Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Today I Avoided Being Mugged By Visiting The Indian Ghosts With No Running Water In Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area

Shortly after 11 this morning I exited my abode to drive to Mallard Cove Park to visit the ducks and roll my bike wheels at high speed for enough miles to get myself a good dose of aerobic stimulation and the resulting endorphins.

On my way to the ducks, heading east on Randol Mill Road, a couple Fort Worth cops passed me at high speed, without their sirens blaring. I've watched enough cop shows to know this means they are trying to intercept a crime in progress and don't want the perps to know they are on their way.

The cops continued east as I headed north on the dead end road that ends at the entry to Mallard Cove Park.

The Mallard Cove Park parking lot is a bit isolated. I have seldom seen any other vehicles there. As I was about to unlock my bike a beat up car drove to the dead end and then turned into the parking lot. The two males in the beat up car did not look like they were there to get any exercise.

The driver backed his car into a parking spot, the position one assumes if one wants to get away as quickly as possible. I could see the pair in the car were watching me. I decided it was not a good idea to get my bike out of the vehicle and put my wallet, phone and camera in the bike bag in front of prying eyes.

I decided I'd opt to be cautious and quickly made my exit, heading to the location I'd been on Sunday, Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, which is about three miles from the duck zone.

So, that would be a photo of a Village Creek Natural Historical Area location you see above. One of the multiple areas in this park with multiple picnic tables and a big elevated fire pit.

In all the years I have been visiting the Indian Ghosts who haunt their former Village Creek home I have never seen anyone picnicking at the above location. I have never seen any of the fire pits burning anything.

So, why is this picnic area so seldom used I am sure you are asking yourself? Well, I really don't know the answer, for sure, but I can speculate.

Do you like taking your kids to a park for a picnic when the park has no running water or restroom facilities?

I don't have any kids, but I know I don't like taking myself to a park for a picnic when the park has no running water. The lack of restrooms is less bothersome to me.

Unlike Fort Worth's, most of Arlington's parks, which I have visited, do have running water and restrooms, if they have picnic tables.

In other parts of America do the states mandate that parks must have modern amenities, for health and sanitation reasons?

Texas does excellent freeway rest areas, clearly indicating Texas is not behind the rest of America in that amenity.

Parks in Texas towns like Grapevine and Southlake and Keller and others have modern amenities.

It seems to me that it is just common sense if you are going to have picnic tables in a park, with fire pits, that you should have modern amenities, like running water.

Unless ones goal is to go for an undeveloped third world type experience in ones parks....

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