quote:Originally posted by Mid-Atlantic Mustangs:
It's been mentioned before, but the reason you don't see kids playing on ball fields by themselves anymore is they can't. Most counties/cities lock up their fields when they're not in use anymore. They are to worried about being sued for injury or whatnot.
I know when I was playing a game of pick up baseball and I broke my ankle, I walked home, my mom rolled her eyes and that was it. No talk of how can I sue the county because my son broke his ankle. It's getting ridiculous out there, and it's effecting the kids IMO.
While your statement may have "credibility", I think there a 2 other reasons those gates are locked.
1. Field maintenance is a big dollar ticket thus there are fewer fields that are "playable" for public use. It's the day of the budget cut and is very easy to slice some "open park" maintenance if there is proof that it is not being used. Also, many kids want to play on competitive fields where the mounds are raised, fields are groomed, and there's an outfield fence. In my day, if as long as no picture windows not in play, there was a backstop and baseline of some type, it was considered a regulation field.
2. There are more and more kids out there that think vandalism is a form of exercise. If it were my park, and I put time and money into it so those who pay to use the field had a premium facility, I'd also lock the gates.