Comments on: Safe new Dolores Park playground will leave area kids developmentally challenged?

By: David

David — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:28:44 +0000

Not to worry. Children have a way of pushing their comfort zones and creating or finding danger in the most safe and stable situations.

By: stiiv

stiiv — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 20:31:40 +0000

Naw, this is nonsense. They’ve got plenty of crazy equipment in playgrounds these days: Euro-trash monkey bars, two story merry go rounds, curvy slides without sides, not to mention the giant concrete monstrosities in golden gate park.

The equipment is way cooler than when I was a kid. This “kids are wimps” meme is just bullshit.

By: danielle

danielle — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:35:37 +0000

a long slide and swings with antimicrobial, padded foam landings. these poor kids won’t even know how to protect themselves from gravel or wood chips.

By: chalkman

chalkman — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:04:43 +0000

I think the big slide going up the hill should be a blast, and my understanding is that they are keeping the “big swings” concept as well

By: Jenee

Jenee — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:53:58 +0000

Here, here! This is not a new argument; when talk of renovating this playground began over 10 years ago, that was the concern among some folks – it was all going to be replaced with overly safe, hideous mega-plastic that didn’t give the slightest opportunity for an occasional boo-boo, much less any broken bones. Presumably that is, at last, what is going in.
While I certainly agree that there are new generations of pathetically over-coddled wimps in the making, I think the true impetus behind a “safer” playground is the reduced liability on the City’s part. Risk Management and insurance companies rule the day!

By: marcos

marcos — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 01:14:43 +0000

A generation of domesticated, coddled wimps incapable of functioning without the structure they learned from “play dates” is what we’ve got going on here.

We grew up with wooden swings on chains, metal monkey bars over concrete and played in the streets at all times of the day.

Now the need for safety and aversion to any sort of conflict has produced a generation or two of sheep that will take whatever gets thrown their way and like it, unlike the same generation in southern Europe who are not going down the road to serfdom peacefully.