8:28 A.M., PE#1 was spotted on slope to right of road from Lily Pond under East Drive going towards the carousel. She was carrying a ski pole (outdoor temperature: 60 degrees; no ice or snow in sight) and seemed to be following her two unleashed Jack Russell terriers.
4:46PM-4:54PM: 4, Baseball Fields
4:55PM-5:05PM: 10, Long Meadow
All dog owners were Caucasian.
Here is a perfect example of how offleash advocates have methodically excluded every other group from the parks, whenever they want. I was standing on the baseball fields (maybe 50 yards in from the walkway) binoculars and camera in hand, looking at an incredibly large flock of Ring- billed Gulls. It was about 4:30PM. There were over 1,000 birds walking through the grass eating worms and insects. A couple of people with infants in strollers also stopped to watch the gulls as it was an unusual spectacle. A lot of people with leashed dogs had passed, presumably on their way to the Nethermead Meadow as they went through the Ravine. At one point I noticed that two different people with dogs stopped on the path behind me. Suddenly, one guy unleashes his dog and throws a dog frisbee into the middle of the flock on the ballfields. The woman then unleashes her dog and sends it after the birds. My time allowance in the park was officially over. I walked to the woman and calmly said, "A lack of consideration aside, were you aware that dogs are never permitted off leash on the ballfields?" She wouldn't look at me, but said, "No", as she slowly walked passed. I continued, "Does it matter to you?" She said, "Nope." My reply was, "It should." She and the guy laughed. I was seething for so many reasons, but mainly because directly behind them was 90 acres that ARE designated as offleash (although, of course, not at 5 P.M.). The only reason for them to chose that field was because they could force me and everyone else to move, which we did.
No comments:
Post a Comment