And while you want to weigh in on this...no school should have to bear the anxiety about time and losing your edge that some of you former D-whatever former college runners have as you get older. You're not a name and correspondingly, you don't deserve special treatment because you were once fast, or even if you are still fast because nobody outside of your niche owes you anything special, including, but not limited to, any specific track time outside of allowable hours. It's not that different than in college, except you didn't experience it. If you were not on the team, the track was closed up to a certain time of the day or evening. It's time to stop acting like you're a big shot in the community because you once ran 15-low or mid-14 at some point. That track is for the kids who matter at that school at that time... not to adults trying not to sack it in for running... that is not the school's problem.
It's not holier than thou, it's about people trying to cheat the system by being an exception to hedge for their own benefit. Just because your buds would agree doesn't make it right. His school has spoken, and within the posted school hours... it's no.
Your posts are funny. The clear envy you have of people faster than you. You’re happy that others have a problem training because you were never good enough to do…anything.
Actually, I have a school that is less than a mile away that has good paved loops and turns in and out the various parking lots... the campus is for school use only from 6:30 am-5:00 pm. So if I'm out early in the morning, I am away from the campus just before 6:30 am and I go there on weekend mornings.
I have no need to assert my workout enough to want to break that rule? How selfish can one get? Runners are just runners.
Your posts are funny. The clear envy you have of people faster than you. You’re happy that others have a problem training because you were never good enough to do…anything.
Actually, I have a school that is less than a mile away that has good paved loops and turns in and out the various parking lots... the campus is for school use only from 6:30 am-5:00 pm. So if I'm out early in the morning, I am away from the campus just before 6:30 am and I go there on weekend mornings.
I have no need to assert my workout enough to want to break that rule? How selfish can one get? Runners are just runners.
Lol no they’re not. Fast runners workouts are more important than hobby joggers like you. Hurry up and get to work you’re going to be late!
Are your tax dollars used to build public schools? Yes, of course.
How are you not allowed to use it? Just because it was publicly funded doesn't mean the public can do whatever it wants with it. There's still a management and operations process that governs use. Yes, it should be operated for the intended purpose. And yes, the public probably does get some access. But you still need to follow the established procedures.
Your best bet is to try somewhere else where maybe the staff is less concerned about your presence or try a different time of day.
Why not try to get in touch with the head of school, or the AD to ask for permission? Random people showing up unannounced to a school in this day and age will get everyone in charge of security on alert. But if they know you are coming and you have expressed permission from someone in charge, you will be good to go.
I’m just there to run on the track, don’t take this out of context
You're missing Coach's point...
If you can justify tax dollars for track usage then you could justify tax dollars for any facet of the school. And you can't. Let's make one thing clear. Apportionment from the state helps a particular school, and not necessarily the school whose track you'd be using. So technically, you may not even be paying for usage for that school if you're property taxes aren't zoned for it, and if you're a renter, you didn't pay a thing...if you want it really specific.
And you are twisting reality to make a point. Which is lazy. There was indeed a time in this country when people could run on a track. I used to move around quite a bit with school and jobs and always found a track to run on, unless there was a practice going on. Call it a social contract, tax dollars, whatever you want. Our tracks here are locked and shackled 24/7 unless the school is using them. 300-600$ PER HOUR to practice on them for our track club. Ice time for hockey is 250$ per hour, remember when hockey was an expensive sport? We have seen tracks get more and more restrictive and the price just in the last 8-10 yrs has gone from free, to 100$ to as much as 600$ per hour. When did this happen? Nobody is stealing exercise. So, no....walking the hallways while school is in session isnt the same as running in an open field or track.
If you can justify tax dollars for track usage then you could justify tax dollars for any facet of the school. And you can't. Let's make one thing clear. Apportionment from the state helps a particular school, and not necessarily the school whose track you'd be using. So technically, you may not even be paying for usage for that school if you're property taxes aren't zoned for it, and if you're a renter, you didn't pay a thing...if you want it really specific.
And you are twisting reality to make a point. Which is lazy. There was indeed a time in this country when people could run on a track. I used to move around quite a bit with school and jobs and always found a track to run on, unless there was a practice going on. Call it a social contract, tax dollars, whatever you want. Our tracks here are locked and shackled 24/7 unless the school is using them. 300-600$ PER HOUR to practice on them for our track club. Ice time for hockey is 250$ per hour, remember when hockey was an expensive sport? We have seen tracks get more and more restrictive and the price just in the last 8-10 yrs has gone from free, to 100$ to as much as 600$ per hour. When did this happen? Nobody is stealing exercise. So, no....walking the hallways while school is in session isnt the same as running in an open field or track.
The walking the hallways vs running thing reminds me of something. Snakes. Someone tried to make a "stranger danger" example to me once by comparing it to snakes. "When you see a snake, you run, you don't try to figure out what it is, because it could be dangerous," they said.
