down in the park

there's a park not far from where i live - it's the grounds of a heritage listed nineteenth century house, and surrounded by a tall iron railing fence and gate. at night it's kept locked up, but has free entry to all during the day. it's a place where families have picnics, lovers hold hands as they stroll about whispering sweet nothings, kids kick footballs about - you get the idea.

anyway, over the past couple of years, it has become somewhat notorious, on account of a guy with - to use the popular euphemism - "learning difficulties", who turns up every day as soon as the gate is opened, and spends the whole day inside the park, accosting people at random and engaging them in meaningless ramblings. basically, he's a homeless dude, and he smells quite bad, and there have been quite a few complaints about him. the civil liberties people predictably say he has as much right to be there as anyone else, but he is definitely lowering the enjoyment level of other people using the park. the thing is, he's there all day, every day, and he never shuts up. much of what he has to say to people isn't very pleasant either, and most of the remainder is more or less incomprehensible unless you speak fluent gibberish.

it's made the local papers a few times, most recently because the people in charge of looking after the park have barred him from entry, and now he hangs around the gate shouting at people as they go in. he sort of lurches about from person to person, grabbing their sleeve and staring into their eyes and insisting that he's "not harming anyone". he's widely regarded as a harmless joke, but at the same time you can see people shrink uneasily back when he approaches. from my own experience, there is definitely something awry up in his attic.

so, what's the local news in your neck of the woods?

Good post. Would read again.

Originally posted by Blackamp
there's a park not far from where i live - it's the grounds of a heritage listed nineteenth century house, and surrounded by a tall iron railing fence and gate. at night it's kept locked up, but has free entry to all during the day. it's a place where families have picnics, lovers hold hands as they stroll about whispering sweet nothings, kids kick football ...[text shortened]... up in his attic.

so, what's the local news in your neck of the woods?

...they found a body of a seven month old child just half a mile from my home. Strangled to death. Damned village must be cursed!





I prefer your story.