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Boring Playgrounds

edited April 2011 in Everything Else
I remember when I was a kid my parents took me and my siblings to a playground/park thing in the mountain somewhere with all kinds of fun stuff.

There was a stream running through it with a large tree intentionally cut and laid over the stream as a bridge.
There was a climbing wall which was tall enough that if I climbed to the top my dad couldn't reach me without climbing up a bit himself.
There were swings, not the ones shaped like a pair of underwear that you couldn't get out of without someone lifting you.
There were monkey bars, not the ones where your feet drag on the ground when you're hanging from them.
There was a zip-line type thing. Not sure what it's called but it was like a zip-line on a rail.
There was a big metal sliding board. Which was genuinely large.
Basically there was a bunch of stuff there, some of which was so 'dangerous' that responsible parents would have to tell their kid: "have fun, but don't climb the wall and stay off the trampoline."
It was the parents responsibility to make sure their 5 year olds weren't playing on stuff that was made for 12 year olds.


Well Last weekend my sister was in the emergency room and I volunteered to take care of her kids. One 7 year old, one 10 year old, both boys.
Not having any kids of my own I didn't realize how much playgrounds had changed over the years, so I took them to the only playground I could find on short notice:
The kind with a merry-go-round which I swear had some kind of hydraulic system in it to keep it from going faster than walking speed.
The kind with the monkey bars where the kids had to duck to go underneath.
The kind with the plastic sliding board which is actually a tube that zaps you when you get off. (I call it the negative reinforcement slide. Designed to emit an electrical shock to train the child not to climb ladders.)
The kind with a tire swing which is 3 inches off the ground and held up by 4 chains so that it cannot be spun or move outside a 2' radius.
Not even the 7 year old had fun. We spent about 10 minutes there and then I finally decided it sucked. So I went to Goodwill bought 3 sets of the cheapest clothes I could find and we played in a stream on one of my friends property. That was actually pretty darn fun. We caught a pile of crawfish, which we later BBQ'd and ate.


Why do playgrounds have to suck so much? How can we make non-sucky playgrounds without getting sued to death?

Comments

  • Why do playgrounds have to suck so much? How can we make non-sucky playgrounds without getting sued to death?
    Imagine that the majority of people in your town cared about this issue, and agreed with you. Now imagine going to town council meeting to argue that the playground needs to be more dangerous. They don't agree. So you run for town council or mayor on a platform, and one of your major points is that you need less safety for the children. Good luck getting elected.
  • See, on one side, I have fond memories of that super-dangerous play equipment. On the other hand, I also remember the kid that was killed at the local park, because the see-saw - basically a shortened telephone pole with handles and a fulcrum - came down on the poor little bastard's head when he tripped near it playing Tag.

    However, you've struck upon the solution - Get creative, and do something else. As Scott pointed out, not likely you'll get it changed, so engage the spirit of creativity at poleaxing yourself we all had as kids. Do Something different. Hell, playing in a stream with an adult who is paying attention - as I assume you were, taking care of kids - isn't exactly the death zone on Everest. It's probably about as safe as one of those playgrounds*. It's just different, and interesting, and therefore more fun.

    *- Unless your safe-ish playgrounds are even worse than ours. They're pretty safe and sedate, here, but not too bad, and some relics remain, such as the pedal powered whirlygig in Broadwater Park. Great fun when you're drunk.
  • Yea, I loved those old playgrounds but damn would I get screwed up on them. I can remember getting the air knocked out of me on a See Saw, being burned on a really freaking hot metal slide and wondering if I was going to die on those spiny things. All of those definitely built character :-p
  • RymRym
    edited April 2011
    Things are coming around a little. There is a very safe but also very awesome playground near my building on the river. It's tall and full of things to climb way too high on and/or fall off of, yet has a good design to prevent injury and a surprisingly soft landing surface.

    I would play there, but I'd probably be arrested...
    Post edited by Rym on
  • If someone wants to make a lot of money, design playground equipment that parents will accept as being super safe that is also actually fun and not boring as hell.
  • I would play there, but I'd probably be arrested...
    Bullshit NYC park regulation prevents non-minors from going into a public playground unless you are accompanying a minor. Even then, I think you can still get in trouble for trying to actually play.

    I read a really sad story about a nice homeless guy (not a crazy/dangerous homless guy) who would play chess in the playground and teach all the children. He got fined $50 because the chess tables were inside of the area that was technically the playground, and now he can't go back. There are plenty of other parks in other areas where the chess/checkers boards aren't near the playground, but now he can't teach the childrens. Yes, he was actually a nice old guy and not a pedophile. I know, shocking?
  • If someone wants to make a lot of money, design playground equipment that parents will accept as being super safe that is also actually fun and not boring as hell.
    It should involve giant hamster balls in an arena.
  • Things are coming around a little. There is a very safe but also very awesome playground near my building on the river. It's tall and full of things to climb way too high on and/or fall off of, yet has a good design to prevent injury and a surprisingly soft landing surface.
    Yeah, there's an elementary school around here with crazy, great, modern equiptment. There's this one thing that is like a wavey platform that tilts at certain places and is suspended about three feet off the ground. You're supposed to try and run across it without falling off, and you can really hit the ground hard if you slip.
  • How can we make non-sucky playgrounds without getting sued to death?
    Make your own. On your own property. The most awesome swing sets I've ever been on, were the ones we had in our backyard.
  • How can we make non-sucky playgrounds without getting sued to death?
    Make your own. On your own property. The most awesome swing sets I've ever been on, were the ones we had in our backyard.
    Yeah but I don't have kids, aside from taking care of my sisters' children once in a blue moon I'd have no use for it.
    I could do a Michael Jackson and make a Neverland Ranch type thing in my backyard and let all the local kids play in it, but then I would be liable if one of those kids cracks his head on a see-saw.

