By Inner5YearOld - 11/12/2009 06:15 - United States

Today, my friends and I went to court. We are all college students, and for next semester, we will be on probation and have to do 8 hours of community service, as well as a $25 fine each. All for swinging on swings in the park after dark. FML
I agree, your life sucks 40 316
You deserved it 4 886

inner5yearold tells us more.

inner5yearold 0

all the people saying that we were doing drugs or other illegal activities, we werent. we were just college students who had a lot of stress, and wanted to relax by acting like five year olds in the park, swinging on swings, playing on the see-saw, going down slides, monkey bars etcetera. we did not know the park closed after dark, there were no signs by the entrances, and there were no gates. anyone can walk in there at any time of day, and they would not know. the weathered sign, we found it the next day, and it was at the back of the park, no where near any lights or anything. we were just chilling there because we didnt want to go back to our rooms because of annoying roommates. there was even an overhead light shining into the park, giving the impression that it was open after dark. the police didnt even ask if we were doing anything illegal, or asked to see what was in our pockets or anything. two of us didnt even have any ID because we didnt want to lose it on the swings. new ro police are entirely retarded. period.

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Top comments

Chelzaroni 2

Its stupid. Stupid ass laws.

93 2

Comments

McCarthyBros 0

This is pretty stupid. I mean, really? Maybe there is more going on, but where I live I've spent a lot of time after dark playing in the park with my friends. We're an assortment of ages 18-20, about four of us. We're regular college kids. Cops patrol the park a lot, we've had lights shined on us and the cops even talked to us. We told them we were blowing off steam from studying, they smiled, and told us not to disturb the neighborhood. Then they left. Even though plenty of signs explicitly state that the park closes after dark.

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TheXninja 0

That sucks, OP. Same thing happened to my brother, only it was for eating nachos rather than swinging on swings.

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Firetiger 0

YDI because if you are there at dark, its only for either or both reasons; you are either a pedophil or you do drugs.

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maureen17_fml 0

....or you just want to play on the swings.

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NotNegativeNews 0

And you want to hang out with your friends. I suggest you look up what happens in other countries- people walk around for exercise and socialisation after dark, just for fun, and completely innocently. The most 'shady' thing I've seen in a park after dark is some drunk teenagers.

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bosoxballer89 0

You can swing on the swings, but it's hardly different from any other victimless crime. No one gets hurt, yet is still illegal (prostitution, etc.) The thing worse is there is a definite reason for this law, and it's because of the potential shady deals that go on in parks, even if nothing was going on, the cops were doing their job, and protecting the population as a whole.

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PinkRoseLove 0

you can't read can you? i go to parks to swing on swings. does that make me a drug addict

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hansn 0

To be fair, I think the "parks close at dusk" thing is to keep out the homeless, not drug dealers per se. The alternative to a blanket enforcement is to have cops deciding individually who seems ok to be in the park and who should be kicked out. It is giving the cops the right to decide who can use public property. I have a problem with that. Selective enforcement is an easy way to deny people their civil liberties (why not pass a law against walking on the sidewalk, then selectively enforce it only against those who the police think are dodgy). I don't like selective prosecution, despite cases like this were innocent people are charged, since the alternative is even less palatable. Bottom line: If you don't like a law, change it. Don't rely on police to use discretion to not prosecute people who aren't "really" breaking the law.

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NotNegativeNews 0

Which park though? Central park? Or all parks?

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NotNegativeNews 0

Oh well, at least this is good blogging fodder for me. Google for 'BringingHimBack' if you want to see what I've written.

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NotNegativeNews 0

If they're dealing drugs, making a lot of noise, are drunk in public, are having sex, etc etc, then the police have good cause to kick them out- and have it open to everyone else. That was in reply to #82, it's not connected to it for some reason!

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Taylor_tot 0

Um, who said she lives in New York City? There are colleges all through New York State. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there is more to the state than the city. I grew up in New York and still live here. She could go to a small college town. In that college town, it appears there is a park. There could have no signs. Don't assume anything

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