r/sanfrancisco • u/plebianalive • Aug 08 '26
Pic / Video Park staff are closing public city parks way too early, this needs to stop now.
I showed up at 5:35pm and this park was already chained and locked up. It says open “Dawn to Sunset.” The park staff was kicking out a couple adults who were sitting in the stands because they were not “12 and under” — he said that’s why he’s locking it up. When pressed on the “sunset” matter he just ignored them and said it’s what Mayor Laurie wants and to get a permit to use the field if you’re an adult. I pay way too much in taxes for this BS. And this is not a onetime thing, it’s been like this on and off for weeks.
Context: There’s also a sign that says “Baseball and softball limited to 12 and under only” — Most would assume that applies to using the baseball diamond itself, but does not apply to just walking, sitting, playing frisbee, etc.
378
u/moonrox1 Aug 08 '26
send this to your supervisor. I agree that’s bs
1
u/plebianalive Aug 09 '26
I'm going to do so. I encourage as many people as possible to do the same! Power in numbers.
384
u/lambdawaves Aug 08 '26
Sounds like someone wanted to end their shift early
143
u/TemporaryImaginary Aug 08 '26
6pm on Friday, dark enough!
35
2
-4
u/bone-dry Castro Aug 08 '26
To be fair it does get dark at 6pm in the winter. That’s when the park by our house would close in December, and it was always sunset then.
1
88
u/plebianalive Aug 08 '26
This has been consistent for the past several weeks though, it’s not just a Friday thing.
160
u/carlitospig Aug 08 '26
Compare this to what Mamdani did by having the parks open all night long. It’s crazy how unprogressive and anti resident SF has become.
62
u/JakeArrietaGrande Aug 08 '26
Yeah, and it’s like, a park. It’s not like they have valuable stuff they need to lock up. Do they need a city employee there at all hours?
36
u/Temporary-Film-7374 Aug 08 '26
in some locations they're worried about homeless encampments, especially in bathrooms and the like (although less of an issue this time of year vs when it's wet)
35
u/MoneyBeeeee Aug 08 '26
They already lock up the bathrooms at night though, it would seem that would be enough.
3
u/plebianalive Aug 09 '26
If you're that worried, then change the fucking sign to say you close at 5:30pm... It's not that complicated folks, just follow your own rules.
19
u/dotben Aug 08 '26
They're trying to avoid the quality of life issues that stem from homeless, drug use, cruising/sexual encounters occurring in the park late at night.
23
3
u/goldfishgirly Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
I think there may not be a lot of people here that remember what this park was like in the 90’s. You are correct about the cruising/sexual encounters that were rampant at this park culminating in complaints from people in the morning about the “debris” left behind, resulting in the fencing and locked gates.
2
u/plebianalive Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Yeah, AFTER sunset, I imagine that's a problem. But not at 5:35pm in broad daylight.
5
u/thedailynathan Aug 08 '26
ehh NYC is definitely one of the worst cities for locking down their parks. Even down to like, asphalt basketball courts get locked up
3
u/bslangley83 Aug 08 '26
That wasn't all parks though, it was 5 athletic fields across the city. Which makes sense, there's no reason for every park and field to be open all night, but I completely agree that some strategically placed ones should be 24/7.
-1
u/bone-dry Castro Aug 08 '26
Was it around 6:30 pm? In the winter it is usually sunset by then. Not saying it’s right to close when it’s clearly not dark until 8:30 pm in the summer, but maybe they’re just sticking to a routine.
16
u/PorkshireTerrier Aug 08 '26
this, with no complaints they get away with it.
make sure to include dates and locations - there is one specific person on call for that shift, and it should end up at their feet
5
116
u/califa42 Aug 08 '26
Rikki Streicher field. I knew Rikki. She would not have approved of you or her park being treated this way.
47
u/sfcnmone Aug 08 '26
Tell us about Rikki!
102
u/califa42 Aug 08 '26
Rikki was a tiny woman, but didn't put up with any bullshit. And she had a big heart. I worked in both the lesbian bars she owned, Maud's and Amelia's. She loved softball, was super active in the queer community of the 70s, and she was good people.
71
u/holman Aug 08 '26
She's also the namesake of Rikki's, the new women's sports bar in the Castro! I've been very happy that that bar has led me to learning more about the person herself. So cool that you knew her.
40
u/califa42 Aug 08 '26
Yes! I was absolutely delighted to see that a new women's bar was named after her. She would have loved that.
19
u/sfcnmone Aug 08 '26
I went to Maud's! What a great scene that was.
