Playground Etiquette?

Part of me wanted to title this post, "Here I Go Again."
Welcome to another episode of, "Is it just ME???"

First, I want to clarify something. I am still in the South, right? You know, the South where people are noted for having better manners than anywhere else in the world. I still live there, don't I?

Maybe it's because I didn't spend a lot of time on playgrounds when I was a kid. You see, my mom was convinced that if she took me out and let me play in public parks and such places, that two things might happen: 1. I might bump into something, and since I was obviously made of very rare and precious glass, that might cause me to get scratched or chipped in some way. 2. Another child who had a dirty face or dirty hands might come within 10 feet of me, which would be the cause of a natural disaster such as the world has never seen, such as the sky bursting into flames or all the lakes and rivers drying up at once.
Anyway, I'm thinking perhaps that might be the reason I'm so unschooled in public playground etiquette.

I just sort of assumed that the same rules for common courtesy would apply there as anywhere else.
I didn't know that it was OK for one mom to block a play area with her body so that only her own children could play there. But, sure enough, I witnessed this behavior earlier this week when I took Madeline to the park.

I've seen a dad let his much older children take over the "little" playground where there were several toddlers enjoying themselves, without even a warning that there were little kids and they might need to be careful. So, of course, they weren't.

I watched an older, bigger boy shove Madeline out of the way, while his mother stood there and watched without even batting an eye.

I have seen parents bring toys from home to the playground (I know. Why come to the playground equipment if you're going to bring your own entertainment, right??) and then get all huffy puffy when other children, curious as toddlers are, come over to play with the toys.

Now, please don't think I'm one of those "My-child-is-such-a-victim" parents. She's not. Fortunately, she didn't inherit my MOGS (Made of Glass Syndrome). I see her smack head first into the dining room table or bannister, fall down, get up, and say, "I OK." Therefore, I assume it's fine to take her to the parks and let her go down the twisty slide as many times as she wants.
And, I want her to fight her own battles. I just don't think she's ready to fight her battles against older kids yet, and I don't understand why a mom would let her bigger child bully a toddler without saying anything.

So, I ask again...is it just me?? Am I missing something here? Do all the rules that apply in classrooms and playdates at home fly out the window when we go to a public park? I haven't been a mom for very long, so if I'm expecting too much from other mommies, just let me know.

And, yes, I realize that I harp on manners a lot. I just cannot abide or understand rudeness, and it bugs me when I see parents not only demonstrating rude behavior, but refusing to correct rude behavior in their kids.

Lord, please let me be the kind of parent who teaches her children to treat others the way they want to be treated. Amen.