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Comment by IG_Semmelweiss | Hacker News Reader

Its good because of the positive externalities it brings

The parent's protesting, while self interested (for their kids) benefited many groups, particularly teenagers and immigrants that often play pickup sports at Pier 40 like touch football, ultimate, or soccer, without park permits (because they can't afford field permits).

So, this is good because Google will bring more security and investment into a forgotten NYC area.

Coincidentally, Pier 40 is also the on-ramp spot where the terrorist truck driver started his post-Halloween drive that killed 8 tourists in the pedestrian walkway. [1]

[1] https://abcnews.go.com/US/witness-describes-chaotic-scene-dr...

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Why do we need field permits and park permits to play a game of sports in the first place? It's a park. This is the kind of bureaucratic bullshit that wastes taxpayer dollars and makes people hate the city government.

The reason, ostensibly, is the lack of park capacity generally available in Manhattan. Permits are pretty much the only way to reasonably schedule slots for all the schools serving the 1.6M+ people of Manhattan and their teams, since schools usually do not have sufficient play fields of their own.

During less busy times this isn't an issue. The permits more or less act as guaranteed reservations.

https://www.nycgovparks.org/permits/field-and-court/request/...

> When to Apply

> If you are a member of an organized league, you must request a field or court for any formal use. Otherwise, our fields and courts are available to the public for informal use (pickup games). If you would like to reserve a field or court in advance at a specific time, you should make a request to ensure your uninterrupted use of the field.

One group of people playing soccer, football, or baseball can take up almost the entire turf space in a small popular park. Think of Dolores Park is SF. On weekends it's packed with people picnicking. If instead 20 people were playing baseball, it would not be safe for anyone to picnic nearby because of the risk for errant baseballs.

On the other extreme end of things, one person hitting golf balls in a park can make the park unsafe for everyone else. At some point, the government institutes regulations to keep the park fun/safe/useful for the largest number of people.

I actually agree with you, but i think there is more to this than you have considered.

Most of the people paying taxes, actually love the government for it. They dont hate it. This is because Permits effectively put a price to use the field, and it shouldnt be surprising that teenagers and immigrants are the ones with the least means to pay and also the ones paying little to no taxes.

So office workers are able to afford playing , while the immigrants and teenagers get kicked out.

Kids of affluent parents have no problems booking fields. But that's due to poor incentives: little kid coaches have a racket setting up nonprofit 503(c) ( which gives permitholders priority ).

If there is a problem with permits, it is there. Permits are subject to capture

https://www.nycgovparks.org/permits/field-and-court/request/...

> When to Apply

No one is getting kicked out of fields. You don't need a permit for informal games.

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