Do You Think?

[Togo]

http://www.bing.com/news/search?q=%c2%a380+Fine+For+Widow+With+Dog+In+Playground&;qpvt=%c2%a380+fine+for+widow+with+dog+in+playground&;FORM=EWRE

Do you think the brave diligent warden would have fined a thug with a pit bull? Nor me.

[Baldric]

Direct link here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3198346/Pensioner-fined-taking-pet-no-dogs-area-park-sit-down.html

[sunny-dave]

This is being portrayed as an insensitive "Hitler in Polyester" ticketing a poor little old lady. That may well be true.

But it may have been a stroppy old woman refusing to move when politely asked - and generally being so incredibly rude to a bloke just trying to do his job that he had no option but to issue a ticket.

We weren't there, we don't know the truth - I do sort of hope that the warden had a body camera ...

[Baldric]

What we do know

///He said: 'Ms Goring was fined for taking her dog into an enclosed children's play area.
'There is signage clearly stating this is not allowed and at the time she agreed to pay a fine of £80 - which will be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.///

What we don't know, as SD says, is the 'tone' of the conversation between them!

[Cloverjo]

I have a modicum of sympathy with the warden. I work in an amusement arcade which has an over 18s area, which has very strict rules regarding no children being allowed in. I've lost count of the times people have taken babies in and, when challenged, refuse to move saying the baby is not going to play the machines so what's the problem? The problem is that is the rule and I am just doing my job, so please leave. (The rule is not ours - it's a condition of the license)

[woofgang]

As a dog owner myself, I think this lady isn't helping anybody. Dog owners get bad enough press about fouling, danger and so on without adding stupidity and unhelpfulness to the charge sheet.

[Gromit]

No sympathy.

Being old does not absolve you from the law.

If she is too old to look after her dog, she should either get someone else to walk it, or give it away to someone who can look after it properly.

[chaptazbru2]

I agree with your comment about the thug and pit bull Togo and I feel sorry for this elderly lady.

[aelmpvw]

i don't think he would have challenged a thug with a bichon frise

[Mamyalynne]

Maybe this short sighted council will now provide benches in the park for those who have difficulties and not just in the play area.

[Cloverjo]

Good point, Mamya. Our local park has benches facing the road 1 metre away instead of the preferable place of 20 metres away where you could look at the greenery.

[mikey4444]

I can't sum up much sympathy for this women. This place is clearly a child's play area and dogs should not be allowed. Her excuse about it being the only place to sit is nothing more than a red herring.

Selfish people like this woman gives us dog owners a bad name.

Maybe the Council should consider putting a few benches where everybody can use them. But she was in the wrong and that's the end of it.

[Togo]

Have some of us not noticed yet, that every new measure introduced to combat antisocial behaviour, Is rigorously enforced against the weakest and most vulnerable. Never against the behaviour it was promised to combat, always against an easy target who will pay the fine without making a fuss. Until we use the same approach that the 'enforcers' do, namely make them afraid of us instead of us afraid of them,( we pay them) it will only get worse. My dear departed dad used to maintain that had Hitler got his troops ashore he would have found plenty willing to do his evil work. He was right you know. Only doing my job gov, its the law, we didn't realise , yep we have plenty of them.

[jourdain2]

She was in the wrong, but unless she was also stroppy I don't see why she wasn't just asked to leave.

I can understand her need to sit down, I am often searching for somewhere to perch myself for a few minutes to ease the pain in my back and benches do seem to have become few and far-between in many places. Maybe they've been vandalised and not replaced due to cost etc..
Exercise is vital when you are older and benches help those who can only do short distances at a time - I'm not like that, but know several older people who are.

[Gromit]

Togo,
This law was to prevent dogs from a childrens play area. The health hazard from fouling are well known, as is the danger from dogs attacking children. so the anti social behaviour it was set up to prevent is to keep dogs away.

If this woman was daft enough to head there knowing full well that she would need a rest and dreak the bye law, then she deserves her £80 fine.

The bit about a thug getting away with it is frankly just a fantasy you have. There is no proof that anyone has got away with this by intimidating a warden. Perhaps this woman teied to get away with it and played the 'Old Lady' Card when she was stopped, and was p-ssed off when it failed

[Mamyalynne]

Whilst not taking sides, I reiterate that the Council is short sighted in its approach to the elderly or disabled tax payer wishing to use a public park.

//Dunstable Town Council confirmed the only benches in the park are in the 'no dogs' area.//


I have no way of knowing whether this lady was rude or polite to the official.

[Gromit]

We only have her word that there are only benches in the children's play area. I somehow doubt that is true.

[Togo]

There weren't even children in the children's play area. At 80 years old she hardly has to play the old lady card. The dog was under the bench . Just her and the warden. She is a lier. The warden is a brave servant of the public. A person we all admire and aspire to emulate. There, the real spirit of the law.

[Togo]

Read the link dive. Every one is a lier it seems.