I just read (in another thread) that the Peace Gardens is well known as a paedophile hang out. Now this has me worried, because I like to sit there on a Saturday afternoon, usually hungover, to enjoy a pasty and fresh air. I doubt I'm in a danger from them myself :) but that's not what worries me.
So my question is this: If you saw a middle aged bloke sat in the Peace Gardens on his own, would you asume he's a paedophile?
Should I stop going there?

If I saw a middle aged bloke sat on his own in the peace gardens I wouldn't assume he was a paedophile.
That's overreacting slightly really to a guy who might be sitting there eating his lunch or dinner when he's on his break or just finished work

Not every middle aged bloke is a paedophile- luckily paedophiles are a minority in the category of middle aged blokes.....

Perhaps at say 2 in the morning you shouldn't be there on your own but I don't see anything wrong with going there before 11 PM on your own really....no you shouldn't stop going there. The peace gardens is a nice place in the middle of town which is pretty safe really.

I think personally where ever there are young children playing there will be the stigma attached to lone adults. I would never let my childern run round the peace gardens in there underwear, because at the end of the day you just dont know whos getting there jollys off watching them do you?.
But they could be doing that anywhere, rivlin paddling pools, the local park,schools.
At the end of the day most of it will be hearsay. Has anyone ever been charged for doing such things in town, and how can you tell whos thinking what when looking at the kids anyway.
The old man with his hand in his pockect could be watching the kids playing and thinking about his own grown up family or he could be thinking somthing much more sinister. you just dont know. at the end of the day I wouldnt worry too much about sitting alone in the peace gardens thats what they are there for.
And its the responsabilty of the parents whose kids are playing there to make sure they are safe.

Lindos,

I don't think you should stop going to the Peace Gardens or anything, and I certainly don't think the Peace Gardens is crawling with paedophiles.

Where my comment came from was the friend of an ex-workmate who was a social worker who had worked with paedophiles, and allegedly, that is a popular spot for them. I also wouldn't say it is a well known fact at all. It was only by chance that I was told this about 10 months ago, and have never heard anything similar since

I don't in any way think that people should stop going there. If you have no bad intentions, why should you stop going there?

MOD: Altered title as anyone glancing through the titles might assume the worse.

Originally posted by Lindos

So my question is this: If you saw a middle aged bloke sat in the Peace Gardens on his own, would you asume he's a paedophile?

No I wouldn't. On the same note, if you saw an arabian man with a camera would you assume that he was a terrorist?

Can we please stop this stupid scaremongering.

How would you know- they don't wear a sign on their backs.

the paedo's can't get in Saturdays for the assylum seekers!

The arabian man with a camera bit is lost on me. If I saw an arabian man with a rocket launcher, then I'd have my doubts.

Likewise, if I saw a middle-aged man on a hot summers day in the peace gardens who seemed to be 'a little excited', whilst gazing in the general direction of the fountains, I'm probably think the worse too.

Now, if I saw a man in a white coat, tend to a small child's cuts and bruises, I'd probably think he was a paediatrician.

Originally posted by ptigga
On the same note, if you saw an arabian man with a camera would you assume that he was a terrorist?

Only if s/he had a map and a laptop too. ;-)

im a bit suprised the sheffield council in there wisdom havnt put a helppoint in that area, every asylum seeker and refugee seems to be there so why not. hows it go "live and let live" christ.

Originally posted by smedley
Now, if I saw a man in a white coat, tend to a small child's cuts and bruises, I'd probably think he was a paediatrician.

If he was NHS it's more likely he'd be a healthcare assistant. Doctors don't do that sort of thing any more.

But still, would you burn his house and pelt him with stones? Answer carefully, for it tells of which paper you read. Me, I prefer to incite mob violence on pedicurists...

every asylum seeker and refugee seems to be there [/B]

and they seem to spend most of their time hissing at girls walking past.

i have seen this happen so many times...

Especially the 14ft ones, lying in the grass, disguised as boa constrictors

Originally posted by smedley
Especially the 14ft ones, lying in the grass, disguised as boa constrictors

Maybe it's not asylum seekers at all, but a post-modern rendition of Captain Beaky and his Band. With a collection of Hissing Sids. Sid was after all by far the best character. How, years ago when we did a production of it in Boy's Brigade, we envied the tall skinny kid called Wayne, for he got to play the dashing serpent. For this role he was swaddled along with a broom handle in a green curtain with a couple of eyes and a forked tongue sellotaped to it. Thus bound and, by some oversight on the part of the costume/wrapping department, blind, he was pushed onto stage for his appearance lying atop a skateboard. With rather more zeal than strictly necessary. With a brisk hisssss of skateboard wheels and an ominous rumble, he swiftly and magically glided across the floor, coming to rest with a bump and a muffled squeak of protest underneath a chapel pew. A sterling debut, it was agreed by all several days later, once it had been ascertained that his concussion wouldn't prove lasting.

Originally posted by Lindos
I just read (in another thread) that the Peace Gardens is well known as a paedophile hang out. Now this has me worried, because I like to sit there on a Saturday afternoon, usually hungover, to enjoy a pasty and fresh air. I doubt I'm in a danger from them myself :) but that's not what worries me.
So my question is this: If you saw a middle aged bloke sat in the Peace Gardens on his own, would you asume he's a paedophile?
Should I stop going there?

I wouldn't assume that any man of any age on his own was a paedophile any more than I would assume he was a burgular, drug dealer etc. Why should I assume this? What make you think that just because a man is on his own he must be up to no good?

Closing topic
Making an executive decision to close this mess of a thread. It's fairly obvious that *any* public place *might* contain paedophiles. If you see someone acting strangely then call the police. Scaremongering doesn't help anyone.