here in fayetteville, we are blessed with numerous parks, ranging from the major ones (gulley, wilson, walker) to the tiny ones (Greg, Agri, and that little one with the pond that no one can remember the name of .) fayetteville certainly has done a pretty decent job at keeping up some green space for its residents. but for what?
what is one meant to do in the park? certainly there are sports in designated areas, walking and biking trails, picnic pavilions and the like, but what of all that greenspace? i’m quite convinced that it is not just for a pretty, environmentally friendly area but for use of some sort.
what brings this on is a brief encounter i had with an officer of the law today. i work at the experimental farms so the closest park is Agri, known only for its pavilion. everyday, i load my lunch, iPod, and book into a canvas bag and depart towards the darkened place to eat my lunch, cool down and be outside. i’ve noticed that though i am the only one in the park everyday, there are several cars parked alongside the street. i’ve always just assumed fat people in their air conditioned vehicles, but this is wrong, or at least partially so. as i was sitting there with an apple and peanut butter, a cop begins driving through the grass straight at the pavilion. he drives around it (i wave) and then seemingly vanishes. moments latter he reappears with a flashlight enquiring if i “am alone”. he searches through the small pavilion as i hastily explain that i work at the farm and eat here daily. you seem fine, he says, but there are people around who aren’t fine. drugs. is one of those cars yours?, he enquires. yes, the white nissan pathfinder. he leaves to inspect the other vehicles on the lot.
what this leads me to wonder is what is appropriate versus inappropriate park behavior? i was there, laying back against a wall, iPod blaring with my pocket knife visably out. was it only my skirt and glasses that saved me from further questioning? would a vagrant have been so kindly left alone? essentially, my unanswered query is the notion that there is perhaps a class boundary to the park. i don’t mean fayetteville in particular, but just these public green spaces. how many african americans do you see at wilson? gully? very few in my experience. is this a geographical thing, or something more? perhaps this is far out of proportion.
