42 replies to this topic

[WEASEL]

Ok, here's the situation: There is this park that my friends and I nerf at, but one of my friend's mom's found this article in the news paper about some guys that were like arrested or fined because somebody called the cops on them because they were airsofting in the park. So we haven't played nerf in that park (or anywhere else) since. Should we nerf anyway and if somebody tells us we're not supposed play with 'guns' say we didn't know it was agenst the rules, or just not nerf? I don't know if your answers will affect anything but I would like to know what you guys do. Do any of the parks you nerf at have some kind of rules against nerfing?

Edited by WEASEL, 11 January 2005 - 12:16 AM.

[cxwq]

Why don't you check your city regs and see if Nerfing is prohibited?

Airsoft and Nerf are very different things in most municipalities. Around here, Airsoft is specifically prohibited by name and is considered the same as air rifles. Nerf is generally fine.

[Evil]

Here in Jersey, maybe we just have understanding police officers (or maybe we just handle them deftly), but we've never had a problem. Every war we have the police show up, tell us about complaints about airsoft and paintball, and then we explain what we do and how we do it; we show them darts, and guns, and say that we respect the other park goers because we understand it is a public park.

Stick with that formula and you should be fine.

If I was you, I would Nerf.

Edited by Evil, 11 January 2005 - 09:28 AM.

[Bad Karma]

I'm with CX, just get in contact with the Rec department and ask if you can.

[VACC]

Honestly I always felt the problems a lot of you people had with the authorities were somewhat manufactured. In all my years of nerfing I've never once had a problem with police, or school officials, or anything. I can't remember a single war when I haven't been confronted by one of these people, but it's never been a problem. Bottom line, there's nothing inherantly ilegal or wrong about what you're doing. The cops know this. The only problems you might have would be with bitchy citizens, and generally there's not much they can do if you're within your rights.

VACC

[cxwq]

Generally true.

Where we've had problems at YANO is when we try to play on school property. There's a teacher who lives in his classroom (he was there Dec 23rd!) who kicks us out. We just move 30 feet away onto the property of the adjacent park. We've never had problems at the park beyond parents asking us to avoid a particular playground that their kids are using.

[Rambo]

I highly doubt that the regs could say anything about nerf seeing as there's probably 1-2 nerfers per 10sq. miles. So I don't think you can get in trouble, if anyone at the park feels endangered, just move, the cops can't make you do much of anything different.

[Evil]

RAMBO, on Jan 11 2005, 03:38 PM, said:

I highly doubt that the regs could say anything about nerf seeing as there's probably 1-2 nerfers per 10sq. miles. So I don't think you can get in trouble, if anyone at the park feels endangered, just move, the cops can't make you do much of anything different.

Our park had regulations about projectiles and "guns". But the police around here are understanding and we've managed to sidestep any real altercations because of that unique relationship.

[WEASEL]

Sorry I didn't post this earlyer (sp?).
Park rule:
No person in a park shall do any of the following:
~snip~
Use, carry, or possess firearms of any description, or air rifles, spring guns, bow and arrows, slings or any other forms of weapons potentially dangerous to wild life or to human safety.
~snip~

The "snip"s are where there was other rules but they were irrelevent. I guess that a nerf gun would be a 'air rifle' if it was a pump gun and a 'spring gun' if it was a spring powered nerf gun. Now if they are potentially dangerous to wild life or people is questionable.

Edited by WEASEL, 11 January 2005 - 05:13 PM.

[Half Newb Half Nerfer]

If they were wearing proper protection nerf guns are not dangerous to them. But its not likely that all people and animals in the park will be wearing safety glasses. Also its posible someone could get a steffan in the mouth ear, or any other part of the body unprotected. My suggestion would be to find another park to nerf in.
~Halfling

[nerfcrusader]

Although I have never seen an animal killed by a stefan, I'm with Halfling. It shouldn't be too hard to find another park.

[WEASEL]

Sorry these are accually city park regulations and we don't want to drive far away and we would have to go scouting first to find parks that would work. Besides, we love our park, its so huge, and foresty.

Edited by WEASEL, 11 January 2005 - 06:15 PM.

