just a little respect please...

WARNING....long sentence ahead.

During the summer of 2006, the community came together in Carbon County and built a beautiful place where our teenagers could mingle with one another, practice their tagging skills, pass the Dutchie down the left hand side, speak like truckers and give each other tongue baths, all the while scaring away pesky toddlers and young kids who need a place to play...that's right...The Dino-Mine Adventure Playground.

OK, I'm being facetious...but what has happened to our favorite little playground? It has been over run and I, for one, can't take it anymore!

My kids love this playground, but all summer I have been hard pressed to find a day where they could play carelessly, without me worrying about the impending Junior High invasion. I tried my luck again today, thinking that the school year would drive away the unwanted teens. It was wonderful for a while...until 4:15...when a herd of kiddos in Volcom T-shirts came walking, skating and riding up the hill towards us. In the past couple of weeks, while with my kids at Dino-Mine, I have witnessed the following.

1) A 10 or 11 year old couple engaging in a public make-out under the bridge (not rookies by the way).

2) A 9 year old ecstasy salesman in the Toddler area of the park.

3) A teenage boy hurdling inches over my 7 month old daughter's head while playing "tag" on the upper level of the playground.

4) A friend's son lamenting to his Dad..."Hey, those boys are saying garbage words!"

5) Skateboarding down the slides.

Come on teenagers! Come on lame, clueless parents who think your kids are just going to the playground. They are turning the said "playground" into a prepubescent Rave. At least the term "adventure" is apprope. Isn't there a Skatepark and BMX track about 200 yards away? Can't you leave the little kids playground to the little kids? I'm just saying...