Headzo, what I meant was that many of the people who harvest weeds in the park (and there's not that many, actually, since most park goers wouldn't think of doing that even if they knew the weeds were edible) would NOT pick leaves or pull bark off live trees, because most herbalists and foragers who do that have respect for the plants. That respect would include certain guidelines such as harvesting only what you need and not pulling up the entire plant.

The weed pickers of NYC are usually gathering some greens for that night's dinner. Herbalists and green witches do that too, and may also be picking up fallen pine needles to weave into baskets, or using wild weeds to make medicinal tinctures and salves (for themselves, not selling them). Anyway, all these folks pick and use weeds which will be mowed up or pulled anyway. I'm talkin' WEEDS, not trees.

Of course, there are people who are quite disrespectful to the environment and other park goers, even if they have picked up their bounty off the ground -- like the gingko nut gatherers who leave their plastic gloves in a pile at the base of the tree, along with the puke-smelling outer shells of the gingko nut. The gingko nut, which is protected by a foul-smelling outer hull is delicious and rich like a macadamia. After leaving their refuse in Central Park, these folks bring the nuts back to Chinatown and sell them at a hefty price. That's different.

The only time I would condone pulling anything from a tree is when it comes to mulberries -- ripe ones come away in your hand at a slight touch, and it doesn't hurt the tree to take one. Children should be taught respect for nature, and not think they can yank on anything that grows.

They shouldn't have popped her for plucking leaves, they should have popped her for not making a wish.

I don't think I've ever lived in a place that had shingles before, but I've heard that if you pull a few off your roof usually leaks. That seems to be different than what we're talking about. And I've yet to see a toddler-height browse line in any public park.

Can you say ticket quota? This is what happens when cops and other enforcement personnel are reduced to revenue collectors for the city as if we weren't already taxed enough.

I heard Bloomberg on the radio get challenged by a caller about ticket quotas and he got all sniffy and said the city doesn't have "ticket quotas" it has "performance standards" as if just calling it something else we're all too stupid to know what it really is.

Welcome to the Bloomberg nanny state.

Roe said: "Damaging trees = destroying public property. If you don't teach your kid to respect foliage and to respect other people's property--yes, you are a bad parent."

And I totally agree. Keep in mind that this woman was so furious and indignant over her child not being allowed to pull branches off trees that, rather than apologize and correct the child's behavior, she called the media to whine about someone daring to call her on her lousy parenting. Incredible.

we should put sugar in their golf carts.

of course, Pb is still cheap and I don't see them carrying any.

The PEPs are not NYPD. If they were they might stand a chance of being called on their unprofessional behavior. Most that I have come across have zero interpersonal skills and enjoy a good heated interaction at the end of which they write a ticket.

The PEPs are allowed their unprofessional behavior because they are monitored by the Hudson River Park Authority. Authorities function with no public accountability and can do whatever they wish. Village residents have been complaining about PEPs since they first appeared with little satisfaction. They can make the enjoyment of the HR Park impossible at times.

they need to ticket those PEP guys for driving on the grassy field in most parks ... O_D

Just another reason not to raise a kid in the city. How many poor deprived city kids have never climbed a tree!!?

so if someone pulls a few shingles off the roof of your house, it's OK, right? Your roof certainly has enough shingles, a few missing won't hurt, and you shouldn't be angry if one or two are gone.

That is so drastically far off the original thing it's not even apples and oranges. It's more like apples and pig's feet.

And... get back to me when the kid can pull the leaves off the top of the tree. You know, the ones that matter.

The fact this city has a law on the books that fine people who pick leaves off trees should be mind-boggling... but really it isn't.

Headzo--If you have a tree in your own yard, and you don't mind people pulling it apart, it's your decision. In a public park? It's not there to be damaged, it's not all about you, and if a ranger sees you or your child doing so, he or she has a right to stop and ticket you. I get tired of parents excusing their children's bad behavior with "they're only 3, what damage can they do?" You're not teaching them respect--that's the damage.

JenChungsBra, so if someone pulls a few shingles off the roof of your house, it's OK, right? Your roof certainly has enough shingles, a few missing won't hurt, and you shouldn't be angry if one or two are gone.

No, one kid who comes by and pulls off a leaf or two isn't going to kill the tree. But when you have a lot of parents with the mentality that it's harmless, after a while, there aren't going to be any leaves left and the tree will be damaged. Not to mention that everyone else misses out on the oxygen and shade that the tree would have provided.

Kids are naturally inquisitive, but that's why they have parents: to stop them from doing things they shouldn't do. They need to learn that it's not all about them, and they don't have carte blanche to do whatever the hell they want. Your kid wants to see the leaves? Fine. Pick up some that have already fallen, or pick up your kid for a closer look, but don't let her yank them off.

Now I understand.

The 3-year old girl should have branded herself with a pretentious title such as "Urban Weed Picker" then "respectfully" picked the leaf off the tree (maybe she could have asked for its permission?), and then hid from the evil ranger (apparently it's OK to pick plants as long as you don't let a ranger see you).

Does this pretty much sum it up, editrixie?

FYI- picking a leaf off the tree doesn't kill it. whatever the hell you pick in the woods "wild herbs, greens, medicinal weeds" DOES kill it - INSTANTLY. how is your method any better than picking a leaf?

Uh-oh, my two-year-old crime wave likes to pick those white puffy dandelion thingies and blow on them until the little fluffs come off and fly away. Is that OK or is he a criminal for prematurely doing what nature intended anyway?

C'mon, she's clearly throwing up gang signs in that pic. This is a sociopath in the making, get her in with Skoda for a session.

I have fond childhood memories of walking with my mother to look for the prettiest leaves we could find. We'd bring them home and make art with them (add paper and Elmer's glue). However, we never picked them off trees - we always looked for what had already fallen to the ground. If everybody let their kid pull leaves off trees, the trees would indeed suffer. In city parks, you are only allowed to harvest branches, pine needles, etc. that have already fallen.

However, as someone who has foraged in city parks for wild herbs, greens, and medicinal weeds, I know that even the weeds that will be pulled up are protected (such as dandelion). Urban weed pickers tend to be very respectful of the plants and will hide from rangers to do it. It would be impossible to stop all the people who gather mulberries, chickweed, mushrooms, gingko nuts, and other goodies from Central Park and other city parks.

kid probably got desensitized to plant violence by playing GTAIV. I know I did when I played the tree killing mission.

maybe instead of ripping leaves off trees the little girl should have ripped the flesh off an elderly man.

Leaves on the ground are "litter" or "debris" and can be a public health hazard? You've got to be fucking kidding me. Holy shit. And is the tree going to starve is a few leaves are gone? A tree in the park has thousands and thousands of leaves -- it won't miss a few. Yes, you should definitely teach your kid not to destroy public property and to respect trees, but no matter what you do or what you tell them unless you're 6 inches away from them all the time a 3-year-old will sometimes pull a few leaves off a tree here and there. And guess what? Nature doesn't care. That's why trees have lots of leaves, to feed the tree, feed the pests, and to fall off and make busy-work for welfare recipients stuck on Parks Department chain gangs.

Assuming the 3 year old even did the crime...

I'm betting that Parks officer is reassigned.