Uhhh, triangle head, slit eyes, heat pits. These are all things to spot in North American pit vipers (rattlers, corals, and cottonmouths) that distinguish them from EVERY non-venomous snake in the area with the sole exception of the coral snake. "Red touch yellow, kill a fellow," is all you need to know to identify a coral snake here. *This rule doesn't apply outside of North America, be warned.
This is all to say that a tiny bit of education and critical thinking goes A LONG way.
If you can justify tax dollars for track usage then you could justify tax dollars for any facet of the school. And you can't. Let's make one thing clear. Apportionment from the state helps a particular school, and not necessarily the school whose track you'd be using. So technically, you may not even be paying for usage for that school if you're property taxes aren't zoned for it, and if you're a renter, you didn't pay a thing...if you want it really specific.
And you are twisting reality to make a point. Which is lazy. There was indeed a time in this country when people could run on a track. I used to move around quite a bit with school and jobs and always found a track to run on, unless there was a practice going on. Call it a social contract, tax dollars, whatever you want. Our tracks here are locked and shackled 24/7 unless the school is using them. 300-600$ PER HOUR to practice on them for our track club. Ice time for hockey is 250$ per hour, remember when hockey was an expensive sport? We have seen tracks get more and more restrictive and the price just in the last 8-10 yrs has gone from free, to 100$ to as much as 600$ per hour. When did this happen? Nobody is stealing exercise. So, no....walking the hallways while school is in session isnt the same as running in an open field or track.
I can't believe how self -centered this discussion has become.. quite a few of you literally asserting your assumed rights to a track that belongs to a school you don't attend during the hours that the school says no. If you want an open field or something like a track, go to a park. You're not school kids anymore.
Are your tax dollars used to build public schools? Yes, of course.
How are you not allowed to use it? Just because it was publicly funded doesn't mean the public can do whatever it wants with it. There's still a management and operations process that governs use. Yes, it should be operated for the intended purpose. And yes, the public probably does get some access. But you still need to follow the established procedures.
Your best bet is to try somewhere else where maybe the staff is less concerned about your presence or try a different time of day.
Why not try to get in touch with the head of school, or the AD to ask for permission? Random people showing up unannounced to a school in this day and age will get everyone in charge of security on alert. But if they know you are coming and you have expressed permission from someone in charge, you will be good to go.
That would not work because then the administration would have to either permit everyone to use the track or nobody. Otherwise, it becomes discrimination. You can't, as an administrator, tell some kid's mother (whose kid attends that school) that she can't jog slowly on the track while this dude here can simply "because he can run a 15 minute 5k." Nope.
I went to a middle school track today at 7AM and after I parked and got out of my car a lady who worked at the school started yelling at me from a distance so I walked over to her and explained that I was going to use the track she told me that campus is closed from 6:30AM-5:30PM but no one was using the track when I was there. Are my tax dollars not used to build these public schools? How am I not allowed to run on a public track. Given if there were students there using the track I would’ve just left as soon as I saw it in use but there was literally no one there. This lady seemed angry and gave me attitude as well. There are also no signs posted anywhere saying it’s closed.
No...it is not a public track. It is a school track for the students...not you.
So, if you wanted to play a pickup game of basketball...you think you can just enter the school and play basketball whenever you want?
So, if you wanted to make something in a shop class...you think you can just go in and use the equipment?
The audacity of some fools. A public track is like a public basketball court...it would be in a public park.
Next time you want to use any facility at any school, check and get permission first to see what the policy is. If not get off the grounds when the school staff or officials tell you to.
And you are twisting reality to make a point. Which is lazy. There was indeed a time in this country when people could run on a track. I used to move around quite a bit with school and jobs and always found a track to run on, unless there was a practice going on. Call it a social contract, tax dollars, whatever you want. Our tracks here are locked and shackled 24/7 unless the school is using them. 300-600$ PER HOUR to practice on them for our track club. Ice time for hockey is 250$ per hour, remember when hockey was an expensive sport? We have seen tracks get more and more restrictive and the price just in the last 8-10 yrs has gone from free, to 100$ to as much as 600$ per hour. When did this happen? Nobody is stealing exercise. So, no....walking the hallways while school is in session isnt the same as running in an open field or track.
I can't believe how self -centered this discussion has become.. quite a few of you literally asserting your assumed rights to a track that belongs to a school you don't attend during the hours that the school says no. If you want an open field or something like a track, go to a park. You're not school kids anymore.
Most people posting here aren't self-centered. This is a matter of community engagement. Often times school facilities are the only tracks and fields available to people. No, I can't waltz into a jail cell because it's taxpayer funded, but I can go to the library. Let's weigh the costs and risks versus the benefits.
What's the benefit of people walking into a jail cell? Very little and the security risk is high.
What's the benefit of me using a school's chemistry lab? Maybe there's some benefit in regards to education, but there's a high risk of me roaming hallways and occupying a very finite resource.
What's the risk of someone using a track and field? The resource is much less finite than a chemistry lab, it can involve being near zero students, and it sits empty most of the time.
It's typically a no-brainer that allowing reasonable, safe usage of facilities is a win for the community. A government and it's populace needs to address this for all of its resources.
