Worrying about myself in public

LegacyUser

I'm far from fit, just an average lad but I'm working hard on my fitness and actually I go to a personal trainer for a session early on Saturday mornings.

I do my best, I work damn hard and by the time I leave my T-shirt is drenched in sweat.

So I was walking home afterwards in my tracksuit bottoms, hoodie, runners & sportsbag and grabbed a large bottle of fizzy water in Centra and I crossed the road to the local park.
It's a big park, Fairview in Dublin if you know it. Over 10 acres I'd guess.

I sat beneath the tree, messed around on the internet on the phone for about 10 minutes and chilled and rested.

An underage gaelic football game was starting up (I guess U-12) and I watch a little bit, still sitting under the tree on my own. I played GAA too as a young 'un, sure most every child in Ireland did!

And do you know what I was thinking?
I'm a lad on my own watching young lads play football with a camera phone in my hand and I bet a parent is thinking I'm up to no good.

Why did I think that? I don't know, call me paranoid.

Our local principal had false accusations made against him by a primary school girl and maybe that's something I'm aware of.
And I've read in boards.ie photography forum and also on Joe Duffy show about lads on their own being confronted when all they were doing was chilling in a park or trying photography shots.
I'm not a photographer, I just mess around on facebook and boards and don't take shots realy.

Same this weekend, did a 5 mile walk, sat on a bench in my local park (not Fairview) messing around with my phone. There was nobody in the playground and then a mother arrived with her child.
Nothing was said but I started worrying and so I moved on.

If you are strolling through the park and stop and watch an underage game or sit by the playground do you worry about what others think?

Or is this all in my head?

will.i.am

Well to be honest with you of you do nothing wrong you have nothing to be afraid of. If some random person came up shouting at you that you were acting inappropriately you would just have to say you weren't and you would be happy for the to call the Garda's to look at your phone. You have ever right to sit where you want as long as your not harming anyone else.

Gatling

As a father id be concerned somebody in a public park taking photos or videos around my kids especially if your not connected to an event like a football /GAA club during a game ,
In saying that I regularly bring my kids to a play ground that has a bench thats always occupied by blokes chatting but it always unnerves me especially if they don't have kids in the play ground ,

Op just be careful people are very easily offended and extremely defensive when it comes to kids ,
Your probably a strand up bloke but in this day and age its better to be safe than sorry

Asporadic

I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you. I'm a teacher and a lot of men say to me that they wouldn't do my job for any amount of money simply for the fact they wouldn't like to be left alone with kids/teens.

Im not saying its a healthy fear. But you definitely aren't on your own. Id say a good percentage of men these days would walk past a crying toddler in the street for fear of what other passer-bys would say/think.

December2012

Don't worry about it, you're doing nothing wrong and parks are for everybody. Playgrounds are different because they are specifically for young children.

It's good you're aware of being in a vulnerable position, and caution is one thing, but you can still live your life.

I think when you're real life aware of abuse / accused abuse you're more sensitive to that subject.

Don't over think it though.

wallycharlo

worryworryworry wrote: »

...I'm a lad on my own watching young lads play football with a camera phone in my hand and I bet a parent is thinking I'm up to no good...

It's a sorry reflection on the times we live in OP that you would feel like that. It would indeed not suprise me if a parent may take an overly protective dim view, but I would see that as a being a problem with the parent rather than with yourself. Of course it makes sense to be vigilent, but one needs to strike a balance, otherwise we would never leave our children out of the house.

E.g. I've come across parents who will not leave their little ones go to child care, be alone with other children (under parental supervision) etc before they can speak intelligently enough to inform them if something abusive happenned during the day. Completely OTT in my book.

judgefudge

Gatling wrote: »

Op just be careful people are very easily offended and extremely defensive when it comes to kids ,
Your probably a strand up bloke but in this day and age its better to be safe than sorry

While there may be an element of truth to this, it makes me so angry. To think that an innocent lad has to be careful not to be mistaken as a paedo just because he's resting in the park, near kids.

As long as you are doing nothing wrong there's nothing to worry about OP. don't let crazy overprotective parents put you off hanging out in the park, they are the paranoid ones

amen

As a father id be concerned somebody in a public park taking photos or videos around my kids especially if your not connected to an event like a football /GAA club during a game

Ahh yes but how many of the coaches, staff and helpers in your GAA club are Garda Vetted and have attended a Child Protection course?

At a guess none or very few. You kids is more likely to come from harm from someone you know (coach, family member, teacher etc) than some random person sitting in a park.

In fact your child is more likely to suffer a physical injury from playing sport then some random person watching the match.