Build a Wiffle Ball Field and Lawyers Will Come

[Good Old Neon]

Attack of the NIMBY syndrome

 

From the NYT:

 

By PETER APPLEBOME

Published: July 10, 2008

GREENWICH, Conn.

 

Vincent Provenzano, 16 years old, experienced his Kevin Costner moment one Sunday afternoon in May after a thrilling day of Wiffle ball in a friend

[bjorn_skurj]

I have rarely, if ever, heard anything good about Greenwich, Conn.

[Good Old Neon]

I have rarely, if ever, heard anything good about Greenwich, Conn.

 

You, sir, will be hearing from my attorney - slandererer.

[jmacomber68w]

[Good Old Neon]

Here's the link to the sledding incident mentioned in the preceding article. This case should have been laughed out of court - unbelievable.

 

 

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...757C0A9629C8B63

[bjorn_skurj]

You, sir, will be hearing from my attorney - slandererer.

Good luck - you will have to prove reckless disregard and malicious intent, and everybody KNOWS I do not have a malicious bone in my body.

[austrya]

Grown ups are such a pain in the ass sometimes.

[caliber66]

While I'm on the kids' side here, and the woman (not quoted in that article, but I've seen her stuff elsewhere...her name is Betty Pate) that's complaining the loudest is an absolute moron, they did clear and build on public land without permits or any kind of written permission to do so. I hope they can find a compromise.

 

It's on page 8 of the videos here

 

"Most of the people I know, and I've grown a family, stop playing wiffle ball when they're 12 years old. I mean this is just a farce to do something else."

 

"I don't know what they're teaching their children. I didn't raise my children to go against authority. Some lot that's not yours? That belongs to the town? It's not yours."

 

This woman has clearly lost her mind.

[austrya]

I would so totally play wiffle ball if I had enough people to play. We used to play in high school and I was over 12.

 

Some of my friends organized a kickball game at a local park a couple weeks ago. That lady probably would have flipped her lid to see a bunch of 30+ year old people playing kickball.

[jmacomber68w]

I would so totally play wiffle ball if I had enough people to play. We used to play in high school and I was over 12.

 

Some of my friends organized a kickball game at a local park a couple weeks ago. That lady probably would have flipped her lid to see a bunch of 30+ year old people playing kickball.

 

she might be after me too, there was a group of 5 or 6 of us last summer playing wallball (aka buttsup) we are in our 20s and proud of it

[quarter23cd]

I used to work in Greenwich and totally would have been out there playing wiffleball on my lunchbreaks if it weren't for the fact that I thought everyone knew that "fun"--not to mention children!--are expressly forbidden in Greenwich.

 

This is a pretty cool story about what the kids tried to do. They may have crossed a line with the pouring of concrete and creating a permanent structure and stuff--I can see people getting their panties in a bunch over that. Besides, any good kid/hooligan knows the importance of keeping their fun simple (and portable) for quick getaways when angry adults, cops, and uh....lawyers...show up. Have they learned nothing from Grand Theft Auto?

[Lammycat]

I find the most amazing thing about this story to be, not the fact that they constructed a replica of Fenway Park's Green Monster in center field http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/nyregion/10towns.html but, that these kids like the Red Sox. Greenwich is in Fairfield County, which the rest of the state concedes as Yankee territory as it's basically in New York, anyway.

[jenbobblehead]

well, who wants a replica of the toilet? All that blue? I'd sue the kids myself.

[mountain bed]

When I was a youngster my best friend Alan had a backyard that was the most awesome wiffle ball field. There was always enough kids in the neighborhood to get a 5-on-5 or 6-on-6 game at all times. We'd play all day long - hell, we'd even compile individual stats and stuff (HRs, RBIs etc.).

 

I go around the area now and NEVER see wiffle ball games being played. Pretty sad - where are all of the kids at? Playin' freaking video games inside?

[Beltmann]

When I was a youngster my best friend Alan had a backyard that was the most awesome wiffle ball field. There was always enough kids in the neighborhood to get a 5-on-5 or 6-on-6 game at all times. We'd play all day long - hell, we'd even compile individual stats and stuff (HRs, RBIs etc.).

Same here. We played until our moms called us home for supper, literally. We used to keep stats for all kinds of things, even four-square.

[Lammycat]

When I was a youngster my best friend Alan had a backyard that was the most awesome wiffle ball field. There was always enough kids in the neighborhood to get a 5-on-5 or 6-on-6 game at all times. We'd play all day long - hell, we'd even compile individual stats and stuff (HRs, RBIs etc.).

 

I go around the area now and NEVER see wiffle ball games being played. Pretty sad - where are all of the kids at? Playin' freaking video games inside?

That's because all we had was Pong.

 

We played Wiffle Ball all day long, too (hey, it originated in CT). Base paths right on the side lawn. We also played a good deal of Kick Ball, which I've found a lot of folks are unfamiliar with...?

[jmacomber68w]

This kinda reminds me of when guitar hero came out. At first I thought it was a cool game, but now with all the sequels and the whole rock band thing I seem to think more 10-16 year olds are playing that and devoting so much time to it, instead of actually learning an instrument and playing with friends

[Atticus]

I personally shut down the wiffle ball rising of dallas in '05. Little bastards.

[Good Old Neon]

Same here. We played until our moms called us home for supper, literally. We used to keep stats for all kinds of things, even four-square.

 

Same here, we had to be dragged, literally, home for dinner. I was fortunate enough to have been raised in a relatively rural area, though it has since seen its (over) share of development. My friends and I spent countless hours trudging through the wilderness bordering our neighborhood

[Spawn's dad]

revisionism is cool.

 

In the reality machine I recall grown ups being equally pissed then at what ever kids did. Usually

because we were rude, and messy with a leaning towards destructiveness. Pretty much the same

now, only kids seems to be ruder and with even less respect for authority.

[ction]

revisionism is cool.

 

In the reality machine I recall grown ups being equally pissed then at what ever kids did. Usually

because we were rude, and messy with a leaning towards destructiveness. Pretty much the same

now, only kids seems to be ruder and with even less respect for authority.

 

I'm sure if I looked I could find a link to the first chapter in a long, boring book that would prove I'm smarter than you.

[Good Old Neon]

revisionism is cool.

 

In the reality machine I recall grown ups being equally pissed then at what ever kids did. Usually

because we were rude, and messy with a leaning towards destructiveness. Pretty much the same

now, only kids seems to be ruder and with even less respect for authority.

 

Reality is even cooler

[JUDE]

I'm sure if I looked I could find a link to the first chapter in a long, boring book that would prove I'm smarter than you.

 

Fuck you, Jude Dale Nixon - at least I have sack enough to not hide behind my anonymity.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Let's see how long the dude advocating that kids play outdoors and the dude who takes his kid outdoors all the time can find things to disagree on.

 

I don't see why both can't be right. That is, both that kids need more unstructured, outdoor playtime and that kids are less respectful today, etc.

[M. (hristine]