Connecting moms in Polk County, Fla.
Commonground Park : Couple Sues City Over Boy's Fall Off Slide
and they pay their big shots over a hundred thousand dollars each a year.
that is the child-molester accomodating city of lakeland government for you !!
-non-butt-kissing city retiree.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Just Jen on -
Ron I know your point of view about the city but that part aside can I ask what your take is on the suit? You post the link and your feelings about the corrupt city big shots but what about the story?
I've visited that park many times, my son loves to play there. I also know the slide they are talking about and to be honest I'm not sure I'd want to see a 5 year old on that slide. Common Ground Park was built for children from ages 2-12 just as the story said so there are things in that park that are not meant for a 3 year old to play on.
I can understand someone supervising their 3 year old and helping them on a portion of that slide maybe, but that piece of equipment isn't meant for toddlers or preschoolers. Maybe a little better marking could be useful to help some parents determine what is age and skill level appropriate for their children, but a little responsibility on the part of the parent seems reasonable to me.
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Permalink Reply by Jmarr on -
I just looked up the slide in question. Even an older kid who is in the recommended age range would have trouble with this slide. How are you supposed to know to straddle it?
There is a video on the website for the company that makes the slide. You can see one older kid (at least 9) start to go down, and start to lose balance...the video cuts out and then they show another kid go down safely.
I remember seeing this slide at Common Ground and thinking, huh? That doesn't look safe. But you assume, if it is on a playground...and a playground that is supposed to be geared toward kids with special needs, that it must be safer than it looks.
To be honest, I see a lot of equipment that makes me nervous on these new playgrounds. The merry-go-round looking thing that is on a slant seems so unsafe. Kids fall off it all the time. There is a space about the size of a human head between the merry-go-round and the ground on one side. If a kid swings around there with his head hanging down, or just falls with his head first, it could get caught under there, and the ride will keep going and run right over the child or twist and pull the child into an injury. The balance beam and the other slide with the rollers on it seem like a finger or hand pinch hazzard. Same thing with those sagging wooden bridges. Maybe I'm just more aware of these things because I have a child that has some motor issues.
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Permalink Reply by mommy of two on
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a 3 year old child has no business on this slide, even if no warning was posted, let's use common sense! I would not all ow my daughter on that slide, maybe not even when she is 5. Is it my bad memory or aren't there signs posted around the park indicating what age group the equipment is appropriate for? I may be thinking of another park or something, but I culd have sworn there is.
The park is beautiful & a fun place for the kids to play, you just have to use your common sense. I would not sue the city if my child fell off of equipment if I allowed her to use it when clearly she was not old enough. Children that young do not have good balance.
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Permalink Reply by Ronald S. Alexander on
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it is obvious that having a slide without sides in this park , even if they had all kinds of proper warnings and instructions about the slide displayed where no literate adult could miss them - which they did not - when the accident occurred , was patently unsafe , uncaring , and wrong . (also typical "the axe won't fall on me , just on subordinates or innocents" thinking of the child-molester-accomodating city government and it's big shots , imo)
google "revealing local political facts about polk county and lakeland , florida"
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Permalink Reply by AJ 3 on -
Isn't it great to live in a lawsuit happy society!? Seriously though - I have 3 kids and don't take them to this park unless I have someone there to assist me with watching them. It's a large park area with so many different things to play on. It is my responsibility as a parent to watch my child and keep them safe. Even if there is equipment there that has a sign saying the appropriate age and I don't think my child can handle it, I am responsible for telling them no and redirecting them to another piece of equipment. Then again - accidents happen all the time! My less than 2 yr old just got stitches. I guess I should look into suing the manufacturer of the toddler chair he fell off of. Seriously - I don't think this has anything to do with "Bad Government" and "Shady Politics". Sorry you are so disgusted with them. Kids will be kids and accidents do happen.
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Permalink Reply by Ronald S. Alexander on
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aj , if it were your child with a broken bone sticking out , i do believe you would feel otherwise.
there really is no good justification for a slide without sides , particularly that one , in that type of park , imo.
AJ 3 said:Isn't it great to live in a lawsuit happy society!? Seriously though - I have 3 kids and don't take them to this park unless I have someone there to assist me with watching them. It's a large park area with so many different things to play on. It is my responsibility as a parent to watch my child and keep them safe. Even if there is equipment there that has a sign saying the appropriate age and I don't think my child can handle it, I am responsible for telling them no and redirecting them to another piece of equipment. Then again - accidents happen all the time! My less than 2 yr old just got stitches. I guess I should look into suing the manufacturer of the toddler chair he fell off of. Seriously - I don't think this has anything to do with "Bad Government" and "Shady Politics". Sorry you are so disgusted with them. Kids will be kids and accidents do happen.
