City parks are shared spaces, but that doesn’t mean every activity is appropriate in every part of the park.

One father learned this the hard way when he took his 8-year-old daughter to a neighborhood skatepark and found several young boys running around and climbing all over the halfpipe.

With their parents standing nearby, he initially waited for the kids to move, hoping they’d realize that he and his daughter wanted to skate.

But after one of the boys ran into his path and got hit by his skateboard, he decided it was time to speak up.

What would you have done?

Read the full story below.

AITA for kicking kids off a skate ramp and arguing with their parents?

A city park near our house has a halfpipe next to the basketball and tennis courts.

Yesterday I showed up with my 8yo daughter to skate with her, and there were a group of 5 boys between 8-10 years old running back and forth on the ramp and climbing all over it.

There were 2 dads standing nearby chatting.

Usually when my daughter and I start padding up kids start to get the hint and/or parents have enough awareness to tell their kids to clear off the ramp for the people skating.

We stood on the deck for a few minutes waiting to drop in, and when I saw a chance I dropped in, did a warmup run, and then got back on the deck.

It wasn’t normal or polite behavior.

The kids resumed running all over the ramp and I stood there for another few minutes again waiting for the parents to notice.

My daughter got a chance and dropped in and did her run, then I finally I dropped in again and a kid ran up the ramp as I was grinding and I hit his ankle.

At this point I finally turn to the 2 dads standing there and ask “hi, are these your kids? Can you please have them move off the ramp so that we can skate?”

I was surprised that the pushed back at this request and responded with “But they were here playing first.”

I pointed out that “yes, but this is a ramp made for skateboarding.”

Having to explain common sense to people is so exhausting.

“And we are here to skateboard. I’m sure you wouldn’t let your kids ride their bikes through the middle of the basketball courts while there is a pickup game going on? Or play on the tennis courts while people are trying to play tennis, no?”

“He responded with “Ok, I see what you’re saying, but can’t you just share? They can use half the ramp.”

I declined that offer and explained that it’s a safety issue if my board shoots out and hits them when I fall or they run in front of me or my daughter and cause one of us to get hurt.

Also that there is an entire playground on the other end of the park if they want to have fun sliding and climbing.

But of course that wasn’t good enough, apparently?

We went back and forth about this for another five minutes before they finally told their kids to get off the ramp and acted like I was being an *******.

I don’t expect a skate ramp to be some sacred space where non-skaters can never set foot, especially when nobody is using it.

If kids want to run around and play on the ramp while it’s empty, whatever.

But once people actually show up to skate, I feel like it’s pretty obvious that you clear the ramp and let them use it for its intended purpose.

The “they were here first” argument especially threw me.

I just can’t imagine if my kids were riding their bikes on the empty tennis court and some people showed up to play tennis telling them “sorry, my kids were here first”.

AITA here?

He’s obviously not the one in the wrong here, just outnumbered in that vicinity.

What did Reddit think?

Yup. Or at least give them skateboards.

It is infuriating behavior.

That’s a good point.

Another reader chimes in.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man who got fed up with all of the cars parking illegally on his vacation land, so he had them all towed.

A suggestion on what to say.

The father’s main concern seems reasonable: a halfpipe is designed for skateboarding, and having children run across it while someone is skating creates a genuine risk of injury.

The parents could have allowed their children to play on the ramp while it was empty and then asked them to move once skaters arrived.

Arguing about it was ridiculous.

He wasn’t being unnecessarily territorial, there was a genuine concern and also he and his daughter wanted to use the ramp for its intended purpose.