This article from the Telegraph in the UK:



"The arrival of the American-style compensation culture is turning open spaces and public parks into dreary, fun-free, soulless places, the Government's architecture and building advisers said yesterday. Bouncy castles, ancient trees, boating lakes, adventure playgrounds, public art and even firework displays on windy days, such as the celebrations in Edinburgh last New Year, are all victims of the trend to stop or take down anything that might have the slightest risk attached. . . . [the report] highlighted the removal of a swing from a playing field because it faced the sun and could blind children. Another regular occurrence, it said, was the removal of three-in-a-row swings because the outer swings could hit the one in the middle."



Is anyone else old enough to remember when we had those fantastic wooden toys in City Park in Iowa City? We could spend hours conquering each other's "forts". Or how about the real firetruck in Mercer Park? That's been replaced by metal tubing somewhat resembling the skeleton of a firetruck.



Yes, we got splinters and we broke our arm when we fell off stuff and skinned our knees. But we had fun.