"Errol Groff" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 13:18:19 -0700, G Henslee
wrote:

Ignoramus6998 wrote:

I made a water slide for my 4 year old today.

Take the kid to a water park. That thing will ruin your lawn.

So what. The grass can always be replanted but a kid is only little
once and years from now might well remember how his Dad made him a
water slide when he was little.


Not to mention that most amusement parks are now overrun by gangs, thugs,
and punks. (And with the water parks, you have to be concerned with either
communicable diseases, or sickeningly-high levels of disinfecting
chemicals.)

As a child in the sixties, I remember visiting Disneyland and how polite and
well-mannered everyone was -- both staff and visitors. I still have photos
from those days to remind me of a time when people were courteous and
dressed appropriately, and when public spaces were dominated (and
behaviorally-regulated) by families and responsible adults.

These days, visiting an amusement park is like venturing into an urban
ghetto: gangs roam in packs and do what they want, cutting in lines, pushing
people around, etc. The language one hears is x-rated, as is much of the
attire. Very few adults are to be seen and even fewer whole families. Little
kids, who've never been told "No!" by their typically-absent parent, run
wild and completely disregard the staff and adults. Of course, the staff are
mostly teens who couldn't give a damn anyway.

It's sad, but I'll probably never be able to take my young children to an
amusement park.

- Michael