Asphalt Green Playground in NYC

Received Friday, September 7, 2007
This occurred at 4:30 P.M. yesterday, (9/6).
The care giver had long red hair in a pony tail, a bright green shirt, faded jeans, and flip flops. Her charges, a girl about seven with light brown hair in a white shirt, yellow shorts, and pink crocs. She had a doll and doll stroller. A boy four or five with dark brown hair in a dark blue shirt with thin white stripes, shorts and dark blue sandals.
The two children were running around in the baby swing area, and opening and slamming the gate. Fearing that one might get hurt, I went over and closed the gate with them outside. (It is normally kept closed, as there are many toddlers in this small playground.) While I was pushing the swing someone else came in, leaving the gate open. They resumed playing with the gate and a third little boy who tried to come in got his hand slammed in the gate. He was crying very hard, and the woman, who was sitting on a bench reading the whole time finally looked up, came over, and told them to play somewhere else.
A little later, the boy went to her to say he needed to go to the bathroom. Instead of taking him in to the (nice clean) bathroom just inside the front door, she took him past the end of the bench and let him pee in the playground. She seemed annoyed to have her reading interrupted.
The children were old enough to play on their own, but certainly needed someone to keep an eye open. They could have left the playground and she wouldn't have noticed.
Her lack of concern for their safety and well being makes me hope this wasn't their mom!