off limits

I was so happy when the Sky Garden at SM City North EDSA opened last year. At last, greenery at the mall! The landscaping was very nice, and I especially liked the art installations that were scattered all around. Young couples, kids and the elderly loved the Sky Garden, too. Finally, a new place in Quezon City where you can feel grass under your feet.

Recently, Bunny Rabbit and I were walking along the Sky Garden and saw this:

Unfortunately, the security guard stopped us from going near it. I was very surprised. That's when I noticed that there were "keep off the grass" signs everywhere now. And even in the landscaped areas with stepping stones, nobody is allowed to step on the stepping stones. I don't get it.

And as for the outdoor art installations which are supposed to be interactive, nobody is allowed to even touch them anymore. Attention, artists. Is this what you want? For your outdoor sculptures to be off limits to the public? You should have just put them indoors then, inside a glass case or behind velvet ropes .

We had to content ourselves with this long shot taken by Bunny Rabbit, with me as the focal point:

Anyway, I heard that it's the same all over Metro Manila. The green areas at the shopping centers such as Greenbelt and Bonifacio High Street now have lots of restrictions regarding stepping on the grass and going near the art. Too bad.

What's the point of having something this beautiful and interesting when you can't get close to it?