To the Steyne Park community, 

I want to share with you a scene that happened some days ago here at the Steyne park which maybe can touch you to accept my invitation for a reflection and action if you feel it is important for the sense of community. 

RESISTANCE BAND TREATED LIKE A CRIME

Since last year, I have been using the park to work out and meditate almost every day in the early morning, together with my faithful resistance band, a type of elastic used mostly by Pilates and physiotherapy practices. 

Some weeks ago, when the restrictions for social distance became higher, but still allowed exercise at a park if you were alone (my case for more than a year), a young guy wearing hi-vis vest, that I will assume here it is a new ranger for an unknown yet authority force, came to me in a rude way, starting the conversation saying "you are allowed to do exercise alone, but...", it was already oppressive to show who is in charge giving me the allowance to be there, "but, you cannot attach anything to the park", requiring me to stop the exercise immediately. I was confused and replied "why" then he just said, "this is the law!". 

I was wondering if I missed any information when I read the website or plates of the Woollahra council, then I asked back again to help me understanding which law or offence I was committing because I have been doing that for a long time, and that message started to make me feel a bad guy, doing wrong things when my purpose was exactly the opposite. He didn't give me any more orientation, showing embarrassed of his lack of knowledge about this "law", then just finished the conversation saying to me "the police is already coming". Wow, that was a threat and now I really understood this guy was treating me like a criminal. Despite I stopped to use my elastic on a pole immediately when he required, and my energy went down to finish any other exercise. 

You can imagine how is already difficult to move to a new country completely alone, frightened to trust anyone. I came with all good intentions, excited to study more the language, willing to respect, learn the culture and maybe help in somehow sharing what I learned abroad, but this bitter behaviour was disappointing and depressing to see especially coming from an authority here.

DISABILITY PEOPLE SUFFERING REPRESSION

As if that weren't enough, last week, at same place and hour, I watched a scene of this young guy (second time I saw him here in months) starting to talk to a girl using wheelchairs. Same situation, he was rude and required from her to stop using her resistance band passed by a pole. I was thinking if I am crazy or this man has just discouraged someone with a disability to use the park near her home and take care of her health. The guy prevented her to finish a proper exercise and probably later, disengaged her to come back. 

I can't imagine how it is difficult the life of someone with a disability, and how many efforts were necessary to spark her engagement, to fill herself with energy and joyfulness of a change in her lifestyle. To start over a healthier life, changing bad habits, is already hard for anyone with all the capabilities. The representative of this authority, blindly following that not explained law, probably put water on her spark, which should be something to celebrate and show as an example of overcoming difficulties.

So, I would like to invite you neighbours of Steyne Park and Woollahra council to think. 

• In times of social distancing, what could be better for people seeking healthy activities than using elastic bands at a park? Why cannot use the poles or trees spread around all directions?

• What kind of crime was I committing looking for keeping my health and being an example for people, as an image of encouragement to workout independently, being disciplined, striving to do the best for health? Should I stop it based on the fear raised from this authority threat? Is Woollahra council  aware of this man approach? 

• In a society so concerned about mental health, should authorities invest more in repression, truculence and correction, or instead in taking care of people beforehand with more love and providing solutions with dialogue?

Just to remember, since the coronavirus happened, most the academies have been closed and people started to understand they can do exercise even without a gym. Resistance bands were out of stock in most of the stores in Sydney. They are excellent options and do not damage any part of the park, or even put anyone in danger. For example, you can just imagine a car forcing the elastic band hooked in a pole, do you think the pole could be damaged or the elastic band would blow before? Resis

tance bands are built exactly to not damage any support.

RESISTANCE ACTION

I was confused if I should continue my exercises at this park. The spread of this autocratic fear filled me for some days. Since the beginning, as a foreigner, I’ve been taken a lot of attention to not infringe any law or disrespect any cultural aspect of the community, but this seems too much. Moreover, I cannot believe it is a common sense of the behaviour of this society. If I am not wrong or crazy (Michel Foucault would spin in his grave), I would like to count on your help to talk to the authorities to reinforce and review their practices. I am sure my voice doesn't mean anything here, but many voices of you can make the difference. 

If the current poles are not allowed for exercise, maybe it could be a good idea to create poles for these activities, as I see plenty of people at the park exercising every day in the same situation. Authorities, you could leave a legacy here showing you are concerned about protecting and engaging people with disability to do more exercise, a good way to apologise to this girl. Please we need to know explicitly if people can do exercise at this park using resistance bands.

Well, I made my point and invite you to make the difference. Hope to receive some serious feedback; otherwise, the silence will be a strong lesson.