A California father says he simply wanted to spend an afternoon playing tennis with his children but instead found himself being questioned by park rangers who believed he was illegally teaching lessons without a permit.<\/p>\n
Sam Dogen, a\u00a0San Francisco\u00a0father of two<\/a>, told Fox News Digital he was practicing with his 6-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son at Golden Gate Heights Park after returning from a family trip to Hawaii.<\/p>\n \u201cI took the kids out for what I thought would be a nice afternoon \u2026 to get over the jet lag, be outside in the sun and go play some tennis like we\u2019ve done many, many times,\u201d Dogen said.<\/p>\n About 20 minutes into their practice session, Dogen said two San Francisco Recreation and\u00a0Parks\u00a0Department rangers approached and asked whether he had a permit to teach tennis.<\/p>\n \u201cI was immediately thinking to myself, \u2018What are you talking about? These are my kids,’\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n According to Dogen, the confusion ended only after one of his children spoke up.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s my daddy,\u201d his son told the rangers, Dogen said.<\/p>\n The family was never cited, but Dogen said one ranger told him the penalty for\u00a0teaching without a permit\u00a0could have been $192.<\/p>\n San Francisco dad Sam Dogen was questioned by park rangers for teaching his own kids tennis at a public court. Fox News<\/p>\n Dogen emphasized that the encounter ended with what he described as an educational warning, not a citation. Still, he questioned why the interaction happened at all.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was nobody waiting,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was just a surprise to me. Why even bother trying to disrupt a perfectly nice afternoon, father with his children?\u201d<\/p>\n The Recreation and Parks Department previously told The San Francisco Standard that rangers routinely check whether people providing instruction on public courts are operating commercially, since paid tennis instruction requires a permit<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dogen was warned of a $192 fine for teaching without a permit at Golden Gate Heights Park. alpegor \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a routine interaction,\u201d department spokesperson Tamara Aparton\u00a0told the outlet<\/a>. \u201cBecause paid instruction is not allowed on public courts without a permit, rangers will sometimes ask questions to determine whether someone is providing commercial instruction or simply using the courts for personal recreation or coaching their kids.\u201d<\/p>\n Dogen said he understands why the city regulates commercial instruction but added that he believes\u00a0parents teaching their own children\u00a0should be treated differently.<\/p>\n