Woman Ticketed For Sitting On Park Bench Without Kids

[Zim Hosein]

NEW YORK -- It's an only in New York story.

A woman was given a ticket for sitting on a park bench because she doesn't have children.

The Rivington Playground on Manhattan's East Side has a small sign at the entrance that says adults are prohibited unless they are accompanied by a child.

Sandra Catena, 47, said she didn't see the sign when she sat down to wait for an arts festival to start.

Two police officers asked her if she was with a child. When she said no, they gave her a ticket that could bring a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.

The city parks department said the rule is designed to keep pedophiles out of city parks, but a parks spokesman told the Daily News that the department hoped police would use some common sense when enforcing the rule.

The spokesman told the newspaper that ticketing a woman in the park in the middle of the day is not the way you want to enforce the rule.

© 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Woman Ticketed For Sitting On Park Bench Without Kids :Q

 

[imported_Tick]

Ain't that special.

 

[mdchesne]

weird. but for the "common sense", women can be pedophiles too

 

[Linflas]

I would contact the ACLU if I was her.

 

[BlackAdam]

Uhhh... did she miss the sign?

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: BlackAdam
Uhhh... did she miss the sign?

Sandra Catena, 47, said she didn't see the sign when she sat down to wait for an arts festival to start.

So yea, she did.

 

[rh71]

she said she didn't see the sign... which was posted at the entrance... and apparently not beside the benches...

 

[DivideBYZero]

Way to stop the Criminals. :thumbsup:

 

[GasX]

So, the lesson here is if you are a pedophile, just claim you didn't see the sign?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
So, the lesson here is if you are a pedophile, just claim you didn't see the sign?

Maybe they should put a sign up that says "No pedophiles allowed". That'll stop them!

 

[kogase]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
So, the lesson here is if you are a pedophile, just claim you didn't see the sign?

The more telling fact here is that the police were actually paying attention.

 

[Ime]

Charges will quickly be dropped. The DA and the police don't want to look like (even bigger) fools.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
So, the lesson here is if you are a pedophile, just claim you didn't see the sign?

No, they are trying to tell pedophiles that it is a BYOB park.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Originally posted by: mdchesne
weird. but for the "common sense", women can be pedophiles too

Yeah...but where were they when I was a kid.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Mwilding
So, the lesson here is if you are a pedophile, just claim you didn't see the sign?

No, they are trying to tell pedophiles that it is a BYOB park.

Bring Your Own Boy?

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: rh71
she said she didn't see the sign... which was posted at the entrance... and apparently not beside the benches...

I am going to use that one when I am pulled over and a speed limit sign isn't next to me.

 

[Kev]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
So, the lesson here is if you are a pedophile, just claim you didn't see the sign?

No the lesson is, if you are a pedophile, make sure you BYOB (bring your own boy)

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
So, the lesson here is if you are a pedophile, just claim you didn't see the sign?

No, the lesson here is that if you are a pedophile, you must kidnap a child. Then you can legally sit at the park.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: mdchesne
weird. but for the "common sense", women can be pedophiles too

 

[waggy]

OK thats just a dumb law.

I enjoy walking around the park by myself and there are times i like to sit. So i would be breaking the law? thats dumb. Also if they are going to be having Art festivals they should not have it int he park then. that forces many to break the law.

As if having that law is going to stop a pedophile anyway. not like he/she cares if they break the law to begin with.

 

[Zee]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Way to stop the Criminals. :thumbsup:

These are regular rookies. They dont care about stopping criminals, they just want to meet the ticket quota they are not given.

 

[axelfox]

Originally posted by: waggy
OK thats just a dumb law.

I enjoy walking around the park by myself and there are times i like to sit. So i would be breaking the law? thats dumb. Also if they are going to be having Art festivals they should not have it int he park then. that forces many to break the law.

As if having that law is going to stop a pedophile anyway. not like he/she cares if they break the law to begin with.

No, but it stops that person without a child and who is a pedo from being in an area with a lot of children.

I understand the purpose of the law, it's just the execution was wrong.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: axelfox

Originally posted by: waggy
OK thats just a dumb law.

I enjoy walking around the park by myself and there are times i like to sit. So i would be breaking the law? thats dumb. Also if they are going to be having Art festivals they should not have it int he park then. that forces many to break the law.

As if having that law is going to stop a pedophile anyway. not like he/she cares if they break the law to begin with.

No, but it stops that person without a child and who is a pedo from being in an area with a lot of children.

I understand the purpose of the law, it's just the execution was wrong.

Acutally the execution was correct. they had an adult in a area full of children without a child. They gave her a ticket. this is how it was sopposed to work.

if that is wrong what is right?

 

[eelw]

To anybody who lives or pass through this area. Could you take a pic of this sign. Just curious how it looks and how prominent is this sign that she didn't see it.

 

[dquan97]

Originally posted by: eelw
To anybody who lives or pass through this area. Could you take a pic of this sign. Just curious how it looks and how prominent is this sign that she didn't see it.

if it's a billboard, then she has some explaining to do! What about park goers who are blind?