New York City mother fined for causing sudden death of 4-year-old toddler in park

child rearing

by Janet Settembre

A local mother was fined $50 for forcing her 4-year-old to urinate on a spring day at the park, only to be flushed down the toilet.

Last Saturday, Michiko Sasaki, 46, and her young son, Kobe, were having a great time at Battery Playscape in Battery Park City when the boy suddenly needed to go to the bathroom.

Sasaki took her to the nearest restroom in the park, but there was a sign posted there saying “No Toilet Allowed.”

she panicked. Kobe has anxiety and sensory processing disorder. This is a fairly common condition that affects how the brain receives and responds to information. So Kobe may not realize that he needs the bathroom until the last moment.

“My son was like, 'I have to go, I'm going to pee in my pants,'” Sasaki, a professional dancer and actress who lives in Washington Heights, told the Post. It was an “emergency”.

A frantic mother shielded her young son as he pulled down his pants in a hurry to urinate.

Shortly afterward, five or six park employees approached Sasaki and “followed her,” she said.

“I was perplexed and very confused. [One] “I actively told them that this is illegal and that it's not okay to use the toilet outside,” Sasaki said.

“He said, 'Show me your ID and I'll write you a ticket.'” My jaw dropped and I froze. He didn't know what to say. I said, “What is he writing a ticket for?'' There can't be a playground and no restrooms. ”

Sasaki reluctantly complied, but was given a summons with a hearing date of July 2nd and a $50 fine.

“The defendant was observed forcing a child to urinate on park property, next to a public restroom,” the summons obtained by the newspaper states.

One of the officers questioned her parenting choices and signaled the building that housed the upscale restaurant The View as the place she should go to the bathroom.

“They were very rude, very brash, and demoralizing. Phrases like, 'How do you let your child go to the bathroom beforehand?' He said to me, 'Your child is old enough to take it.'' Sasaki said restaurants usually don't want anyone other than patrons to use the restroom.

It was “absolutely insane,” she said.

But she said it's too common in her daily life.

“This isn't just a Battery Park issue. As parents, we struggle with public restrooms every day,” she explained.

Many restaurants, coffee shops, and bars that once allowed the use of public restrooms no longer do so.

According to New York City's official website, only restaurants with 20 or more seats and opened after 1977 are required to have restrooms for customers. Food establishments are not required to allow public access to employee restrooms, and customers may not walk through food storage or preparation areas to access the restroom.

A spokesperson for the New York City Parks Department told the Post that two other public restrooms, located behind the concession building and in the park's northwest corner off Battery Place, were opened for use over the weekend.

“We want all New Yorkers to enjoy and feel comfortable in our parks. That's why New York City Parks provides over 1,600 public restrooms across the five boroughs for the benefit of the public and the city's health. ,” the spokesperson said. He said. “Public urination is prohibited in the park and please use designated facilities.”

But those alternative facilities were located across the street from where Sasaki and her son were playing, and she said no park staff mentioned those restrooms as a possible alternative.

In 2017, New York City introduced a criminal justice reform law that decriminalized misdemeanors such as public urination. This is now a civil offense, rather than a criminal charge, and carries a fine of up to $450.

Sasaki wants to fight without paying a ticket.

“Sure, it's $50, which isn't a lot, but that's the principle. We're not saying we should all go outside and pee on the sidewalk. That's not good for adults. ” she said. “But it was a child in an emergency situation.”