I took my three kids to this past weekend's annual touch-a-truck activity and I can't keep myself from publicly commenting about what a dissappointment it was. Whoever at the Park District planned the logistics of the event should be severely reprimanded.

Having the event be along-side an extremely active parking lot driveway was downright dangerous! In the hour we were there, I saw almost three kids get hit by cars! People who were there for youth soccer and baseball were trying to make their way in/out of the parking areas while families with small kids were trying to stand in line for the trucks right along the same driveway. It was a complete disaster; a dangerous disaster! To stage an event for small children surrounded by active, live traffic was a recipe for disaster. Like I said, there were three near-misses! I'm very, very surprised that the Park District OK'd the event in that fashion. The Park District should consider themselves VERY lucky that no one got hurt/run over.

+1 Hyoog. What was traditionally a safe and fun event turned into a stressful experience on a beautiful morning up at Ackerman. My wife was terrified when she brought our older son to his soccer game and witnessed all of the parents trying to hold onto their toddlers through and next to the traffic. One poor young dad quickly shed his shades, coffee cup and camera and announced "____ it - I gotta pay attention!"

You'll both love the anxiety that is caused every November when that idiotically placed Christmas tree is lit and children line both sides of the railroad tracks. When those gates go down...gives me the heeby jeebies. (how do you spell that, BTW?)

Sadly, I think it is just a matter of time before some socializing parent loses track of their excited three year-old.

At what point does it stop being the Park District's responsibility (and start being the parent's responsibility) for these kids to NOT be lining the train tracks? I mean, seriously....there is plenty of space throughout the blocked off (and safe) streets for these people to go. My kids aren't toddlers and I know better than to bring them that close to the tracks....not that they'd want to be that close, anyway....

The touch-a-truck thing makes complete sense, though. Being as that's an event geared only at little kids (as compared to entire families) and there WAS nowhere relatively safe from traffic for them to go....that was definitely not good planning, I agree.

I am sure Touch a Truck adds to the already crowded parking situation at Ackerman, but is it really different than a busy fall soccer Saturday?

I cannot believe there are not multiple accidents (Car on Car or Car vs Person) during these times. Is this more the responsibility of the parents who are rushing their kids somewhere and cutting between parked cars. Or, is it partly at fault for the cars that park onthe grass so as not to have to walk from the Swift side of the parking area. I have been to Touch a Truck many years now and have a had a great experience every time. When are they going to come out with Drive a Truck for big kids?

+3 Hyoog

Piss poor planning on the PD part. This was opening weekend for the spring soccer season. Hold this event the saturday before or something. Rob, the problem was the split seconds where a kid wrested away from their parents grip and could have easily tripped in the path of a rolling soccer mom.