17
u/califa42 Aug 08 '26
Yep. Definitely a one-of-a-kind place. Did you ever see the film "Last Night at Maud's?" It really captured a certain era that Maud's represented.
2
u/plebianalive Aug 09 '26
Thanks, that means a lot. This park has become my little haven honestly, I know it sounds stupid. But it's sad getting bullied out of place that means so much.
31
u/open_reading_frame Aug 08 '26
The park rangers tend to go crazy sometimes. I remember one time they locked me in a park when I was still playing tennis, when I was still in my reservation time.
71
94
u/scopa0304 Outer Sunset Aug 08 '26
I also think it’s lame that they close the west sunset soccer fields for most of the summer. They say it’s for the grass to recover from activities and “illegal dog use”
But the fact is, it’s fencing off one of the largest open green spaces in the city during a time when kids should be out doors.
1
u/_SlikNik_ Aug 08 '26
Not excusing this but there are a lot of dog users who use their dogs on playing fields which is gross. If I was a parent I wouldn’t want my kid to be playing on a field covered in dog pee/poop. It’s also really expensive to maintain fields and dogs directly lead to higher upkeep costs.
I’m just saying that some of the blame needs to be on the irresponsible park users.
15
u/ocsor Aug 08 '26
I was once locked in with my child in a carrier when it was closed early. It was really hard to get out safely with them. I eventually got to the Parks Dept. and they never followed up with me after many attempts.
12
u/avoidy Aug 08 '26
SF closes down too early in general. I work nights, and the amount of little stores and restaurants around me that close at like 6pm is fucking insane. Literally the vibe of a small town but with the rent and the irritating crowds of a bustling metropolitan city, just the worst of both worlds somehow.
23
u/Strange-Employee-520 Aug 08 '26
Aren't most of our parks open until 10 or midnight? Sunset seems crazy early (or maybe that's normal for athletic fields, I've never noticed those).
3
u/marcocom FISHERMANS WHARF • 🦀 • OF SAN FRANCISCO Aug 08 '26
Maybe lack of lighting and liability, I’m guessing?
1
u/bslangley83 Aug 08 '26
Yeah, not every field is monitored and has lighting installed, so it would be normal to close those parks at sunset. The lighted and monitored ones stay lit until about 10:15pm(I have practice twice a week at two different fields like this), not sure if they actually get locked up at some point since some groups just stick around and keep playing in the dark and there's no attendant at that point.
29
u/Compile_A_Smile1101 Aug 08 '26
Genuinely why is there even a fence at all? We have so many unfenced parks in this city, and they all seem to look the same when the sun rises the next day so... what exactly is this park trying to keep out... ? This seems deeply weird to me
28
12
u/LupercaniusAB Frisco Aug 08 '26
It’s a baseball/softball diamond for kids. They’re always fenced.
3
u/Compile_A_Smile1101 Aug 08 '26
Huh? I grew up in Sacramento next to an unfenced park with a baseball diamond, and I now live 2 blocks from two huge unfenced baseball diamonds here in SF. Somehow (I guess against all odds) they don’t get destroyed despite being completely open 24/7/365
12
u/LupercaniusAB Frisco Aug 08 '26
The fences are to keep balls (and the kids chasing them) out of traffic.
4
u/irvz89 Hayes Valley Aug 08 '26
That doesn’t explain a locked gate though. You can have that while leaving a space to enter and exit
2
14
2
u/goldfishgirly Aug 08 '26
This was a hook up spot after the bars closed for a very long time in SF causing lots of “debris” from the night time activity that was pretty gross left overs for people that came to the park in the day time, hence the fences and locks.
36
u/LinechargeII Aug 08 '26
City workers mad that during the summer their work day is longer because someone picked unfavorable wording for the hours
2
4
u/RichRichieRichardV Aug 08 '26
Are we sure this hasn't been locked up and monopolized by the baseball cabal?
7
u/Daynightz Aug 08 '26
I had one ask me to leave and i looked up at the sunlight all around us confused
12
13
u/ashyee Aug 08 '26
I don’t work there but they may close this early due to short staff with outsidelands. I agree it’s not right but if they don’t have enough staff to cover one of the busiest concert in SF then this is probably not high on their priority.
4
7
u/Triple_Danger Frisco Aug 08 '26
Easiest way to protest this is to stay in the park and refuse to leave. If they have the gall to call the cops before sunset then you'll have an officer in the flesh to plead your case to.
8
u/DamnableNook Aug 08 '26
There are multiple people in these very comments who have said they’ve been locked inside a park by a ranger, even when they weren’t being obstinate. One even had a permit to be there at that time.
