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Article ‘Fun Police at it again': Children banned from rolling down a hill

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 Mum shocked to discover sign banning kids from rolling down a hill at Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens.

Adelaide mum, Cathie Morris,  posted to Facebook a picture of the sign at the gardens which reads, “Please do not engage in sliding or rolling downhill”.

“The ‘Fun Police’ are at it again,” she wrote.

“Kids have loved sliding down this grassy hill at Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens for years.

“So sick of all the litigious, risk averse, politically correct madness!!! Rant over.”

hill sign

Ms Morris told Today Tonight, “I just feel it’s a bit sad that one of the simple pleasures in life is now considered too dangerous.”

She has been overwhelmed with the support she received on social media and wants the signs removed.

“It’s a right of passage. Kids should just be allowed to roll down hills,” Ms Morris said.

The Botanic Gardens says it must put visitor safety first and the signs were put up after someone suffered a broken bone.

It provided a statement to Today Tonight saying the decision to erect the sign, discouraging people from sliding down the hill, came after that incident around eight years ago.

hill sign 2

“A person crashed into another visitor, who suffered a broken limb,” the statement said. “The safety of visitors is paramount.”

Ms Morris said it was a shame that one incident “spoils it for everybody” and questions the consequences if children aren’t allowed to take risks.

“Otherwise how do they build up resilience and how do they learn where to draw the line?” she said.

Do you think this is yet another case of PC gone mad?

Share your comments below.

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Comments

  • I understand why this has been done, but it is so hard to let children have the fun we used to enjoy in our own childhood these days. Such a pity.

    Reply

  • Its insane! Just put up a sign that visitors roll at their own risk and Mt Lofty won’t accept any responsibility for injuries.

    Reply

  • wow one unfortunate accident and now a free simple fun thing for kids to do is gone – my daughter just broke her arm at school after tripping over the edge of a retaining wall – should I not send her to school because she could hurt herself again? Sometimes people just need to relax – we have so many rules governing every single thing we do – don’t walk on the grass, don’t feed the ducks, dont do this, dont do that – what are we supposed to do? I for one would encourage my kids to roll down a hill, they did it while we were at the snow this winter and had a ball, of course I would watch for their safety and others around us but would I stop them from experiencing the moment – NO!

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  • Completely ridiculous! Yes, I can understand the safety issues – but why not just raise awareness of the risk rather than banning it?!

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  • Yes, this goes too far for me. Next we have to forbid our kids to climb in a tree because they might break a bone or they can’t jump in muddy puddles because they might slip !

    Reply

  • Perhaps this particular site was not safe.

    Reply

  • One of my best memories was rolling down a large hill on holidays as a child!

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  • i understand why but I agree kids need to learn which risks to take and which to leave and they only learn by doing, maybe making a place just for it

    Reply

  • I find this decision quite ridiculous! :-)

    Reply
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