We took our kids to the playground this morning. I didn’t know the parks were not open, saw they open according to the MoCo website.

Someone else had taken down/trampled the orange barrier. I took down the yellow tape. Kids played.

But now I know why I got the stink eye from some folks, and why we were the only ones there.

We are going to keep going. The MoCo website says they are open.

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’m a conservative who’s kids are now older. I DEFINTELY understand your stress level PP! This shutdown would have been horrid for me! Don’t listen to these idiots!

I wanted to rip the orange netting off the playground in the Kenwood, MD, neighborhood. They have had a police car sitting next to the playground for the last three months to ensure compliance.

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?

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.

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.

This is pretty much what I just wrote to the parks email. Makes no sense.

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'm amazed at how many people can't even stand a little deprivation. These things take time in order to figure out in the new scheme of things, no one expected the White House to throw up it's hands, so now every decision has to be made at every level. Did the person who heads parks drop the ball, yes. Should people stop crying on the phone, yes.
Calm down.

NP. I don’t know why, but our family just kind of lost it this week. DH is off next week, so today he packed the kids in the car and drove to his parents so they can do some normal, but low risk summer activities for a few days and I can actually get some work done.

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.

The point to me is -- the county announced playgrounds can open at 5pm today. Parks department does not have the parks open.

In my job, if you say you'll complete a task by a certain date, I'm going to hold you to that. Parks department dropped the ball on this.

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.

Or you could come down to Fairfax where our playgrounds have been open for a week. Just hop on the beltway and come on over. Maybe spend a bit of money at a restaurant here too while you’re at it We’d love your tax revenue even if Maryland doesn’t!

By the way, I’ve taken my kids to 3 playgrounds and it was totally fine to social distance because they weren’t crowded at all. So there goes that smug theory of yours.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Don’t have a yard and live with 2 kids in 850 square foot apartment. So many of my children’s classmates are in the same situation. I’m not crying but very frustrated. This has been really hard on kids, especially apartment dwellers. We have a downstairs neighbor who complains whenever the kids move at all and the playground opening would really help.

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.

Literally none of your arguments make any sense.

As for risk, you should probably check out the latest data on transmission between children, transmission outside, and whether surfaces are robust mechanisms of transmission.