It was a super hot day, probly like ninety degrees, so I figured I’d go to the splash pad park early. Not for the splash pad, mind you. I’m a big fan of just sitting and watching the world, ya know? And I got this really nice, bright orange custom drone bag that’s a real pain to lug around, so I like to get a good spot to put it. My bag ain’t just any bag; it’s got all my expensive drone stuff in it for my competitions, and it’s kinda got a special shape and all. I like to get there before the crowds so I can enjoy a little peace and maybe listen to some podcasts on my headphones.
I found the perfick spot. It was a bench kinda tucked away, right under a big oak tree, so it was all shady. I put my big orange bag next to me, on the ground, but it kinda sprawled a bit cause it’s so chunky with all the gear. No big deal, plenty of room. I popped in my earbuds, leaned back, and just watched the sprinkles turn on and off, waiting for the first little kids to show up. It was real quiet and nice for about fifteen minutes.
Then she showed up. This lady, she had like, three small kids. One was still in a stroller, the other two were running like crazy, already screaming about the water. They were all wearing swimsuits that were too big, kinda baggy and flapping. The lady, she had sunglasses on top of her head, and her hair was kinda messy like she’d just woke up and thrown clothes on. She had a big beach bag on one shoulder and a cooler in the other hand. She looked stressed from the get-go, even before the kids hit the water.
Her kids made a beeline for the splash pad, naturally. Splashing and yelling immediately. I could tell it was gonna be a loud morning. The lady, she kinda looked around, sighed, and then her eyes landed on my bench. More specifically, on the ground next to my bench, where my big, bright orange drone bag was kinda sitting.
She walked over, pushing the stroller with one hand, and stopped a little ways from me. I pulled one earbud out, just in case. She didn’t say nothing right away, just stared at my bag. Her stroller kid started whimpering, and she gave it a little jiggle. Then she spoke, her voice kinda strained, but not mean, yet.
“Excuse me, sir,” she said, and I looked up. “Do you think you could maybe move your… stuff? I need a spot for my cooler and my bag. And the stroller, you know.” She gestured with her chin at the empty space where my drone bag was.
I looked at my bag, then at her. There were like, five other empty benches nearby. Some were in the sun, yeah, but others were just a little walk away. “Oh, sorry,” I said, trying to be nice. “This is my drone bag. It’s got a lot of important stuff in it, and it’s kinda fragile. I can’t really put it on the ground in the splash zone, you know? It’s not waterproof.” I gestured vaguely towards the splash pad, which was a good twenty feet away, but still. “But there are other benches over there,” I pointed with my thumb.
She just kinda huffed. Her sunglasses fell down her nose a bit, and she pushed them back up. “Well, I have three children,” she said, like that was supposed to explain everything. “And I need to be close to them so I can watch them. This bench is the closest in the shade. It’s just not convenient for me to be all the way over there.” She nodded towards the other benches I’d pointed out.
I tried again. “Ma’am, I got here early to get this spot. This bag is real special to me, it’s for my drone competitions. It’s custom made, bright orange, you can’t miss it. Costs a fortune. I can’t just move it somewhere it might get wet or trampled. These kids are gonna be running around here like crazy, you know? I’d rather keep it safe.”
Her face got a little tighter. Her kids were now screaming with delight, spraying each other with the water, completely ignoring her. The stroller kid started crying louder. “Look, I have multiple children,” she said, her voice rising a bit. “And they deserve to have a mother who can sit comfortably and watch them. Your… toy bag… is taking up valuable space. Can’t you just put it on your lap or something?”
My bag is heavy. Like, thirty pounds heavy. And awkwardly shaped. I ain’t putting that on my lap for an hour. “It’s not a toy bag, ma’am,” I said, my voice starting to lose some of its earlier politeness. “And no, I can’t put it on my lap. It’s too big and heavy. And I was here first. There are other benches, honestly.”
