There is a reason we can’t have nice things.
It’s because people are too selfish, or perhaps too dumb, to understand how to deal with nice things that come our way.
Take, for example, the four Live 5-2-1-0 playboxes that were provided free to the community through a partnership between the City of New Westminster, the New Westminster school district, Fraser Health, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation and SCOPE B.C.
The playboxes can be found at Grimston Park, Hume Park, Moody Park and École Qayqayt Elementary School, and they are loaded full of toys and sports equipment for people to use.
Well, they were loaded.
Just days after the playboxes were set up, all the boxes turned up empty.
That’s because people opened them, let their kids play with the items, and then took off with all of the toys and sports equipment.
Apparently, some people thought all this stuff was free for the taking.
Now, all of the items will be replaced because backup items were purchased when the project was set up. Organizers knew some things would go missing – just not everything only days after being set up.
What’s inside the box is for borrowing, not for keeping, and it should be returned to the box when not in use.
If the toys keep disappearing, eventually the city will run out of items to refill the boxes, the city said.
Come on, people. First, give your heads a collective shake. Then, do the right thing and return what you took and let other people – including families that might not have the money to buy some of these items – use them.
Just as important is the city asking people to consider donating items such as good condition balls, sand toys or other equipment to share if you no longer need them.
The boxes are secured with a combination lock; you can get the code at www.newwestcity.ca/healthy-community.
Consider donating, because at the rate these items are disappearing, there won’t be much left.
