Age restrictions at Barker Field cause disputes among neighbors
The park recently changed its rules, allowing only children 12-and-up in the dog park, with parental supervision.
Things are getting hairy after age restrictions were altered at Byrd Park’s Barker Field dog park.
Richmond resident David Bender told Style Weekly he hadn’t visited the park in more than a year and wasn’t aware of new age restrictions on children in the dog park. The rule, put into place by the Friends of Barker Field, states:
No child under the age of 12 shall enter the dog park. Children 12-17 shall be accompanied by an adult.
Bender, assuming the original age restriction of 8-and-up was still in effect, brought his 9-year-old daughter to the dog park, which resulted in a verbal confrontation from another park-goer, according to Style:
Bender says the man got in his face and started yelling that his daughter couldn’t be there. Things got so intense that someone must have called police — or they took notice. Before officers arrived, Bender says, “It’s already escalating beyond the ridiculous and the sublime.”
Bender is now rallying public support to have the park’s rules changed, calling the rules “arbitrary and capacious,” and “put in by a nanny state.”
Read the full article to learn more and tell us your opinion of the matter in the comments.
Photo: Enrichmond
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Trevor Dickerson
Trevor Dickerson loves all things Richmond and manages RVANews’ West of the Boulevard and West End community sites.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
If this guy has no intention of going back why is he talking to at least two local media outlets about this. He was in the wrong, he blatantly ignored the sign with the rules on it, brought his child in and was asked to leave, he chose to ignore this, and the police were called. People using this situation as a way to complain about the barker field board seem to be forgetting that these people who are enforcing the rules are also providing fresh mulch, bringing their own water during the winter when the city shuts of the water to the park, and helps maintain up keep and provide seating… so yeah they have every right to approach you if you aren’t following the rules. You want to enjoy the park and it’s ammenties but for some reason think the rules don’t apply to you?? Also how about being considerate of others and respecting the fact that nobody wants that liability on their hands, and nobody wants to be sued or have their pet put down for just being a dog, in a place thats supposed to be safe for dogs. I fully support a 12 and up restriction, and an adult with kids 12-17.
I find certain speed limts to be unfair and too low, however this does not stop the police for pulling me over. The limit is put there for my safety, and if I choose to ignore that limit I run the risk of getting a ticket and pulled over…that is exactly what happened to this guy, and instead of accepting culpability.
Did Bender mean to say “arbitrary and CAPRICIOUS”? Capacious = spacious or roomy. Capricious = unpredictable change or erratic.