Most posters here are totally fine to observe the rules or leave when asked. The truth is, very few people care about these rules with the exception of people like you.
No...it is not a public track. It is a school track for the students...not you.
So, if you wanted to play a pickup game of basketball...you think you can just enter the school and play basketball whenever you want?
So, if you wanted to make something in a shop class...you think you can just go in and use the equipment?
The audacity of some fools. A public track is like a public basketball court...it would be in a public park.
Next time you want to use any facility at any school, check and get permission first to see what the policy is. If not get off the grounds when the school staff or officials tell you to.
My almost 70 year old mom uses the high school tennis courts with her friends all the time. They don't have an arrangement with the school, they just use them when tennis practice is not going on but school is in session. No one bats an eye. The shop example is not a good one, see my other post. It's a much more finite resource with a much higher risk.
Sources: knows a lot about recreation resource management.
No...it is not a public track. It is a school track for the students...not you.
So, if you wanted to play a pickup game of basketball...you think you can just enter the school and play basketball whenever you want?
So, if you wanted to make something in a shop class...you think you can just go in and use the equipment?
The audacity of some fools. A public track is like a public basketball court...it would be in a public park.
Next time you want to use any facility at any school, check and get permission first to see what the policy is. If not get off the grounds when the school staff or officials tell you to.
My almost 70 year old mom uses the high school tennis courts with her friends all the time. They don't have an arrangement with the school, they just use them when tennis practice is not going on but school is in session. No one bats an eye. The shop example is not a good one, see my other post. It's a much more finite resource with a much higher risk.
Sources: knows a lot about recreation resource management.
No one bats an eye because nobody wants to be "that guy." The people at the school are being courteous. Whereas it seems mean to tell elderly women to go somewhere else, some random dude doesn't need the same accommodations nor do they need the courtesy. There are parks in practically every locality. And if it catches on, and suddenly 20 people are at the track (during posted hours), guess what the administration will have to do? Close the track. Oh wait... they already did.
I went to a middle school track today at 7AM and after I parked and got out of my car a lady who worked at the school started yelling at me from a distance so I walked over to her and explained that I was going to use the track she told me that campus is closed from 6:30AM-5:30PM but no one was using the track when I was there. Are my tax dollars not used to build these public schools? How am I not allowed to run on a public track. Given if there were students there using the track I would’ve just left as soon as I saw it in use but there was literally no one there. This lady seemed angry and gave me attitude as well. There are also no signs posted anywhere saying it’s closed.
Easy solution. Finish your track workout by 6:30AM.
Are my tax dollars not used to build these public schools?
Your best recourse is to approach the school board if you're not happy with the school's policies regarding public track usage. The board is elected to represent the public's interest. You have a valid argument that taxes fund the facilities and it's reasonable to allow public access to facilities when not in use by the district.
That said, I would argue it's completely reasonable to restrict access to school facilities during school hours regardless of whether the facility is in use or not. Brightline policies are easier to implement. Moreover, at least your local track is open to the public. An increasing number of districts are barring public access to facilities for a variety of reasons (wear and tear, insurance, vandalism, etc.).
Are your tax dollars used to build public schools? Yes, of course.
How are you not allowed to use it? Just because it was publicly funded doesn't mean the public can do whatever it wants with it. There's still a management and operations process that governs use. Yes, it should be operated for the intended purpose. And yes, the public probably does get some access. But you still need to follow the established procedures.
Your best bet is to try somewhere else where maybe the staff is less concerned about your presence or try a different time of day.
Why not try to get in touch with the head of school, or the AD to ask for permission? Random people showing up unannounced to a school in this day and age will get everyone in charge of security on alert. But if they know you are coming and you have expressed permission from someone in charge, you will be good to go.
I have done this, but often it doesn't make sense. I live in a big city with multiple school districts of 10,000+ students each. They don't have time for an individual wanting to use facilities with their kids. I can, and do, pull permits for my kids soccer/baseball teams. But that's a month long process that only makes sense for recurring group use. I'm not going to rent an entire field just to go kick a soccer ball with my kid when we have a free hour on a Saturday. It's not practical and I'm not sure they would grant a permit for that situation anyway.
We like to argue with uneducated nitwits here, I guess.
Uneducated? Most of us aren't the ones simping to a school to find a track and pandering here looking for a support base .
Educated people are far more resourceful.
The fact that you're unwilling to address the entire community resource management aspect of this tells me you're entirely unprepared to discuss this subject in a meaningful manner.
If you use a track like the one that my high school has, where it's open to the public almost 24/7, do you complain about safety and entitlement of the people using it, or do you say, "Hey, cool, an open track!"? Why is it that some places have this policy and some have the opposite? It seems communities enjoy these facilities, and I'm yet to find many reasons to keep them closed.
It's not self-centered to want what's best for a community and allow your fellow citizen to enjoy outdoor recreation.
I suggest reading "This is Water," to address your blind certainties and understanding the real value of education. After that, we can discuss resource management from an academic and practical standpoint. Meet back here in a week?