. Totally uncalled for, especially in front of children.

I once had a go at a group of teenagers in the cinema who were clearly not interested in the film, just talking, getting up & walking up & down the aisles & in and out, swapping seats & generally disrupting peoples' enjoyment. I finally flipped when two of them sat on the steps in the aisle next to me and flicked their popcorn everywhere. Gave them a right telling off (no swearing though) and they left. Everyone applauded me when they left but no-one backed me up at the time & I felt quite stressed and grumpy for the rest of the film.

YANBU. Well done for telling her off.

YANBU AT ALL! Well done! As well as the park, I also can't stand seeing dogs on a 'NO DOGS ALLOWED' stretch of the beach. I think it was brilliant that you said something, very brave though- I am more prone to doing pathetic under breath muttering/loud passive-aggressive complaining rather than having a proper grown up confrontation. I expect the other people in the play area were all very pleased that you had the guts to be direct.

YANBU. Wehave a veyr large park with masses of open spaces and a small, walled in botanic garden with some open spaces. It isn't a playground but a garden, with displays and everything, very pretty, and no dogs for obvious reasons.
I love to take the DD's walking in there as they can run around on grass and round trees with no worries about poo, but then I see people in there all the time with dogs, and invariably, when I say 'Excuse me, but dogs aren't allowed in this bit' they reply
'But they are on a lead!'

I am ashamed to say that when DD2 had just started walking and I was being extra precious I replied 'So what? a lead doesn't turn it into a fucking cat does it?' to a pensioner

but he deserved it.

Well done, you did the right thing and it sounds like this woman might think twice before doing it again which is a good thing.
I think in life that there are people who will say something and people who won't almost no matter what the circumstances so I wouldn't be too amazed about that. I take your point though, someone could have come over and backed you up.

We have stuff like this constantly in our park. I don't like dogs coming up to my daughter but so many owners do allow it.
Long ago I used to own a rescue dog that was extremely aggressive and had to be always kept on a short lead and away from people as he was prone to snapping if anyone tried to touch him so I do know how important these issues are.