Man with no kids at playground

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need more information. How old is he? Does he just walk or does he do anything else (look at a phone, listen to music, etc.)? Is he dressed appropriately for the weather/activity? Do you get the impression that he's mentally disabled or on the spectrum?

I'm a prosecutor and my initial thought is that he is cognitively disabled or on the spectrum and that he enjoys the playground, but doesn't appreciate that his behavior is alarming to others. Walking around in a small area draws attention to him, which is something that you wouldn't expect an actual child predator to do.

That's a lot of assumptions there. Your law school should have taught you better.

How so? I said “my initial thought” not “the undeniable and inescapable conclusion.” It sounds like you didn’t quite understand what I wrote.

So you are just making stuff up. That's an even worse failure on the part of your law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is is OP — wow, did not realize this thread would become a debate around whether this was acceptable behavior or not and absolutely wouldn’t have guessed it would result in me being called a racist, a nazi, or the type of person who would join a lynch mob. I’m hoping that you all are just a bunch of trolls because those accusations are absolutely unhinged and couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s honestly shocking that it’s so controversial that a mom going to a playground alone with her young children would feel uncomfortable when literally any adult man was there by themselves circling the children’s playground equipment. Even though it’s probably not dangerous, it’s undeniably socially weird behavior and I’m not going to put myself or my children in a situation where there is any chance of a threat to their safety.

To everyone who is normal and validated that calling 311 makes sense, thank you. I will be doing that next time I see this happening.

You do that and we’ll laugh at you Karen

Nobody is going to laugh at it, including the police.

Stop harassing OP because you are a troll with nothing better to do tonight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom taught elementary school, and they had a guy who would come and do his “exercises” at the playground during recess. Turns out he was a sex offender. Just call the police if something feels off. They are trained to handle someone who might just be autistic, and can easily distinguish from a creeper. They also had issues with some of the local developmentally disabled guys coming to the playground at my mom’s school, and they ended up working with the group home to explain to them that they couldn’t be there during school hours.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need more information. How old is he? Does he just walk or does he do anything else (look at a phone, listen to music, etc.)? Is he dressed appropriately for the weather/activity? Do you get the impression that he's mentally disabled or on the spectrum?

I'm a prosecutor and my initial thought is that he is cognitively disabled or on the spectrum and that he enjoys the playground, but doesn't appreciate that his behavior is alarming to others. Walking around in a small area draws attention to him, which is something that you wouldn't expect an actual child predator to do.

That's a lot of assumptions there. Your law school should have taught you better.

How so? I said “my initial thought” not “the undeniable and inescapable conclusion.” It sounds like you didn’t quite understand what I wrote.

So you are just making stuff up. That's an even worse failure on the part of your law school.

Why are you so obsessed with me?

[Anonymous]

This will be hilarious when Karen calls 311 for an adult walking around a playground

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I would just avoid that playground for a while. Check back in a week or so to see if he’s still there.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:How would you handle this situation?

On a daily basis there is a man with no kids who walks in circles around the local playground for a LONG time. Like literally around the equipment not like on a path or something.

It is super creepy and makes us avoid going, which feels unfair to my children. Should I reach out to 311? How would you handle?

I agree that this is likely behavior related to neurodiversity, and that it is unfair to your kids to have a parent who is intolerant of neurodiversity to the point that they restrict healthy outdoor activity.

What to do? Go to the park.

Bingo. OP, it seems that you are the problem here. In case you didn't know, people who prey on children are often the most socially-savvy and pleasant people you meet. They develop that persona to lull you into a false sense of security so you give them access to your kids. Often they're coaches or volunteers.

Dp. I understand why op is concerned. While he likely isn't a predator, his behavior is unusual. Even if he is autistic and this loop of the equipment is part of his routine, none of us can tell op how he would react if he were approached by a child or adult. We don't know if he might behave in a way which may upset a child. Also, if he is on the spectrum or otherwise cognitively disabled, why is he not accompanied or supervised by another adult?

Sorry, but there is no guarantee in a public setting that your child will not be "upset." If you don't like that, don't take your child to a public park. And many, many (most?) adults with autism are fully functional without supervision.

OP, this is one of those things that you have to accept as the price of living in community and in society. He has just as much right to be there as you do.

LOL - No, childrens' playgrounds are not build for cognitively disabled adult men to circle. They do not have a socially acceptable right to be there, even if it is not against the law. You are insane.

There are no such things as “socially acceptable rights”. People with disabilities have exactly the same civil rights as other citizens. Whatever right your child has to be there is the same as his.

These are the people who 100% be in a lynch mob if the opportunity struck.

Wow! No cause to equate concern about unusual behavior with racist violent murder and desecration of human remains.

