4 ms·

I remember when I was a teen I started noticing how the nanny state had managed to remove all the old swings I used to play with and replaced them with some tin

I remember when I was a teen I started noticing how the nanny state had managed to remove all the old swings I used to play with and replaced them with some tiny and safe swings that no one even uses anymore. Children even started wearing yellow safety vests to school all of a sudden. I'm glad there's at least some backlash to this nonsense.

themitigating 4y ago
What state manages playground equipment?
- leipert 4y ago
  Many, if not most, public playgrounds are maintained by the city or municipality in Germany. Here in a larger city they are checked and cleaned weekly.
  - themitigating 4y ago
    So not the state?
    - leipert 4y ago
      Depends on your definition of state. If you really want to dig into it: The country, Germany, or a federal state like Bavaria, likely not directly but indirectly, due to how our tax system works. Different entities collect different taxes, but the cities and municipalities get a certain percentage of wage and sales tax for example. Often those taxes are not bound to be used for a certain purpose. But also we have city-states liked Berlin or Hamburg, and those directly fund and maintain their playgrounds.
    - sircastor 4y ago
      “The state” is a generic term that refers to the government, local, provincial, or larger.
      - wizofaus 4y ago
        I'd suggest it's not typically thought of as including local government. It is a peculiarly overloaded term though, particularly if you live in a country where "state" is a key governmental/administrative division! In the usage here - "nanny state" - I'd agree it can include local government and indeed even organisations operating below that level (it might just be a single school board making "nanny state" decisions).
        YawningAngel 4y ago
        I think it very much is thought of as inclusive of local government, at least in countries that aren't federal.
mschuster91 4y ago
> Children even started wearing yellow safety vests to school all of a sudden. Given how many accidents happen on the way to school ("Schulwegunfälle", yes we have a dedicated word for it), it's absolutely necessary. 62k accidents in 2021, and 16 dead kids [1]. A large part of the cause is how absurdly car-centric our cities are - and yet, we're harmless compared to the US. [1] https://www.dguv.de/de/zahlen-fakten/schuelerunfallgeschehen/schul-wegunfaelle/index.jsp?query=webcode+d93454 https://www.dguv.de/de/zahlen-fakten/schuelerunfallgeschehen...
- nicbou 4y ago
  It's getting better, at least in Berlin. Besides, the quality of the drivers in Germany is far better than in the US in my experience.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- LeanderK 4y ago
  > 16 dead kids of course every preventable death is too much and we should be aiming at zero...but 16 doesn't seem that much? I would have guessed more for sure.
  - mschuster91 4y ago
    In the last few years, the residential street where I live had multiple accidents caused by inattentive or plain racing drivers. One child ended up in hospital for weeks after being run over by a speeding car, a woman ended up dead after being run over by a lorry, and from my window I can see dangerous behavior from motorists alllll the time. Not good if you have three schools, (at least) two kindergartens and a sports area used by all of them. The problem is, the street is fucking wide - it used to be the supply road for a beer factory and only got developed into pure residential and schools zoning two decades ago, and that seems to invite people to not give a fuck.
  - burnished 4y ago
matsemann 4y ago
> Children even started wearing yellow safety vests to school all of a sudden Ban cars around schools. Ironically, the danger to kids walking to school is other parents driving their kid to school (a bit stressed, over the limit and probably on their phone).
- screwturner68 4y ago
  Things only gotten safer over the last 50 years and every kid walked to school in the 60's,70's & 80's but now the majority are carted in very large SUVs. Something changed and it's not safety. I'd also add that they walked to school without parental supervision pretty much from kindergarten forward. I think most parents today would have a heart attack if their 2nd grader walked to school alone (even though they likely did)

themitigating 4y ago

What state manages playground equipment?

leipert 4y ago
Many, if not most, public playgrounds are maintained by the city or municipality in Germany. Here in a larger city they are checked and cleaned weekly.
- themitigating 4y ago
  So not the state?
  - leipert 4y ago
    Depends on your definition of state. If you really want to dig into it: The country, Germany, or a federal state like Bavaria, likely not directly but indirectly, due to how our tax system works. Different entities collect different taxes, but the cities and municipalities get a certain percentage of wage and sales tax for example. Often those taxes are not bound to be used for a certain purpose. But also we have city-states liked Berlin or Hamburg, and those directly fund and maintain their playgrounds.
  - sircastor 4y ago
    “The state” is a generic term that refers to the government, local, provincial, or larger.
    - wizofaus 4y ago
      I'd suggest it's not typically thought of as including local government. It is a peculiarly overloaded term though, particularly if you live in a country where "state" is a key governmental/administrative division! In the usage here - "nanny state" - I'd agree it can include local government and indeed even organisations operating below that level (it might just be a single school board making "nanny state" decisions).
      - YawningAngel 4y ago
        I think it very much is thought of as inclusive of local government, at least in countries that aren't federal.

mschuster91 4y ago

> Children even started wearing yellow safety vests to school all of a sudden. Given how many accidents happen on the way to school ("Schulwegunfälle", yes we have a dedicated word for it), it's absolutely necessary. 62k accidents in 2021, and 16 dead kids [1]. A large part of the cause is how absurdly car-centric our cities are - and yet, we're harmless compared to the US. [1] https://www.dguv.de/de/zahlen-fakten/schuelerunfallgeschehen/schul-wegunfaelle/index.jsp?query=webcode+d93454 https://www.dguv.de/de/zahlen-fakten/schuelerunfallgeschehen...

nicbou 4y ago
It's getting better, at least in Berlin. Besides, the quality of the drivers in Germany is far better than in the US in my experience.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
LeanderK 4y ago
> 16 dead kids of course every preventable death is too much and we should be aiming at zero...but 16 doesn't seem that much? I would have guessed more for sure.
- mschuster91 4y ago
  In the last few years, the residential street where I live had multiple accidents caused by inattentive or plain racing drivers. One child ended up in hospital for weeks after being run over by a speeding car, a woman ended up dead after being run over by a lorry, and from my window I can see dangerous behavior from motorists alllll the time. Not good if you have three schools, (at least) two kindergartens and a sports area used by all of them. The problem is, the street is fucking wide - it used to be the supply road for a beer factory and only got developed into pure residential and schools zoning two decades ago, and that seems to invite people to not give a fuck.
- burnished 4y ago

matsemann 4y ago

> Children even started wearing yellow safety vests to school all of a sudden Ban cars around schools. Ironically, the danger to kids walking to school is other parents driving their kid to school (a bit stressed, over the limit and probably on their phone).

screwturner68 4y ago
Things only gotten safer over the last 50 years and every kid walked to school in the 60's,70's & 80's but now the majority are carted in very large SUVs. Something changed and it's not safety. I'd also add that they walked to school without parental supervision pretty much from kindergarten forward. I think most parents today would have a heart attack if their 2nd grader walked to school alone (even though they likely did)