I sent the following email to my town’s park district. I’ll be interested to see whether they reply and take my concern seriously:
I am writing to you regarding my concern with the fitness path at Camera Park. I have noticed on a daily basis people stopping, standing, and even sitting on the path, particularly near the baseball diamond. I’ve also noticed people using the wrong side for the direction they are traveling.
I think it would be helpful to post some signs in these especially troublesome areas to remind people that the path is there for bikers, runners, walkers, and rollerbladers (such as myself), and not to hang out and have conversations. I don’t appreciate the dirty looks I get from people when I am using the path as it was intended just because I get close to them because they are in my way. Not only that, but it is dangerous for me as well as them. People step out in front of me, or I have to try and get around their group, and it’s completely unnecessary, not to mention rude and inconsiderate.
As noted above, this is particularly rampant by the baseball field. Last night one woman took a fold-up chair and set it down right in the middle of the path to watch the baseball game! Two men played catch with a baseball right along side the path and I’m not exaggerating when I say that I felt the wind from the ball whip past my head!
These people are irresponsible and I think it would help to add signs as well as have a police officer on a bike regularly patrol the area and enforce the rules. If it helps, I see this happening in the evenings between 7-8 pm. It makes me not want to use the park and I think that’s sad. I hope you can do something to help rectify the situation.
Thank you for your time.