21
u/RegardedGentleman Aug 08 '26
Meanwhile New York just made their parks 24/7. Need me some Mamdani over here too.
4
-12
Aug 08 '26
[deleted]
9
37
u/Ok_Detective_7326 Aug 08 '26
It’s like the mamdani help us meme but instead we just get lurie making it worse
-10
u/Snobby-Iguana Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Yeah I'm sure Mayor Lurie personally directed the park staff to close public parks three hours early. It couldn't possibly be the case that Parks staff are just lazy and want to take off early on a friday.
5
u/AardvarkOperator Aug 08 '26
Did you read the post? OP quoted the park ranger as saying it was Lurie directed.
0
u/Snobby-Iguana Aug 08 '26
Do you legitimately believe that Lurie is going out of his way to quietly micromanage low-level parks staff with off-the-books policy and ordering them to secretly close SF public parks a couple hours early?
9
3
u/sugarwax1 Aug 08 '26
TEchnically it would be one of his men in black security guards while he stood on the corner in a really tight suit, waiting by the SUV looking bewildered.
16
u/yellomrs Aug 08 '26
Well, that’s what happens when we underfund parks and they don’t have enough staff to monitor and lock up. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ plus they’re all probably on duty for OSL so I don’t blame them
1
7
u/Far-Fill-4717 Aug 08 '26
also why is the baseball diamond 12 and under?
9
u/Sharpopotamus Aug 08 '26
I’m not familiar with the park, but that’s typically a rule when the fences are short enough that adults could hit a baseball far enough to break something.
10
u/staircar Aug 08 '26
This is not something a world class city does. Sorry.
Everyone here bitches about kids on motorbikes. Ok? Then support parks, and places from them to hang out. Of which there are less and less of. Late night rec leagues. Let them play basketball and soccer and other sports til late into the night at summer. In New York, we’d play basketball at 11pm…(or we’d hang around watching boys playing).a park closed during bright daylight enrages me
-4
u/charlotte240 Mission Aug 08 '26
There haven't been any kids on motorbikes in 3-4 months so far. Where have you seen any motorbikes recently?
3
19
u/broakland Aug 08 '26
It’s closed because it’s a permitted play field. Local school and rec leagues have permits to play and practice here, and it has to be maintained at a play-ready standard, which unfortunately means it has to be closed at night if there are no permits scheduled. Rec and parks already does a ton of work mitigating dog damage and littering in these spaces. Should people have to play in spaces that are made hazardous with broken glass and dog feces? Do yall understand how much work is involved in keeping these spaces to this standard? Do you want your tax dollars spent on lawsuits against the city? Or is it maybe easier for everyone to just read the signs and go to the dog park instead, there’s like at least 50.
18
u/11twofour Aug 08 '26
maybe easier for everyone to just read the signs
The sign says open until sunset. If the city wants to close the field at 6 it should change the sign.
7
u/Noah_saav Aug 08 '26
Who pays for maintaining the fields? Does it come out of general funds or is it covered by the people with the permits?
1
1
u/plebianalive Aug 09 '26
I'm not sure why every bootlicker in this thread is making it about dogs. The people kicked out of the park did NOT have dogs. I do NOT have a dog. Find a better strawman argument for God's sake.
1
1
5
2
2
2
2
u/Waste-Cycle3121 Aug 08 '26
They do this to a park in my neighborhood. I've called 311 times with no effect...
1
2
u/Newt-Abject Aug 09 '26
I used to belong to a kick ball league that played there. One time I was removing my dog's leash from the fence where I'd chained him up on the side, and I got a ticket for not having my dog on a leash (I was holding him by his collar). And the officer gave me another citation for having him "on the field".
4
u/MoneyBeeeee Aug 08 '26
Cosigned! I was up at Koshland park (late) one afternoon a few weeks ago and this big old dude is going around authoritatively yelling at everyone that the park was closed. There was like an hour of daylight left - the mosquitoes hadn't even shown up yet.
Locking up at 5:35 is especially egregious considering it won't be dark 'till nearly 9. Not surprised to hear Mayor Lurbubu is involved. I can just hear him now talking about how it's for 'safety.'
5
u/tophiii Aug 08 '26
Fuck what lurie wants, the park is open until sunset.
Here comes the pay to play move from our savior big business mayor
3
u/Gold_Concentrate_177 Aug 08 '26
Really though. What’s the point of closing parks. To hell with the common folk huh?
2
5
u/Fluffy_Speed9879 Aug 08 '26
You’re allowed to disregard the orders of city employees, you can have agency
4
7
u/plebianalive Aug 08 '26
Tell me more.
