This is surprising, even for a nanny state like the UK.
In the United Kingdom, the Watford Borough Council has voted to bar parents from watching their children play in two area parks.
Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said, “Sadly, in today’s climate, you can’t have adults walking around unchecked in a children’s playground.”
Has it gotten that bad? Or is there a little overreaction going on here?
In place of the parents will be police-vetted “play rangers.”
If Watford wants “play rangers” roaming the parks that is fine, but then why not have the parents there too? The only parents who would leave their kids in a park are the ones who should not be parents or are looking for some cheap babysitting.
This policy will only endanger the children more since the three staff members present could not properly police a park full of kids.
The parents have called the policy “ridiculous” and “crazy.” Some are hoping to overturn the ban. Obviously, these British parents are polite as this policy deserves worse adjectives than that. I can think of a few nouns and verbs too.
The Mayor remains unsupportive of the complaints. “There are other places in the town for parents with small children to go,” she said.
