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It was just a typical day at the park. Then someone called the police.

Was this dad in the wrong?

Children’s playgrounds are no strangers to arguments, but it’s normally the kids who are fighting.

But yesterday afternoon police were called to a Sydney playground where two parents were locked in a heated conversation over a set of child swings.

Sydney mother Elaine Stack took to Facebook after witnessing a man and woman arguing over whose child was more entitled to sitting on the swing.

Here’s how Elaine Stack described it on her  Facebook page.

“Discussion to be had …
I was just at the park & the police arrived. Seemingly a Mother was pushing her little girl on a swing when a Father approached & said he was also waiting for the swing. The Mother replied that they would be another 5 minutes or so. The Father proceeded to stop the swing in motion & tried to lift the daughter out! The Mother was very upset & called the police. Another parent in the park thought this was a little over board. What would you do?!? Would you call the police?”

Comments were definitely divided.

Many were horrified that a stranger would touch a child without permission.

“Yep I would! How dare he touch another persons child! And teaching his child disgusting manners and how to be impatient and RUDE!!”

“Woah! I think that the father trying to lift the child out of the swing is completely over the line. 
Not sure if I would have called the police, but it would have been a very confronting situation to be in. It’s hard to say how anyone would react when they are actually in that circumstance. Definitely not okay for any parent to be lifting a child out of the swing like that. Selfish.”

And then the police arrived.

But they were unsure of whether calling the police was the right move:

“Wow that father is waayyyyy out of line. No matter the circumstances whether they had been on the swing for an hour. It is not ok to stop the swing and to physically try take another child out! Not sure about whether the police needed to be involved though. I don’t know what I would do in that situation!”

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“The role of a police officer is not to sort out playground disputes between adults.”

While one parent took the middle ground, “I think they should both grow up and remember the example they’re setting for their own children. Having to call the police over a swing in ridiculous. They were both in the wrong. God forbid the police may be needed for something series [sic]!”

Inspector Sharkey at Ryde Police confirmed the incident to News.com.au, “Yes, police were called in regards to an incident at a park in Ryde yesterday. Police attended the scene, there was a dispute over one child staying on the swing longer than reasonable.

The police spoke to both parties, and no offence was detected by the police. Neither party wanted to make a further complaint. From the information police had at the scene there was no incident.”

Now imagine it was your child at the park. Would you call the police?

This post originally appeared on iVillage and has been republished with full permission.

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