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Today's playgrounds may be too safe, critics warn
MSNBC ^ | July 19, 2011 | John Tierney

Posted on 07/20/2011 9:17:32 AM PDT by Kaslin

Eliminating towering monkey bars, tall slides may be safer, but it can keep kids from conquering fears

When seesaws and tall slides and other perils were disappearing from New York’s playgrounds, Henry Stern drew a line in the sandbox. As the city’s parks commissioner in the 1990s, he issued an edict concerning the 10-foot-high jungle gym near his childhood home in northern Manhattan.

“I grew up on the monkey bars in Fort Tryon Park, and I never forgot how good it felt to get to the top of them,” Mr. Stern said. “I didn’t want to see that playground bowdlerized. I said that as long as I was parks commissioner, those monkey bars were going to stay.”

(Excerpt) Read more at today.msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
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To: dead

Awesome


21 posted on 07/20/2011 9:48:34 AM PDT by NativeSon
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To: HollyB

Remember Red Rover, Red Rover? :-)


22 posted on 07/20/2011 9:49:26 AM PDT by Texan
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To: MWS

I remember when I mastered the monkey bars - I came home with blisters on both hands. I felt great. Another fun thing was rubbing the slide with wax paper: speed and skinned elbows, knees and backsides.


23 posted on 07/20/2011 9:49:58 AM PDT by NewHampshireDuo
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To: Gen.Blather

Here in a small town I got caught behind a school bus one time, no biggie, right? There was a stretch of 6 adjacent houses and the bus stopped 3 times to let a kid off at each of 3 houses.

These were relatively young kids, but not so young that they couldn’t walk the length of a yard or two.

I thought I was in the twilight zone.


24 posted on 07/20/2011 9:56:38 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there)
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To: ScottinVA
Soon, playgrounds will be obsolete. Gone are the days when kids would hit the outside for hours on end. At one time, obesity was the exception, not the rule.

It's really bizarre seeing how many fat kids there are these days. When I was a kid, there was always one or two, but now it's ridiculous. Plus all of the medication that a lot of these kids take.
25 posted on 07/20/2011 9:57:06 AM PDT by af_vet_rr
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To: Kaslin

Strong tort reform measures would go a long way in allowing kids to enjoy play grounds again. Cities, towns, townships, school districts, park districts, all are concerned about lawsuits if a child is injured in a playground accident.
The British system prevents frivolous lawsuits ... if you initiate a lawsuit and lose you pay all costs including the legal costs incurred by the defendant.


26 posted on 07/20/2011 9:57:12 AM PDT by BluH2o
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To: af_vet_rr

Yep, and we ate the same garbage, just actually used the energy we consumed.


27 posted on 07/20/2011 10:07:20 AM PDT by wolfman23601
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To: Texan

....’let Texan come over’. : )


28 posted on 07/20/2011 10:09:23 AM PDT by HollyB
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To: Texan; HollyB

Remember “Johnny on the Pony”


29 posted on 07/20/2011 10:10:34 AM PDT by ken5050 (Save the earth..it's the ONLY planet with CHOCOLATE!!!)
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To: Texan

“Remember Red Rover, Red Rover? :-)”

Hey, that’s racist! Uh...nevermind...


30 posted on 07/20/2011 10:13:22 AM PDT by jagusafr ("We hold these truths to be self-evident...")
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To: fieldmarshaldj
Monkey bars ? That’s racist.

Only if they don't serve monkeys and make them come in the back door.

31 posted on 07/20/2011 10:14:02 AM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: ken5050

Remember “Johnny on the Pony”

Same game as buck-buck? Played that in high school in Venezuela. Of course, we got it from listening to Bill Cosby.

Colonel, USAFR


32 posted on 07/20/2011 10:15:36 AM PDT by jagusafr ("We hold these truths to be self-evident...")
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To: rokkitapps
This “wussification” of america is an on-going phenomenon..

Exactly right. We are raising a bunch of little wusses who won't have the courage or guts to defend the country and maintain its greatness. I've always been of the opinion that, before the age of 18, a boy needs to break a bone, get in at least one good fight and get taken home by the cops at least once.

33 posted on 07/20/2011 10:18:34 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: rokkitapps
This “wussification” of america is an on-going phenomenon..

Exactly right. We are raising a bunch of little wusses who won't have the courage or guts to defend the country and maintain its greatness. I've always been of the opinion that, before the age of 18, a boy needs to break a bone, get in at least one good fight and get taken home by the cops at least once.

34 posted on 07/20/2011 10:18:39 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Texan
Remember Red Rover, Red Rover? :-)

Or "Smear the Queer."

35 posted on 07/20/2011 10:19:36 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

Better yet, break a bone while in a fight with the cops trying to take you home.


36 posted on 07/20/2011 10:24:12 AM PDT by HerrBlucher ("It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged." G.K. Chesterton)
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To: jagusafr

I don’t know “buck-bucK” JOTP involves two teams...jumping on each other...do you need MORE details?


37 posted on 07/20/2011 10:26:04 AM PDT by ken5050 (Save the earth..it's the ONLY planet with CHOCOLATE!!!)
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To: ken5050

That would be the one - first guy holds on to a tree or a phone pole, next guy onto first guy’s waist, other team jumps on them and tries to knock ‘em down. Today, they’d all be charged with assault.


38 posted on 07/20/2011 10:27:42 AM PDT by jagusafr ("We hold these truths to be self-evident...")
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To: fieldmarshaldj

I always thought monkey bars were the bars in a jail cell.


39 posted on 07/20/2011 10:29:24 AM PDT by wolfman23601
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To: Gen.Blather

Just this morning, a woman strode out from between two cars in the parking lot with giving me or my car the slightest glance. I could only stop for her because I spotted her head moving some time before I arrived where she was heading, but on another morning I might not have.


40 posted on 07/20/2011 10:34:29 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Somewhere in Kenya a village is missing its idiot)
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