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Permalink Reply by AJ 3 on
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Ronald - I am sorry, but I don't think that anyone that disagrees with you is going to make you happy. I have a responsibility as a parent to keep my child safe. I personally would not allow my 3 yr old to go down a slide with no sides. Maybe that's just me and I am over protective. I am sure this whole lawsuit issue will probably result in the slide being removed or some type of modification. I personally feel there is a responsibility by the parents to watch their child and decide whether an activity is safe for them or not. I don't allow my children to jump on trampolines. Many parents do. It's a choice I make as a parent for my children's safety. I decide what is and isn't safe for my toddler. Would I be upset if my 3 yr old had a bone sticking out of their arm - Yes of course. No one wants their child to be hurt at any point and especially while doing something that is supposed to be fun. Does it justify a lawsuit - I personally don't think so. Sorry Ronald - but that's my personal opinion.
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Permalink Reply by Alicia (Alsan) on -
I'm so sick and tired of people blaming everyone else in ts country. My goodness what ever happened to common sense and being a parent? One look at that slide and a reasonable parent, without even posted warnings, could say, no that's not safe for you come play on this one. The arguement that because it's on a public playground gives the assumption it's safe is ridiculous IMO. Learn to say no to your kid and use some common sense. I think it's nuts they are suingnthe city and I hope they lose.
Kids fall down and get hurt. That's number 1. You can't protect them from everything and really I think we should stop trying to, it's part of growing up. And number 2 is common sense for goodness sakes. I can take one look at that slide and say nope, my 4 and 5 yr olds aren't getting on it. Is it the cities fault for providing a piece of equipment my 9 and 12 yr old would love? No, I'm the parent, I'm responsible for my kids safety. I rarely go to Common Ground even though I love it because of the size of it. I know that with 5 running in different directions I can't monitor them all and the stress of trying just isn't worth it so I either only go there when I have adult backup or with my youngest when the others are in school.
And I have had one of my kids break a leg on a slide at daycare. He was 2 and he fell off. I had a couple people (including some family) tell me I should sue the daycare and I did look throughoughly into what happened (and even found out I was lied to initially about some details) but at the end of the day I didn't sue because kids fall down and get hurt. Lol I tell my kids all the time when they're doing something they shouldn't to stop and that "I am not in the mood for the ER today!"
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Permalink Reply by K-Surfer on
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Let's sue...blame someone else. I've been to the park numerous times and the thought process of a parent looking at this slide and allowing a three year old try it is over the top. You can look at this slide and know as a parent that the child is no where near ready to use this slide. Was the child unsupervised? I've seen parents that enter the park and just take a seat and read a book while the child runs off to play on whatever equipment the child wants. That's the issue, parental control! Let's sue...right! Let the city be responsible for my child in their park, so what's the downside to suing the city? Over reaction could be to close the parks. I've seen the kids tumble down the hill trying to slide on the turf and collide with the other kids at the bottom bumping their heads together. I too have seen kids fall off the merry go round, normally due to a parent making it go as fast as possible. What about the swings? Kids walk in front of the swings all the time with close calls or a hit that sends the child head over heels. That's the city's fault as well, we need to sue them for putting swings in a public park where children play!. No...we need to be responsible parents, "my fault, I let him play on it". Come on parents, pay attention to what your kids are playing on. Stop reading, stop texting and put the phone down for awhile...your kids are here to play!
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Permalink Reply by Ronald S. Alexander on
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the slide , being unusually unsafe (no sides , and precarious) for small children , should not have been in this park :http://www.theledger.com/article/20090107/NEWS/901080289
"Parents of children with disabilities will find a safe playing environment at the butterfly-shaped park, which was designed to accommodate children of all abilities."
a judge , hopefully untainted by polk politics , and jury will decide the amount of mitigating complicity of the parents AND of the the city after reviewing all circumstances.
while any parent bears a responsibility for their small children , so does the city bear a responsibility for that park , it's safety , that slide. btw- the city sues companies for their portion of liability , even when it , also is mitigated by the city's responsibility. fair is fair. the city and county are definitely not !
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Permalink Reply by Alicia (Alsan) on
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Technically the "slide" is a glider - designed to be used while holding with arms and legs. I can see with an older child with certain disabilities it's use for whole body balance and a sensory experience. Not as a "slide"
Also just because the overall park is designed as for all abilities does not mean every piece of equipment is appropriate for all abilities.
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Permalink Reply by Alicia (Alsan) on
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I didn't notice right away the child fell in 2009, why the delay in the lawsuit? I mean really, if it was motivated by safety wouldn't they have done it a lot sooner?
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