To think that certain people should be banned from public parks

[ElleBing]

We have a really lovely park near where we live. It's really big, with lots of grassed areas for picnics etc then an enclosed play area.

DH and I took DS there yesterday for a quick run around before dinner time. I noticed that a group of chavs had set up camp next to the enclosed park whilst their kids ran amok inside. The chav parents were sitting on the grassy bit drinking cider, eating junk food and swearing. Two of their kids started fighting one another and rather than try and intervene, the person who I assume was the father sat in the kids' pushchair screeching at the LOs to stop fighting. They carried on drinking their cider before deciding they were going home to "watch Nanny McPhee on pirate wiv a bag ov chipz" then when the motehr of one of the LOs wanted the child to leave the play area she started shouting "come on will ya pooface" Eugh?

All of the other parents were doing cats bum mouth, not just me. I wanted to tell them to shut up with their common mouths and bad language but too middle class, you see? I'dlove to be able to stand up to these people who make life unpleasant for everyone else...

Anyway, DH were talking about them and I said that people like them shouldn't be allowed in parks. They should have an admissions policy. AIBU?

..it sounds like unpleasant behaviour and one that I would be doing cats bum mouth too - but you can't seriously be suggesting that such people should be banned from parks?

Violet - do you really think "poohead" is verbal abuse - not perhaps just a touch funny? seems a very mild 'swear' word to me.

Skinheaded, stringvest n trakky wearing chav swigging cider swearing lout sat in park whilst his kids are being shits = unacceptable.

Straw boater wearing, nice hair and teeth hooray henry swigging champagne and munching strawberries swearing across the play area, all very jolly hockey sticks whilst his kids are being sneakier little shits = acceptable.

Both one and the same people imo, both viewed very differently by society.

Wonder which group would be the ones to be arrested and accused of child neglect by police

I was referring to 'dickhead'

I don't think that anyone who has written on this thread doesn't think that behaviour like this should be tolerated LadyThompson, for some families it is normal though, trying to shelter our children from this is useless. We can't go around discriminating against people because they don't behave the same way as we do though. If I had the choice then I'd want to be in a park free from 'poohead'. I live in the real world though so have taught my child to ignore it and not to repeat it.

poo head I wouldn't find abusive in the same way that dickhead is, though I don't get why anyone would find it funny...?

What's wrong with calling your children by name or nn?

where the hell is this park.you could sell tickets for the entertainment alone

scraps
fighting neds
profanities
alcohol,complex carbs
pirate vids
precious oh my very god mothers sucking teeth at swearing/fighting/nedness

all you need is the park pisser to complete it

lol @ complex carbs

I have to say, although the people concerned seem a little 'unsavoury', at least they had taken the trouble to take their dc's to the park, rather than leave them parked in front of the tv all day

Got some quizzical looks myself yesterday.

We had just finished a picnic and walk in the woods when we stopped off at the pub for some soft drinks before starting a rounders game. Ds was being particularly annoying - the woman behind the bar was taking our drinks order and as she was about to open a bottle of J2O he suddenly changed his mind and requested appletize, then as she was about to open the appletize he changed his mind and didn't know what he wanted - she stood their poised to complete the order whilst he reflected as if there was all the time in the world, at which point I told him to make a decision before I 'throttled' him .

I have a dislike of parks in the summer, all that burnt flesh on display. Bleugh!

stood 'there'

People shouldn't swear near children's playgrounds. Apart from that they haven't done anything wrong and you are an outrageous snob.

I think they were simple carbs rather than complex carbs? Aren't complex carbs wholegrain etc? Sorry, being a pedant today

But Belle, I don't want to shelter my kids from it. I just don't wouldn't to sit near people whose kids were running amok and fighting, and who were bellowing at them while slowly getting sozzled - regardless of what class they were!

Yes, I know parks are for kids to let off steam. No, I am not anti-drink or anti-drinking in parks. But isn't there a difference between relaxing and enjoying yourself and letting your kids do so, and impinging on other people. Unfortunately, some people don't know the difference (or don't care).

Perhaps an admission code is B a bit U, but maybe a code of conduct similar to those found in swimming pools is what is needed? That way Hooray Henrys and White lightning Chavs can be gently reminded what kind of behaviour is acceptable in public??

Yes LadyT - the people concerned should have shown more consideration and awareness of the impact of their behaviour on others, but they have a right to use the public park. End of

YANBU....such people should be banned from all public places. Although I do understand they need to go to ASDA for supplies of cider and fags. Therefore they should be allowed out no more than 2 at a time.

On the very rare occasion I have taken ds to the local pub most of the families (not chavy ones) sit outside, get drunk and smoke whilst their children 'take over' the childrens play area, they then bellow at their children once little Johnny has been hit across the head by little Terry for the 10000th time. This is no different. A public house is a public place.

People don't behave, it's not the right way to teach their children, my child picks up words I rather he didn't but he knows not to repeat them (he does ask what they mean though). I hate pubs, I also hate the park for the same reason but if I can't show tolerance then this is my problem. The park is a big place, there's enough space to avoid them.

Park rules.

No swearing.

No dogs.

Shirts must be worn at all times.

No shouting.

No Braying.

No picking flowers.

No littering.

No alcohol to be consumed.

No smoking.

No illegal drugs.

No urinating or defecating.

No littering.

Please feel free to add your own.

so what would the park rules be?

How about:

No leisure wear on overweight people

No 'grandmothers' under the age of 40

No blue coloured beverages

No circular earings measuring more than 3inches in circumference

I assume you have been flamed good and proper then?

Let's look though at what you say happened.

At the park a group of people were sitting on the grass, drinking alcohol and having a picnic while their kids played unsupervised in the play area. These people were using a lot of foul language in a park where a lot of children were playing.

Their children started to fight and one of the adults began to scream at them about it, while continuing to drink.

Then they decided to leave, calling one of the kids to them with the nickname "pooface"

It's really not great, I'd be cross if I had my children in the play area and they were hearing the foul language. Mainly because they'd probably choose to repeat it over and over for months!

typical mumsnet, you're an "outrageous snob" for pointing out that drinking, smoking, swearing and discussing illegal activities are less that appropriate in a childrens park!
Its rather painfully PC in attitude, isn#t it?

I don't think there is anything wrong with drinking or smoking in a park. The OP didn't mention smoking anyway. If she had simply said 'AIBU to think people shouldn't swear in park' there would have been nothing snobbish about it, but she didn't.

Yes, Riven, personally I think it's right across the board.