What would you do, Incident at Playground

[Anonymous]

Troll. These stories always start off believable and then the "bad guy" becomes some raving lunatic.

I know that it's possible, but there are too many red flags of troll behavior for me.

[Anonymous]

I missed something in the initial post. Why were parents arriving to pick up their kids looking at the kids on the playground in disgust?
I would have stuck up for the kids, but I also would have made it clear that there's no need for foul language either

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trolling level ,9000

grad student. psych experiment.

yes.

[Anonymous]

Here's the truth:

Older kids are older kids. They have the right to be what older kids have always been. When school lets out, they are going to hang at the playground. They are going to blow off steam.

You of the pristine little babies - play somewhere else at that time of day.

I am certain that this did not harm your children.

[Anonymous]

OP you did the admirable thing. Heck, yesterday I chastised a lady for throwing a cigarette butt on the ground in my neighborhood! (I picked it up and threw it in the trash). I would have told the man "are you INSANE??? That is no way to speak to a child, any child!"

[Anonymous]

I would have told the man "are you INSANE??? That is no way to speak to a child, any child!"

Do you think that would have any effect on him? What if he were unstable? Do your children need you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The man who had called the children "Beasts" then proceeds to tell me comfortably "Their little asses need to be in jail, little nigger beasts"

I then immediately excuse myself from the conversation and went over to the children.

I'll tell you what I did in a moment, but first, I'd like to get your opinion. What would you have done, if anything?

The givens are as follows:

1. You in no way feel threatened by the children. All children are less than 4 feet tall, no one has weapons, no one is belligerent.
2. You have your two younger children with you
3. You are in a public park/recreation area

Looking forward to your responses.

I hope I have the guts to do the right thing, but I'd walk over to the man and confront him. I'd tell him it's inappropriate to talk to children that way and I'd tell the kids there are little ones here and they need to watch their behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just think the kind of middle-aged, white guy who would talk and act like that is not the same kind of middle-aged white guy who frequents NE DC playgrounds. The demographic does not exist in that area.

You are soooo clueless. I was at a private school in NW DC for a sporting event and a middle-aged white guy turned to me after a black kid scored and he said... that scholarship money is paying off.

NW DC old white guy is a different demographic than NE DC old white guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just think the kind of middle-aged, white guy who would talk and act like that is not the same kind of middle-aged white guy who frequents NE DC playgrounds. The demographic does not exist in that area.

You are soooo clueless. I was at a private school in NW DC for a sporting event and a middle-aged white guy turned to me after a black kid scored and he said... that scholarship money is paying off.

NW DC old white guy is a different demographic than NE DC old white guy.

How do you know the guy was nw dc guy. The fact is many people are racist, judgmental, and rude. (Especially inside the beltway)

[Anonymous]

Confrontation Results:
Do you think it will change a racist's behavior?
Is it worth getting yourself hurt?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here, regarding the parents question, I'm not certain.

And the races?

+ 1

Say what you mean OP! Whose parents were they? Were the kids all black?

[Anonymous]

I have seen this several times on playgrounds and I live in NE DC. Some people DO look down on "groups of black kids" (if that is the demographic). You would be surprised by the comments I've heard. And yes, I've seen many negative looks when parents see a group of black kids arrive to a playground or already there.

OP, I'm glad you stood up for the kids. I wish I had the courage to do that when I saw adults yelling at groups of kids who were just being kids (albeit with some rougher language). I will be more confident to do that the next time I see it.

Again, folks who don't live here. This type of stuff happens more often than you think. There is general tension in gentrifying areas, but kids don't understand it and shouldn't have to bear the terrible load. There are black and white folks on both sides that want their daily life experiences a "certain" way and anything outside of that is met with an entitled confrontation.

[Anonymous]

Also, if you happen to be at a playground with both parents and their kids and hear the parents cursing literally every other word, you would be forgiving to the children who use a few curse words in their daily talk. They are kids who are often being most influenced by their parents.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the group of kids then brings a group of teens and young adults to pick them up at the playground later and perhaps those kids are the problem. It happens.

And yeah, I think the OP is a troll. The wrap up of the story is way too convenient and really why she was tromping off playing social worker, where was her own kid?

[Anonymous]

I've seen older kids on playgrounds horsing around and being very loud. Whoever chaperones them needs to keep them in line.