Mischief, no doubt. Maybe even Tomfoolery! |
Have you ever been to Waters Field??? My goodness--maybe kids playing basketball, baseball and softball at Waters Field across from the Vienna police station! My son and his friends would stop at Waters after getting Chipotle and play some hoops w/parents of toddlers looking on at the tot lot playground at Vienna Elementary School. |
I wouldn't want me kid involved in those sort of activities! Getting exercise and playing pickup basketball w/friends across from the police station and the Vienna Town Hall? That is a one way ticket to juvi hall.
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Cons not McLean
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I have lived in both. This is definitely a pro. Trust me! |
+2 Hella yeah! |
Even my rising 7th grader knows that the kids do drugs at Waters Field. |
Town police would ignore white kids doing drugs but watch out if you are a black driver going 30 rather than 25 MPH on Maple Avenue. |
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I'm the Thoreau/Waters Field PP. Not surprising that on dcum something postitive posted would become controversial and negative.
Full disclosure: yes, I know that boys have met up at or near Waters Field specifically to fight. There are seventh and eighth graders at Thoreau who drink and smoke pot. Perhaps that happens along the trail and or at Waters. I pick up my kid around 430 and he's on the field throwing a football or in a huge pickup touch football game. Gangs of kids sit along side the field and watch/talk. |
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9:43 I stand by my original post. I like this tradition and especially like that it's not micromanaged by moms. Nice independent, social thing that the middle schoolers can do.
I've also taken away DS's privilege to do this once or twice. He likes it that much. |
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And yes, the cops in ToV do NOT mess around. Don't you dare run a stop sign or go over the posted speed. Live here long enough, though, and you quickly figure out the three spots where there's always a speed trap (Lawyers and Colin, in front of the daycare behind old Magruders, across from seventh Day Adventist Church)
But, there are also responsive. I work in ToV and have seen them in action. Called the non emergency line and they were great. |
funny, b/c all of my mom-friends who have had teenagers say that their kids need them more as teens (and need more supervision) than they did when they were in elem. school. In fact, the most dangerous time for young teens is from 3-5 p.m. (statistically speaking) That's when the young teens aren't in school and typically have no supervision leading to drinking, drugs, sex, etc. I'd be careful about getting up on such a wobbly high horse. I actually have never been to Waters Field, but I got the impression that there are hoards of kids who go; that it doesn't always turn out well;and the school system sometimes has to deal with the after-effects of what has happened there. |
| I've seen groups of teens at Waters Fields. It'd be one thing if they were there to play a sport together, but that's not what's happening. It's boys and girls goofing off and hanging out with seemingly nothing better to do. Nothing scandalous, but not exactly wholesome innocent stuff. The type of behavior teens engage in when parents aren't around. |
DP here. Have also lived in both and much prefer McLean. |
PP who prefers Virginia. Other than commute to DC, what do you like better? |