Fury at 'insane' NYC cops who fined mother for letting her four

Release time：2024-05-21 17:06:20 Source：Culture Compass news portal

A New York City mom is furious after she was slapped with a $50 for allowing her four-year-old son to pee in the park after the bathrooms were closed - despite criminals being allowed to run wild in the Big Apple. 

Michicko Sasaki, 46, and her son, Kobe, were enjoying a beautiful spring day at Battery Playscape in Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan, last Saturday when the youngster had to go to the restroom. 

The park bathroom was closed, and had a paper sign taped to the door that read: 'No Bathroom! No Bathroom!'

Sasaki, who described the ordeal as 'an emergency,' told The New York Post: 'My son was like 'I really need to go – I'm going to pee my pants.'

The mom tried to be as discreet as possible, as she pulled down her son's pants so he could relieve himself, but seconds later, she was approached by a group of park officers and was told that was 'illegal and not okay to use the bathroom outside.'

She said she was 'bewildered and very confused' as five or six officers walked towards her. She said they 'hounded' her, and recalled one of them speaking to her in an aggressive manner.

Urinating in a public is a civil offense, and not a criminal one, according to the Criminal Justice Reform Act that was passed in 2017, but is punishable with fines of up to $450

Michicko Sasaki, 46, was furious after she was slapped with a $50 fine after her young son had pee in the park after the restrooms were not opened 

Sasaki's 4-year-old son, Kobe, has anxiety and a sensory processing disorder explained his mom, which is the reason why he waited until the last minute to tell her, he had to go wee wee

Sasaki, an actress and professional dancer, who lives in the Washington Heights area, explained that her son has anxiety issues and a sensory processing disorder.

She said that the reason why he likely waited until the last minute to tell her he had to go wee wee.

When DailyMail.com reached out to The New York City Parks Department, and sent them a photo of the bathroom door with the signage, they said, 'public urination in parks is prohibited, and we ask everyone to use the designated facilities provided.'

'The public restroom at the Battery Park Playscape was open and operational on Saturday,' NYC Parks Press Officer Kelsey Jean-Baptiste said.

'Additionally, two other public restrooms are located in the park and were available for use.'

 'We want every New Yorker to be able to enjoy our parks and feel comfortable in them, which is why NYC Parks maintains more than 1,600 public restrooms across the five boroughs for the benefit of the public and the health of our city,' she said.

The parks spokesperson said the public restrooms are located across from the Playscape, in the back of the concession building, and on the other side of the park off Battery Place, North West corner. 

But, according to the mom, the two other restrooms the Parks Department cited, did not appear to be located where Saskai's young son was playing. 

She told the Post the park officers never told her that Battery Park Playscape had other restrooms she could have gone to, but instead pointed to The View restaurant, located in Battery Park, as a possible alternative.

She described them as 'extremely rude.'

'They were very brash and diminishing. Phrases like, 'how do you not get your child to go to the bathroom beforehand,' Sasaki told the Post.

'He told me, 'your child is old enough to hold it,' ' she said, describing the entire ordeal as  'absolutely insane.'

NYS Parks Department told DailyMail.com that Battery Park Playscape (pictured) has three public restrooms, and 'public urination in parks is prohibited'

Another view of the park located in Battery Park 

Along with the fine, she was given a summons with a July 2 hearing date.

The summons read,  'I did observe the respondent allowing her child to urinate on parks property, next to the public bathroom,' as per The Post.

Sasaki told the news outlet 'this is not just a Battery Park issue. As a parent, we struggle with public bathrooms every single day,' and intends to fight it. 

'Sure it's $50, and that's not a lot, but it's the principle. I'm not saying we should all go out and pee on the side walks, that's not okay for adults,' she told the news outlet.  'However, it was a child in an emergency situation.'

DailyMail.com reached out to the mom for further comment. 

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