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Woman Ticketed for Sitting on a Playground Bench with No Kids (NYC)
abc/7online ^ | 9/28/05 | The Associated Press

Posted on 09/28/2005 9:30:22 AM PDT by FeliciaCat

It's an only in New York story. A woman was given a ticket for sitting on a park bench because she doesn't have children.

The Rivington Playground on Manhattan's East Side has a small sign at the entrance that says adults are prohibited unless they are accompanied by a child. Forty-seven-year-old Sandra Catena says she didn't see the sign when she sat down to wait for an arts festival to start. Two New York City police officers asked her if she was with a child. When she said no, they gave her a ticket that could bring a one thousand dollar fine and 90 days in jail.

The city parks department says the rule is designed to keep pedophiles out of city parks, but a parks spokesman told the Daily News that the department hoped police would use some common sense when enforcing the rule.

The spokesman told the paper that ticketing a woman in the park in the middle of the day is not the way you want to enforce the rule


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: bloomberg; donutwatch; govwatch; libertarians; newyork; newyorkcity; nyc
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1 posted on 09/28/2005 9:30:27 AM PDT by FeliciaCat
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To: FeliciaCat

Enforce it, or else have no rules.


2 posted on 09/28/2005 9:32:04 AM PDT by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything!")
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To: FeliciaCat
Before people flip out on anti-cop tirades, some background.

NYC had serious problems with convicted pedophiles hanging out in public parks and the ACLU took the pedophiles' side when cops would roust them.

So the city was forced to ban all adults unaccompanied by children from the parks.

If the cops don't enforce the rule, watchful ACLU lawyers will file a lawsuit claiming that the law is only selectively enforced against their clients.

So instead of blaming the cops, thank the ACLU for standing up against children and for predators.

3 posted on 09/28/2005 9:33:33 AM PDT by wideawake (God bless our brave troops and their Commander-in-Chief)
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To: Revolting cat!

Yes, i think adult free zones when they are for the protection of children are constitutional and need to be enforced even handedly.


4 posted on 09/28/2005 9:33:52 AM PDT by gondramB ( We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.)
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To: Revolting cat!
Selective enforcement of the law is not a good solution to the problem of having bad laws on the books.

IMO selective enforcement is awful and leads to bigger problems.

5 posted on 09/28/2005 9:36:19 AM PDT by Triple (All forms of socialism deny individuals the right to the fruits of their labor)
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To: wideawake

I agree...even though a 47 year old woman is probably the least likely to be a child predator. Thank you ACLU. //sarcasm.


6 posted on 09/28/2005 9:37:28 AM PDT by FeliciaCat (I like my money where I can see it...hanging in my closet.)
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To: Triple

well yes, we better get rid of speeding laws... or most traffic laws for that matter -- selective enforcement of them would be a bad precedent. cops who give 'warnings' should be disciplined.

(please don't tell me i have to label this as sarcasm)


7 posted on 09/28/2005 9:42:00 AM PDT by kpp_kpp
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To: FeliciaCat

I do believe selective enforcement is not the way to go. Maybe a much larger sign so people unaware of the law might see it clearly?


8 posted on 09/28/2005 9:42:37 AM PDT by GrandEagle
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To: wideawake

I was somewhat irritated until I ready your comments. Sounds reasonable. Give her the ticket.


9 posted on 09/28/2005 9:50:42 AM PDT by lilylangtree
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To: GrandEagle

These parks are paid for by all taxpayers.

It's insane to forbid anyone from using them unless they have a proven record of causing trouble.

The ACLU should be ashamed of themselves, but really, this kind of law is not the answer.

And a $1,000 fine for a first offense? That just doesn't fly.

D


10 posted on 09/28/2005 9:50:52 AM PDT by daviddennis (;)
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To: FeliciaCat
She could said she was pregnant.
11 posted on 09/28/2005 9:53:00 AM PDT by Dallas59 (“You love life, while we love death.” - Al-Qaeda / Democratic Party)
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Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: Dallas59
She could said she was pregnant.

Or that she was indulging her "inner child" by sitting on that particular park bench.

13 posted on 09/28/2005 9:55:09 AM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: Isherwood_Williams
Already posted here.

Different article.

And Welcome to Free Republic!

14 posted on 09/28/2005 9:56:33 AM PDT by frogjerk (LIBERALISM - Being miserable for no good reason)
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: lilylangtree

Yes, perhaps give her the ticket, so that the issue hits the papers and the point is made.
But then the judge who hears the case should use the discretion he has to dismiss the ticket, or have a token fine of a dollar, etc.


16 posted on 09/28/2005 10:01:42 AM PDT by Vicomte13 (Et alors?)
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To: wideawake
"NYC had serious problems with convicted pedophiles hanging out in public parks and the ACLU took the pedophiles' side when cops would roust them.
So the city was forced to ban all adults unaccompanied by children from the parks."

The city wasn't forced to do this. They did it, because that's what they wanted to do. Also, the ACLU is just a bunch of lawyers. If there was a court ruling a judge gave the ruling, not the ACLU.

You didn't say whether, or not NYC enacted an ord. If they did not, then the judge was correct and some folks were being hasstled arbitrarily. If NYC had an ord on the books, then it was as good as any law restricting both voting and ownership of arms by ex-cons.

It so happens that parks have been traditionally been used for other puposes, such as this lady was doing. Some old folks may park there to enjoy watching the children, others might just want to use the fountain and rest.

The law is beyond stupid. It's rotten to the core.

17 posted on 09/28/2005 10:03:29 AM PDT by spunkets
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To: gondramB
Yes, i think adult free zones when they are for the protection of children are constitutional and need to be enforced even handedly.

Great! Let's apply it to abortion providers.

That way none of the employees can show up.

Full Disclosure: Yeah, let's see them participate in "bring your daughter to work day".

18 posted on 09/28/2005 10:05:34 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: FeliciaCat
I agree...even though a 47 year old woman is probably the least likely to be a child predator. Thank you ACLU. //sarcasm.

Anti-ACLU, anti-pedophile Sarcasm Torpedo ARMED. FIRE!!

Yup. Pedophiles should be where the ACLU wants them--teaching in the schools.

Full Disclosure: Yes, I am talking about women. There have been a number of threads recently on FR which talked about young teachers having sex with male students.

19 posted on 09/28/2005 10:07:36 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: FeliciaCat

The NYC press has been killing the cops for all sorts of issued summons over the past couple years. When Bloomberg took office after Guiliani, there was a huge deficit in this city and a lot of people saw an increase in summonses being issued by the police. Press ran with it and accused Bloomberg's administration of trying to close the budget gap with these tickets. No mention of the fact that Guiliani actually brought crime down in this city because of his "broken window" theory of policing.

Someone else mentioned it here, but it is worth reiterating that this law was specifically passed to keep the pedophiles away from the playgrounds. If you do not think there is a problem with this group in NYC, try pulling up the Registered Sex Offender list there (and this only encompasses Level 3 offenders, imagine how many others are out there).


20 posted on 09/28/2005 10:09:31 AM PDT by deputac
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