[nerfcrusader]

In that case I'd just chance it and wait for the cops to show up. If they never do, or don't have a problem with nerf guns, Nerf On

[FIDO]

WEASEL, do you know the boundry of these regulations? Earl The Bunny and I found a great park in San Jose That would be great for nerfing in.

[WEASEL]

That sounds great FIDO. I live in west San Jose and my freinds live close so.....wait. How did you know were we were nerfing at? Probably did some search on the regulations or something. Any way, I could look them up for San Jose.

EDIT: Holy crap, wtf? You guys never told me that you guys signed up at the NH. Last I heard you guys only were at NHQ. OK, that makes everything clear.

Edited by WEASEL, 11 January 2005 - 06:37 PM.

[last man standin]

Like Evil said, for some reason, cops in New jersey seem to be understanding.Ive had the cops called on me and my friends about 15 times or so (Im serious) for skateboarding, and for nerfing, but Ive never gotten into any REAL trouble. Make sure you nerf when the park is abandoned, like no baseball games or anything on the other side.

[Tinkerer]

Well, my local park is kinda commercialised. (it's got four rides, and a playground) so I don't nerf there. about the worst crime I can think of pertaining to nerf, would be "Inciting panic" anyway, since my biggest wars have five people, I just nerf in my back yard.

[Talio]

It's a bad idea to nerf around park patrons. There is never a good outcome, trust me.

Talio.

[Oroku Saki]

I would first go with CX's suggestion to check with the park offices.

I wouldn't worry too much about the cops showing up at the park. Just calmly explain what you are doing, and they will usually leave you alone. As long as you aren't bothering any of the other people in the park, the cops can't really do anything anyways.

My friends and I sometimes fight with foam weapons at one of our local schools in the middle of the night, and we have had the cops come there a few times to make sure that we aren't doing anything destructive, but they leave us alone after checking on us.

[Jin Kazama]

Last time me and my clan had a problem with cops it was because there was a mom who drove to the park with her kid and she thought we could hurt her child. Thus she called the cops and they bitched at us about being careful but then one of the more brave members of my clan asked them what we were doing wrong. They said nothing and pretty much left us alone after that. Weve had cops drive by a few times but nothing other than that.

You might as well just nerf, whats the worst they can do?

[The Infinite Shindig]

Jin Kazama, on Feb 18 2005, 11:01 AM, said:

You might as well just nerf, whats the worst they can do?

More than likely they will kick you out of the park. If you are over 18, the cops could be dicks and make your life worse, but that has never happened in our experience. It's usually good practice to halt when walkers are coming through and give them a good amount of time to walk away and do their thing. Jungle gyms are great to use, but if someone else is in the playground's general area, back off and let them use it.

Though most parks are public, people sometimes get testy when they see projectile weaponry. Many assume its paintball at first glance. The key thing to remember is act other people have preference over any part of the park before you do. Because if cops come, you are the ones that seem threatening. If cops come, act courteous, show them its clearly not paintball and you are firing foam. That's usually worked in NJ.

In the event you guys have trouble getting permission, I have a nice letter I once used that got the LCM permits for Apoc.

[WEASEL]

Thanks for your responces (and revived responses). I hope that my friends and I (hope their listening) will get to have a war over our wachamacallit break this coming week. We'll just wing it and hope we don't get "caught". And I hope the park isn't full of little kiddies. Once there was a mom with two kids and we were playing and she was like "There bad, don't do that" to her kids. Hehe.

[ozzy]

Nerf! That was airsoft this is nerf! Screw them!

[Streetz]

Just NERF! Heck the cops come, let em come. I'd keep nerfing until they stop us. heck down here in Florida weve got plenty of nerf spots. Parks, schools, churches, woods (woods better recommended for paintball or airsoft, you tend to lose darts in just minutes).

[Talio]

Here's what you have to do, treat the officer with respect and honesty. Tell him you'd be willing to move or leave if he asks, but that you wish to keep playing. Unfortunetely for you, it's his world, so you just have to do what he says. I got kicked from a local park for "litering", because there was a dart at my feet and the cop couldn't come up with a more reasonable excuse to eject us. For the most part, if they want you out, they'll find away. If they do, just agree and go someplace else.

Talio.