So, this is what happened.
Jul. 30th, 2007 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
After we went to the Central Park Zoo today, we headed over to the Billy Johnson Playground - 45 foot slide!
Now, those of you who haven't been there, let me describe this playground. It has two main attractions for older kids - a big sandbox and a big slide. In between is a network of bridges which prevent people at the sandbox from seeing the slide, and vice versa. There are also baby swings (visible only from the slide) and a gazebo (mostly not visible to any of it, but somewhat visible to the sandbox).
Ana, the baby, and I were going up and down the slide on our boxes. At the top of the slide is a fence that leads to the rest of the park... nothing a kid couldn't just climb over. There isn't much room there, so the line gets chaotic sometimes. Parents often stand up there to ensure their kids don't cut (or get cut) in line. If you have one adult up there, the rest of the adults can all sit down. On the side of the slide are steps to go up more directly than the roundabout route younger kids prefer.
A group of camp kids, maybe ages 6 - 10 (some might have been as old as 12, but I don't think so) shows up, a good 20 or 30 of them. So I left and went back to the sandbox until they ran off some steam. All the counselors at this point were at the slide, with most of the kids. A few of the kids were at the sandbox, and eventually some of the younger ones started throwing sand at each other. No counselor, no counselor... I stepped up quickly and told them it wasn't safe, there's little kids there, do I have to go *get* a responsible adult? Eventually they listened, and listened to me when I said kicking sand was also a no-no.
There weren't any visible counselors to me at this point.
(I'll interrupt to say that if I were there with three counselors (as they appeared to have), I would put one on top of the slide to control the line, one at the bottom to keep kids from climbing up the slide itself (instead of the sides) or dawdling at the bottom, and one at the sandbox. If I had a fourth, that one would walk around.)
Ana convinced us to go back to the slide. There were less kids there... but no counselors. They, I found out later, were all three of them at the gazebo talking! Can't really see the kids from there. At all. And now the kids who were left were walking up the slide or walking up the sides and jumping in in the middle. This is not only unfair to the kids who are waiting for their turns, but it's unsafe - kids speed down that slide on boxes! Another adult went to get their counselor to complain, but I don't know if she found them. It doesn't seem like she did.
And eventually Evangeline and I bumped into one, and I was *pissed*. He could really have been hurt, and that's no joke. And I told him so, I was that upset, while another kid ran for the counselors. By the time the counselors arrive, the kid is back to playing.
And she tells me she was told I screamed at the kid. Untrue... and even if it had been true, she should have been close enough to have *heard* me screaming, instead of having to trust hearsay. And she asks which kid was climbing up the slide. Uh... most of them? I don't know one from the other, they ain't my kids! And I mention the sand, and she goes "Were they throwing sand at you, or at each other?", like it matters, and again won't listen unless I can point out the kid in question. (And if I had, the kid would've gone "Not me!", and whom would she believe?) I ask for her camp's number. She won't give it, but the name is all over their shirts, so that's no problem. I ask for her name, she won't give it.
At this point, *another* woman helps me find the number, so we'll both be calling tonight or in the morning. It's just not safe for those kids, they could have any one of them have just left the playground or gotten hurt, and those counselors would not have known.
It's Church of the Living Hope at, I believe, 104th Street, if you're curious... and if I had to call every Church of the Living Hope in the city, I would.
Incidentally, is there a number to call to report unsafe conditions at a camp or daycare? Because now that I work it through in my mind, I'm wondering if that's what I saw, more than just incompetence.
Now, those of you who haven't been there, let me describe this playground. It has two main attractions for older kids - a big sandbox and a big slide. In between is a network of bridges which prevent people at the sandbox from seeing the slide, and vice versa. There are also baby swings (visible only from the slide) and a gazebo (mostly not visible to any of it, but somewhat visible to the sandbox).
Ana, the baby, and I were going up and down the slide on our boxes. At the top of the slide is a fence that leads to the rest of the park... nothing a kid couldn't just climb over. There isn't much room there, so the line gets chaotic sometimes. Parents often stand up there to ensure their kids don't cut (or get cut) in line. If you have one adult up there, the rest of the adults can all sit down. On the side of the slide are steps to go up more directly than the roundabout route younger kids prefer.
A group of camp kids, maybe ages 6 - 10 (some might have been as old as 12, but I don't think so) shows up, a good 20 or 30 of them. So I left and went back to the sandbox until they ran off some steam. All the counselors at this point were at the slide, with most of the kids. A few of the kids were at the sandbox, and eventually some of the younger ones started throwing sand at each other. No counselor, no counselor... I stepped up quickly and told them it wasn't safe, there's little kids there, do I have to go *get* a responsible adult? Eventually they listened, and listened to me when I said kicking sand was also a no-no.
There weren't any visible counselors to me at this point.
(I'll interrupt to say that if I were there with three counselors (as they appeared to have), I would put one on top of the slide to control the line, one at the bottom to keep kids from climbing up the slide itself (instead of the sides) or dawdling at the bottom, and one at the sandbox. If I had a fourth, that one would walk around.)
Ana convinced us to go back to the slide. There were less kids there... but no counselors. They, I found out later, were all three of them at the gazebo talking! Can't really see the kids from there. At all. And now the kids who were left were walking up the slide or walking up the sides and jumping in in the middle. This is not only unfair to the kids who are waiting for their turns, but it's unsafe - kids speed down that slide on boxes! Another adult went to get their counselor to complain, but I don't know if she found them. It doesn't seem like she did.
And eventually Evangeline and I bumped into one, and I was *pissed*. He could really have been hurt, and that's no joke. And I told him so, I was that upset, while another kid ran for the counselors. By the time the counselors arrive, the kid is back to playing.
And she tells me she was told I screamed at the kid. Untrue... and even if it had been true, she should have been close enough to have *heard* me screaming, instead of having to trust hearsay. And she asks which kid was climbing up the slide. Uh... most of them? I don't know one from the other, they ain't my kids! And I mention the sand, and she goes "Were they throwing sand at you, or at each other?", like it matters, and again won't listen unless I can point out the kid in question. (And if I had, the kid would've gone "Not me!", and whom would she believe?) I ask for her camp's number. She won't give it, but the name is all over their shirts, so that's no problem. I ask for her name, she won't give it.
At this point, *another* woman helps me find the number, so we'll both be calling tonight or in the morning. It's just not safe for those kids, they could have any one of them have just left the playground or gotten hurt, and those counselors would not have known.
It's Church of the Living Hope at, I believe, 104th Street, if you're curious... and if I had to call every Church of the Living Hope in the city, I would.
Incidentally, is there a number to call to report unsafe conditions at a camp or daycare? Because now that I work it through in my mind, I'm wondering if that's what I saw, more than just incompetence.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 01:30 am (UTC)I'm relieved they and you are all right, and think you should definitely contact the church itself. The counselors get paid to supervise the kids, and if they aren't doing so, they should be reprimanded or fired.
But thank fucking god you guys are all right.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 01:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 01:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 02:05 pm (UTC)Also, to assuage your fears, let me point out it is built into a hill. That is, there is not a straight 45 foot drop off the side at any point! :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 01:30 am (UTC)I'm relieved they and you are all right, and think you should definitely contact the church itself. The counselors get paid to supervise the kids, and if they aren't doing so, they should be reprimanded or fired.
But thank fucking god you guys are all right.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 01:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 01:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 02:05 pm (UTC)Also, to assuage your fears, let me point out it is built into a hill. That is, there is not a straight 45 foot drop off the side at any point! :-)