Over the years, I’ve had growing concerns over what our parks are intended for. I’ve always thought that parks are open areas for residents to enjoy nature. Pretty basic.
I loved parks while I was growing up. My mom was a single parent and it was probably one of the cheapest things she could do with me and my sister. They had great playground equipment and my mom would light up the grill while we swam at the pool. We’d eat dinner and then go home. We spent many beautiful nights there.
My kids got to enjoy parks as much as I did but in the last 10 years, things have really changed. The first time I realized it was when Pokemon Go came out. The parks were filled with people. They were mostly people in their early 20’s but many older and younger as well.
I heard that other cities were having a few problems, but every time I would go with the twins to our park, it was very peaceful. We were having tons of fun with it. We’d walk along the river and say hi to strangers who were doing the same thing. We got lots of exercise. There were actually people using the parks. Isn’t that what they’re for?
That’s what I thought. It wasn’t rowdy at all. The teens were actually surprisingly quiet. They were just enjoying being with their friends while still doing their own thing.
It’s Always About the Money
Then money came knocking. Businesses in the downtown metro area were mad because the park goers were taking up their precious parking spaces. Their customers couldn’t park right in front of their stores. And so the council meetings began. Meetings for months on end about how to get people to stay out of the parks.
At our own wonderful park that everyone in the city enjoys, we are currently battling to keep a big baseball park out. You will have to pay to enter the park. It would be a disgrace but money always wins so we enjoy it while we still can.
I was reminded of all of this with covid-19. People flocked to the parks because that’s what they were telling us to do. Get out and get some exercise they said. However, after the first week, and the first few nice days of spring, they decided there were too many people at the state parks so they closed them – because there were too many people. They say it’s because of the virus but there must be something more to this.
Why is there always such an uproar when people use the parks?
Yep, it’s criminal, what’s happening!! People staying inside all the time leads to WAY more problems than people using a park!! smh It’s ridiculous.
Right! It’s terrible!!
It’s so sad, when people use a crisis to further ambitions and make money. Politicians always say, “Never let a good crisis, go to waste”.