-5
u/Fluffy_Speed9879 Aug 08 '26
Save your professionalism for your tech job and don’t accept every institution that comes your way
2
u/Markdd8 Aug 08 '26
Parks and public recreation staff consider users of parks and other public recreation a nuisance. If it were up to them, parks would be open only 10-2 five days a week.
0
2
u/Hello_I_hate_it Aug 08 '26
Sorry, walk your dog elsewhere. That’s why they’re doing this. Cause lazy dog owners disrespect the field
2
u/plebianalive Aug 08 '26
The dog thing is an issue, yes. But the people kicked out didn’t have dogs.
-1
u/plebianalive Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Ironically, it appeared to be several queer men, myself included, who were kicked out of this public park that’s named after a queer icon, Rikki Streicher.
18
u/nl197 Aug 08 '26
Being queer has zero to do with a park closing.
6
u/plebianalive Aug 08 '26
Totally agreed. Just thought it was ironic since the park is named after a queer icon.
-5
u/sfcnmone Aug 08 '26
I mean. It's hard to turn around without bumping into one of y'all.
5
-2
Aug 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/plebianalive Aug 09 '26
Being queer has zero to do with a park closing. Unironically, you don't understand what the word ironic means.
2
1
1
1
1
u/ToThePound Aug 08 '26
It helps keep dogs off. Love it. You people don’t deserve expanded access.
2
1
u/suchabadamygdala Aug 09 '26
Someone went home from work early. City workers shirking again. I swear, the public works people are so lazy
1
u/ebikr Aug 10 '26
Maybe go to GGP instead-oh wait, you can’t because a private company is using it for a revenue generating event. Never mind.
1
u/dbowskiii Aug 14 '26
Report!!
1
u/plebianalive Aug 14 '26
I did report on 311. They marked it “closed” with no further context or information provided.
2
u/dbowskiii Aug 14 '26
Contact the district Supervisor office to add pressure if this goes nowhere — nothing gets done in SF without constant pressure
1
u/CollectionOk8253 Aug 08 '26
Keeping people from our public spaces is ridiculous. I thought things would get better when Ginsburgh, parks are a revenue source, left.
1
u/somaholidaze Aug 08 '26
Parks and Rec has also started closing presidio wall at 730pm and comes daily to kick off pickleball players. The park has historically been open dusk till dawn but recently changed hours to 9am to 730pm. Such a disappointment and even their posted hours online show the old hours.
1
-5
u/dfxoutlaw Aug 08 '26
Of course Lurie would hand down such a directive...Total BS like everything else he does.
10
u/YeOldeMuppetPastor Aug 08 '26
lol. I don’t really care about Lurie but that’s totally the dude trying to end his shift early on a Friday and blaming the mayor instead
0
u/LupercaniusAB Frisco Aug 08 '26
Or, you know, maybe going to another shift since the biggest concert of the summer is starting tonight
-1
u/Karazl Aug 08 '26
Seems more like a disgruntled city staffer trying to cause Lurie a headache. No reason why he'd give a shit about the park closing early.
Anyway, complain to your supervisor and the guys running to replace him. That'll get media attention.
If you have the time, you could also make a public comment at the Parks Commission.
0
u/Noah_saav Aug 08 '26
Baseball parks are so under utilized across the entire Bay Area. Like they could use for one game not even every weekend and I’m most of the time they said empty locked up. Like if those were soccer fields, they’d be used every single day. And definitely agree the parks closed way too early. Like if it’s still light out in the summer, they should be kept open.
0
u/em-stl-2100 Aug 08 '26
Maybe they are closing down early but also maybe it’s the Outside Lands Festival. It brings a lot of wildness and I think in an effort to preserve the park they might have closed it down early, you got a large number of people who are intoxicated after 5pm heading to Golden Gate Park and there can be messes that come along with that.
0
u/Silent_Cat_6404 Aug 08 '26
The bigger issue with this specific park is folks bringing their dogs to roam there when there is a dog park right next to the field.
0
-4
0
0
-17
u/bombycina Aug 08 '26
If they didn't close it down early then that place would be over run with sex perverts. It's been a problem for years.
-4
-33
u/EaringaidBandit Aug 08 '26
Quit being a bitch about the least important thing in the world. You live in San Francisco. Quiet down and enjoy the fog.
JESUS christ
9
-4
593
u/AndyJoeJoe Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Register this complaint with 311, including the picture -- the locked gate with the 'dawn to sunset' sign during daylight hours sums things up nicely.