Remember that thing about MoCo Parks/Playgrounds Reopening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

I didn't realize Montgomery Parks isn't part of Montgomery County government. Apparent it's part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It's set up as an independent entity under the state, not the county.

Still, they had plenty of warning to get things ready to open.

But Maryland allowed playgrounds over a month ago. They didn’t because of MoCo restrictions. They need to pick one or the other - they can’t be setting public health policy.

Ignoring PH experts is what got us into this mess.

+1 to both of you. I always thought the parks department was a department within the montgomery County government.

To me it’s not even about playgrounds being open but about how much time they’ve had to prepare and how much confusion there is now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

I didn't realize Montgomery Parks isn't part of Montgomery County government. Apparent it's part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It's set up as an independent entity under the state, not the county.

Still, they had plenty of warning to get things ready to open.

But Maryland allowed playgrounds over a month ago. They didn’t because of MoCo restrictions. They need to pick one or the other - they can’t be setting public health policy.

Ignoring PH experts is what got us into this mess.

+1 to both of you. I always thought the parks department was a department within the montgomery County government.

To me it’s not even about playgrounds being open but about how much time they’ve had to prepare and how much confusion there is now.

The thing that really blows me away is that they waited until just a couple hours before everyone thought things would open before they said they wouldn't.

And they they acted surprised that anyone thought they were opening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

I didn't realize Montgomery Parks isn't part of Montgomery County government. Apparent it's part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It's set up as an independent entity under the state, not the county.

Still, they had plenty of warning to get things ready to open.

But Maryland allowed playgrounds over a month ago. They didn’t because of MoCo restrictions. They need to pick one or the other - they can’t be setting public health policy.

Ignoring PH experts is what got us into this mess.

+1 to both of you. I always thought the parks department was a department within the montgomery County government.

To me it’s not even about playgrounds being open but about how much time they’ve had to prepare and how much confusion there is now.

The thing that really blows me away is that they waited until just a couple hours before everyone thought things would open before they said they wouldn't.

And they they acted surprised that anyone thought they were opening.

People will simply start to cut down the tape themselves thinking it’s ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

I didn't realize Montgomery Parks isn't part of Montgomery County government. Apparent it's part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It's set up as an independent entity under the state, not the county.

Still, they had plenty of warning to get things ready to open.

But Maryland allowed playgrounds over a month ago. They didn’t because of MoCo restrictions. They need to pick one or the other - they can’t be setting public health policy.

Ignoring PH experts is what got us into this mess.

+1 to both of you. I always thought the parks department was a department within the montgomery County government.

To me it’s not even about playgrounds being open but about how much time they’ve had to prepare and how much confusion there is now.

The thing that really blows me away is that they waited until just a couple hours before everyone thought things would open before they said they wouldn't.

And they they acted surprised that anyone thought they were opening.

People will simply start to cut down the tape themselves thinking it’s ok.

Well, that's ok with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It will be next to impossible for kids to socially distance at playgrounds. Plus germs could potentially spread on the equipment. It just is not worth the risk especially for house dwellers with yards.

It turns out a lot of families in the county don't have large single family homes with yards. That might be hard for a lot of DCUMers to understand.

If you do, then stay home with your kids. It'll leave more room for my kids. And even without that, I'll note there are plenty of playgrounds in the county that rarely had kids of them even on the pre-COVID days.

Particularly given the transmission rates with kids, I find it incredibly hard to believe that playgrounds are more dangerous than indoor restaurants.

But fields and green spaces have been open throughout. It’s the playgrounds with equipment that are problematic from a health standpoint.

Indoor restaurants are worse, I agree. I don’t think they should be open either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

I didn't realize Montgomery Parks isn't part of Montgomery County government. Apparent it's part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It's set up as an independent entity under the state, not the county.

Still, they had plenty of warning to get things ready to open.

But Maryland allowed playgrounds over a month ago. They didn’t because of MoCo restrictions. They need to pick one or the other - they can’t be setting public health policy.

Ignoring PH experts is what got us into this mess.

+1 to both of you. I always thought the parks department was a department within the montgomery County government.

To me it’s not even about playgrounds being open but about how much time they’ve had to prepare and how much confusion there is now.

The thing that really blows me away is that they waited until just a couple hours before everyone thought things would open before they said they wouldn't.

And they they acted surprised that anyone thought they were opening.

People will simply start to cut down the tape themselves thinking it’s ok.

