In American Childhood, the words "forbade", "frick park", "bums", and "bridges" have connotations of authority or negative ones . These words are included in Annie's father description of Frick Park. While the park is big, mostly of wild woods and named after a wealthy person, Annie's father does not want her to go there, so he tries to scare her into avoiding the park. He says that it is a dangerous and scary place with bums living under bridges and forbids her to go there.
Still, her mother tells Annie that she can go there as long as she doesn't mention it.