She put her hands on her hips, her beach bag slipping off her shoulder. “You really think you’re entitled to all this space just because you got here five minutes before me? With all my children?” She practically yelled the last part, and now some other people at the park were starting to look over. One of her kids, a little boy, ran over and started shaking a stream of water from his hair, splattering a bit on my bag. My bright orange bag.
“Hey!” I said, kinda sharp. The kid jumped back, startled. “Watch it! This is expensive equipment!”
The lady stomped her foot. “Don’t you dare yell at my child! You are being absolutely ridiculous! This is a public park! My children need this space more than your… hobby does! It’s just not right!” She was getting really loud now. Her voice was like a megaphone. The stroller baby was full-on wailing.
I finally had enough. My good mood was gone. “My ‘hobby’ is what pays my bills, lady! And it’s not ‘just not right’ for me to want to keep my valuable stuff safe! You wanna sit here? Fine. Sit here. But my bag stays where it is, and you can put your cooler somewhere else! And your kids need to stay away from it!” I pointed at my bag, then at her kids who were still splashing away, oblivious.
She gasped like I’d slapped her. “You are the rudest person! I’m going to call the park attendant! This is unacceptable! A grown man arguing with a mother of three!”
“Go right ahead!” I yelled back, feeling my face get hot. “Call them! Tell them you want me to move my expensive equipment so your kids can run wild over it! See what they say!”
She pulled out her phone, shaking her head, muttering about “selfish people.” One of the kids from the splash pad ran up and started tugging on her wet swimsuit, asking for a snack. She shooed him away impatiently.
About ten minutes later, a young man in a park uniform, probably college-aged, walked over. He looked tired already. He had heard most of the yelling, I bet.
“Everything alright over here?” he asked, looking between me and the screaming lady.
“No, it is not alright!” she practically shrieked. “This man is refusing to move his giant bag so I can sit with my children! He yelled at my son! It’s a public park, he can’t monopolize the shade with his… his luggage!”
The attendant looked at my bright orange drone bag, then at me. “Sir, is there any way you could maybe condense your things, or perhaps find another spot for your bag?” he asked, trying to sound helpful, but his eyes said he just wanted the problem to go away.
“No,” I said, flat out. “I got here first. This is my professional drone bag, worth a lot of money. It’s custom made, built to fit all my stuff. It’s got a very specific shape for all the fragile parts, that’s why it looks so big. I can’t put it in the sun, and I can’t risk these kids getting water on it or tripping over it. There are other benches.” I pointed again, real clear.
The lady jumped in again. “But those aren’t convenient! I have children! He’s being unreasonable!”
The attendant sighed. He looked around. “Ma’am, technically, he’s not doing anything wrong. He’s allowed to sit on a public bench and have his belongings with him, as long as he’s not blocking a path or anything.” He looked at me. “Sir, are you blocking a path?”
“No,” I said. “Just the space next to the bench. For my bag. Keeping it safe.”
The attendant rubbed his temples. “Alright. So, ma’am, I can’t really force him to move his bag. There are other benches available, some in the shade, just a little further down.”
The lady threw her hands up in the air. “This is ridiculous! I can’t believe this! Fine! Fine! I’ll just have to make do!” She glared at me like I’d personally ruined her entire life. She snatched her cooler and beach bag, still pushing the wailing stroller, and stomped over to a bench that was indeed in the shade, about fifty feet away. Her kids, oblivious, just kept playing in the water, not even noticing their mom’s dramatics.
The attendant just kinda shrugged at me and walked off, probably to go hide in the office. I put my earbud back in, but the peace was gone. That lady sat on her new bench, still glaring at me from across the splash pad, occasionally yelling at her kids. I just sat there, listening to my podcast, trying to ignore her. After about another half an hour, I decided I’d had enough of the noise and the glares. I packed up my bright orange bag, gave her one last look – she was still glaring – and walked out of the park. My drone bag was safe, but my morning was definitely not peaceful anymore.