The people who lynched people were convinced they were doing the right thing too. You're not better than they were.

Please stop. Don't compare lynching to anything and certainly not op's concern. No one is suggesting to torture and hang this wandering park rando. The most "extreme" advice was to call non emergency police number and ask them to talk to the guy. Now, if the man is black, that could be a dangerous thing (for him.)

People with developmental disabilities are killed by the police at a higher rate than black people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen a developmentally disabled adult with a caregiver at the local playground. He was yelling having fun and other parents called the police and complained. It was sad but I understand confusing and maybe scary for the kids.

If the kids were scared they were probably taking cues from their parents. The solution to their fear is more inclusion not less.

It is important to understand that when we remove people with developmental disabilities from the public view, we put them at risk. Private spaces without witnesses are where abuse is at its highest. So, pushing a person with disabilities out of public spaces is putting them at risk of abuse.

Similarly, people with developmental disabilities are at high risk in encounters with law enforcement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom taught elementary school, and they had a guy who would come and do his “exercises” at the playground during recess. Turns out he was a sex offender. Just call the police if something feels off. They are trained to handle someone who might just be autistic, and can easily distinguish from a creeper. They also had issues with some of the local developmentally disabled guys coming to the playground at my mom’s school, and they ended up working with the group home to explain to them that they couldn’t be there during school hours.

A school playground during school hours is entirely different from a public playground. Presumably a mother with toddlers would have been asked to leave too because the playground is reserved for students and staff at that school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen a developmentally disabled adult with a caregiver at the local playground. He was yelling having fun and other parents called the police and complained. It was sad but I understand confusing and maybe scary for the kids.

If the kids were scared they were probably taking cues from their parents. The solution to their fear is more inclusion not less.

It is important to understand that when we remove people with developmental disabilities from the public view, we put them at risk. Private spaces without witnesses are where abuse is at its highest. So, pushing a person with disabilities out of public spaces is putting them at risk of abuse.

Similarly, people with developmental disabilities are at high risk in encounters with law enforcement.

And "the kids are confused and scared" applies equally to kids with developmental issues. I know my kids have been confused by differences on playgrounds before, kids with disabilities, kids who don't speak English. We talk about it and they learn not to be confused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See something, say something

Except there’s nothing to see. Is it a public playground? Is he doing anything illegal?

A man pacing around a playground? That is something to see. Whether he is "doing anything illegal" or not. Report it, OP. Let the police decide how to handle it.

You are a bad person yourself. I would like to report YOU for making our communities so hostile to normal people minding their own business. A park is a public place and unless someone is doing something criminal or harmful to others then they should be free from police harassment. You think that you are protecting your community when you should realize that many of us in your community feel the need to protect ourselves from you.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Go up and talk to him. Why engage the police when you can simply say a hello?

Sure that always works well, trying to reason with a grown a*s adult who is too clueless to realize he is making women and children have to feel guarded.

Why are women always second class citizens who are always expected to make way for men?

There is nothing to talk about. He needs to leave because playgrounds are for kids. Go walk anywhere else in the park.

Playgrounds are not only for kids yoy gate keeping cloenn

Oh sure now playgrounds are for everyone. Yeah! It’s so awesome everyone feels included at playgrounds including drug addicts, alcoholics with glass bottles, dogs, pedophiles, homeless camping under play structures, weird adult men who like to walk in tight circles, etc. since everyone has a right to be there. That’s exactly why public playgrounds were created and supported by tax dollars. Children were just an afterthought. They need to learn to share, right?

Playgrounds for all! What a fantastic way to get popular support for new playgrounds or to get support to use tax dollars to maintain and upgrade playgrounds.

Did you just compare people with developmental disabilities to pedophiles, dogs and broken glass?

Actually I think they just compared anyone who isn’t an UMC White Woman with a child to pedophiles, dogs and broken glass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen a developmentally disabled adult with a caregiver at the local playground. He was yelling having fun and other parents called the police and complained. It was sad but I understand confusing and maybe scary for the kids.

If the kids were scared they were probably taking cues from their parents. The solution to their fear is more inclusion not less.

It is important to understand that when we remove people with developmental disabilities from the public view, we put them at risk. Private spaces without witnesses are where abuse is at its highest. So, pushing a person with disabilities out of public spaces is putting them at risk of abuse.

Similarly, people with developmental disabilities are at high risk in encounters with law enforcement.

hallelujah someone with a brain

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See something, say something

Except there’s nothing to see. Is it a public playground? Is he doing anything illegal?

A man pacing around a playground? That is something to see. Whether he is "doing anything illegal" or not. Report it, OP. Let the police decide how to handle it.

Men without kids should never be allowed at a kids playground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:See something, say something

OP didn't see anything.