Well, that's ok with me.

Me too. Snip snip!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
But fields and green spaces have been open throughout. It’s the playgrounds with equipment that are problematic from a health standpoint.

But how problematic are they really? Now that we know surface contacts are a low risk for transmission, and that the virus doesn't remain viable long on surfaces under real-world summer conditions, that pretty much just leaves child-to-child transmission.

Given we also know kids are both less likely to pick up COVID, and also less likely to pass it on should they become infected, this sure looks like a manageable risk.

Anyone that can should wear masks. Toddlers should stay stay away from others, seeking to limit anything beyond brief, incidental contacts. If you think really think playgrounds will be overrun, keep major regional playgrounds closed while opening local/neighborhood playgrounds.

[Anonymous]

let's organize a first world problem playground snipping protest maybe we could get a food truck to come

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, if the county has the parks open, why is it illegal for us to cut the orange netting and just play? (And some playgrounds don’t even have that.) Sure, if there is additional steps that have to be taken (eg, gates unlocked, water turned on) the parks dept has to intervene. But I am not clear why they have authority here over public use alone?

The same reason the park police can enforce your dog can't be in the playground area, or you can't be in the park after dark. They can set their own rules for access.

Now, I'd love to see you get a ticket and go to court. Then show up with the video where Elrich says playgrounds can open at 5pm on Friday, and say you assumed that it was OK. I'm sure it'll get dismissed. Call the local news -- they'd love this too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But fields and green spaces have been open throughout. It’s the playgrounds with equipment that are problematic from a health standpoint.

But how problematic are they really? Now that we know surface contacts are a low risk for transmission, and that the virus doesn't remain viable long on surfaces under real-world summer conditions, that pretty much just leaves child-to-child transmission.

Given we also know kids are both less likely to pick up COVID, and also less likely to pass it on should they become infected, this sure looks like a manageable risk.

Anyone that can should wear masks. Toddlers should stay stay away from others, seeking to limit anything beyond brief, incidental contacts. If you think really think playgrounds will be overrun, keep major regional playgrounds closed while opening local/neighborhood playgrounds.

We dont yet know that kids are less likely to be infected, or less likely to pass it on. We only know that they are less likely to show symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I totally get that people are frustrated... but... crying because the parks aren't open? I seriously envy the kind of life PP has where they think something like this is an actual problem worth crying about.

And I want to know what kind of pleasant life you lead that your kids haven’t been stressed out for the past three months, or however long this thing has gone on for now. Yeah, not having safe places to play for children IS an actual problem for many, many people. Wake up, PP.

I realize some people don’t have yards, but for those who do, I don’t see why they are upset about not going to playgrounds.

I never played at playgrounds growing up. My school didn’t even have one. We just had a field and some blacktop.

Kids survived without playgrounds for thousands of years.

It will be next to impossible for kids to socially distance at playgrounds. Plus germs could potentially spread on the equipment. It just is not worth the risk especially for house dwellers with yards.

We never had a playground either. We played "outside." Boo hoo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I totally get that people are frustrated... but... crying because the parks aren't open? I seriously envy the kind of life PP has where they think something like this is an actual problem worth crying about.

And I want to know what kind of pleasant life you lead that your kids haven’t been stressed out for the past three months, or however long this thing has gone on for now. Yeah, not having safe places to play for children IS an actual problem for many, many people. Wake up, PP.

I grew up in a high rise apartment in a country where the playground was not accessible 6-9 months of the year due to weather. Yes, my kids are missing their playground and activities and school and friends. But no, this is not a crying matter.

Crying PP here. Glad someone appointed you the Crying Czar who can tell others how to feel
This isn’t the worst thing that has ever happened to me, and I didn’t say it was. But it IS disappointing to have it yanked away at the last minute, and it’s not like I was sobbing uncontrollably anyway.

Thank you for exhibiting an adult response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:let's organize a first world problem playground snipping protest maybe we could get a food truck to come

I'm solidly in the "reopen playgrounds" camp, but I've got to admit that I love this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:let's organize a first world problem playground snipping protest maybe we could get a food truck to come

I'm solidly in the "reopen playgrounds" camp, but I've got to admit that I love this post.

I'm the one who posted it and I want playgrounds open too. As long as it is safe. whatever that means ............

[Anonymous]

Experts have said it is safe. When they said it wasn’t, I listened. Now when they say it is (because our understanding had deepened and because conditions have changed), we should also listen.