    The laws are not conducive to children having fun.
  • How can we make non-sucky playgrounds without getting sued to death?
    Make your own. On your own property. The most awesome swing sets I've ever been on, were the ones we had in our backyard.
    Just don't let anyone else's kids use them, otherwise their parents could sue you.
  • How can we make non-sucky playgrounds without getting sued to death?
    Make your own. On your own property. The most awesome swing sets I've ever been on, were the ones we had in our backyard.
    You will be liable if any kids go onto your property and get injured using the playground, even if you didn't know about it.

    Attractive Nuisance - a dangerous condition that may attract children onto land, thereby causing a risk to their safety.

    Attractive Nuisance Doctrine - a person who owns land in which there is a dangerous thing or condition that will foreseeably lure children to trespass is under the duty to protect the children from danger
  • Yeah but I don't have kids, aside from taking care of my sisters' children once in a blue moon I'd have no use for [a fucking awesome swing set].
    Really now? Well,
    I would play there.
  • I disagree with the principles of attractive nuisance law on a fundamental level. The most minimal of due diligence should be full protection. E.g., a fence or gate (even if unlocked) and no trespassing sign.
  • I disagree with the principles of attractive nuisance law on a fundamental level. The most minimal of due diligence should be full protection. E.g., a fence or gate (even if unlocked) and no trespassing sign.
    I agree, and I even take it to another level, as that is my style. It should be the responsibility of the children's parents to prevent them from trespassing on other people's property. If they let their kids trespass on my property, I should be able to sue them even without a fence!
  • If they let their kids trespass on my property, I should be able to sue them even without a fence!
    For what damages?
  • edited April 2011
    I disagree with the principles of attractive nuisance law on a fundamental level. The most minimal of due diligence should be full protection. E.g., a fence or gate (even if unlocked) and no trespassing sign.
    Not that the doctrine imposes a duty to protect. Generally the more you can show you have made an effort to deter the trespass, the more likely it is that you have met the duty. It doesn't say you have to protect the kids at all cost - just that you need to take reasonable measures to deter the kids from coming in and getting hurt.

    Personally, I think if a kid is stupid enough to come onto my property and use my shit, then they deserve what they get. I'm pretty sure my parents would feel the same way. That's why you TEACH your kids not to mess with other people's shit!
    If they let their kids trespass on my property, I should be able to sue them even without a fence!
    For what damages?
    You don't have to show actual damages for a trespass suit. The injury is to your property right; the right to exclude.
    Post edited by Nuri on
  • edited April 2011
    If they let their kids trespass on my property, I should be able to sue them even without a fence!
    I'm pretty sure it's not trespassing until they have been duly informed that they are not allowed to be on the property, and subsequently ignored the warning.

    I think. IANAL. Now, I will go look up the relevant New York statutes.

    Seems like I might be on the mark:
    A person who enters or remains upon unimproved and
    apparently unused land, which is neither fenced nor otherwise enclosed
    in a manner designed to exclude intruders, does so with license and
    privilege unless notice against trespass is personally communicated to
    him by the owner of such land or other authorized person, or unless such
    notice is given by posting in a conspicuous manner.
    It seems a bit nebulous in places, but it generally seems like just being on property isn't necessarily trespassing unless it's really really obvious that it's private. A fence immediately makes something private.

    Relevant New York laws.

    And really, this makes sense. If you have a bigass field, and it's not obvious that you own or use it, how can you hold someone liable for not knowing that it was yours? That's stupid. But a fence is universally understood to mean "you should only be in here if you have permission."
    Post edited by TheWhaleShark on
  • Yeah, we're not talking about big ass unimproved fields. We're talking about a backyard behind a house.
  • edited April 2011
    Yeah, we're not talking about big ass unimproved fields. We're talking about a backyard behind a house.
    Then put up a goddamn fence. It may even be required by local zoning laws. And it's a good idea. Fences deter unwanted things from coming into your yard. Not just trespassers, either; stray and wild animals can really fuck things up too.

    And if you live in a subdivision or development where you have a neighbor like 100 feet away, you'll probably want some way to mark your property line. Believe me, I've watched people fight about property lines and such. Just put up a fence and take care of it.
    Post edited by TheWhaleShark on
  • I'm pretty sure it's not trespassing until they have been duly informed that they are not allowed to be on the property, and subsequently ignored the warning.
    Nope. Common law doesn't require intent or knowledge for it to be trespass.

    Fun fact: Criminal trespass and tort trespass are different. You can't sue someone for the crime of trespass. Isn't law fun???
  • On my playground, we had big tube slides which we would load up with as many people as possible and then bring in the fat kid to knock us all down. Fuck safety.
  • edited May 2011
    I remember In elementary school the side of the hill that our school was on always got icy in the winter and we'd slide down it. Sometimes we'd find a particularly icy patch and have a bunch of people stand in the way and plow through them all. Fuck safety.

    And of course we always played the game of "have people push you and swing as high as you can and jump off" which I'm sure isn't allowed anymore.
    Post edited by ninjarabbi on
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