Vent: Stupid driver!

Hmm71

kimbyanne wrote: »

At the end of the day, it's a road and a car park not a playground. Children should not be playing out there.

I have first hand experience which this situation. I use to live in a culdesac where everyone let their kids play in the communal car park and they would complain about how people would nearly hit their kids with cars, etc (however this was a worse situation because the kids were out there in the dark so drivers couldn't see them and they deliberately would dart in front of cars for fun). The HA got involved and everyone was told that children are not to play in the car park as it wasn't a playground. I imagine if you keep on complaining you will be told the same.

There were also issues with the kids damaging people's cars and property which the parents didn't seem to take seriously despite the police having to get involved on occasion.

I can completely understand why this guy is peed off with kids playing out there - although driving like an idiot isn't the way to solve the problem. However like I said, kids shouldn't be playing in the car park or the road leading to it. They should play in the garden or a park.

That's really a rather sad reflection on today's society. there used to be a time, not really that long ago, when children were actively encouraged to play outside in the street. Not everyone has a garden or a nearby park. I have seen old photos of neighbourhoods where one end of the street had a "No Parking: Children Playing" sign. Now it seems the motorist must come first at all costs.
I hope you and your neighbours can ge this sorted out as amicably as possible OP and your children can carry on enjoying playing outside.

kimbyanne

Hmm71 wrote: »

That's really a rather sad reflection on today's society. there used to be a time, not really that long ago, when children were actively encouraged to play outside in the street. Not everyone has a garden or a nearby park. I have seen old photos of neighbourhoods where one end of the street had a "No Parking: Children Playing" sign. Now it seems the motorist must come first at all costs.
I hope you and your neighbours can ge this sorted out as amicably as possible OP and your children can carry on enjoying playing outside.

Is it? What if your neighbours don't like having children playing outside near their property, cars, etc? Is it just a case of tough luck because you want your kids to play outside that everyone should be accepting?

OP, has this guy actually said why he doesn't like the children playing outside (is it they are too noisy, leave their bikes lying about, are they out in the dark, etc?) or does he just not like it for no reason?

Is he driving about the speed limit when he comes in the culdesac? I remember one of the mothers who lived near me trying to get the HA to put a sign up to say something like "Slow - Children Playing" and was told no because a) children shouldn't be playing in the road / car parks and b) the speed limit in the estate was 20mph so people coming in or leaving could drive at that speed without issue. If this guy is coming in to the culdesac above the speed limit you could involve the police.

I would just try and talk to this guy to find out what the problem actually is (although if he is moaning about you letting someone use your parking space, he might just be a moaner as I don't see how you letting someone use your space is any concern of his)

Rolandtheroadie

I grew up in the street I live in now. I played out on the road.

Residents raised worries about damage to cars with our rounders, kerby and football, in return our parents raised worries about the speed some drove up and down the cul-de-sac (whilst we retalliated by chapping their doors and running away).

But we all got on. Always. And still do some 34 years later. Now it's MY kids out in the street playing.

It's threads like this that make me realise how great it is to live in my wee house, in my wee street, in my wee village. People just dont get on like we used to.

Good luck OP, try to switch off.

MamaMoo_2

kimbyanne wrote: »

He clearly is an idiot, like I said he should not be driving like that at all and he is obviously doing this because of the kids.

Obviously my situation is different to yours, the kids where I use to live were essentially feral (damaging property, screaming, swearing, running in front of cars, etc). The parents were the sort to shove them out the door at 8am and they weren't allowed in until 10pm.

Had they had been polite and quiet I doubt anyone would have had a problem with them.

If the kids aren't going near his house or being noisy then I am not sure why he doesn't like it - some people just don't. I assume his children don't play outside?

Like I said in my situation the HA said that children should not be playing in the car park. Is the car park owned by HA / are your properties HA? I assume you have allocated parking bays?

If so, it is up to the HA to speak to the neighbour (that is what our HA did) then they may send a mass letter re driving like an idiot / kids playing outside.

No idea what his problem is. He won't even allow his children in the back garden, let alone out to socialise.

Car park is owned by HA. And neighbour A has 1 space, I have one space, then there are two visitor spaces and neighbour B has two spaces. The house at the end has a driveway, so doesn't come down near the car park.
HA always say they're dealing with it, but nothing changes

MamaMoo_2

mountainofdebt wrote: »

When you say private road what do you mean? Do you mean its a private road whee the residents are liable for its repair or do mean a road that the council has adopted (and so isn't a private road but a public road) but as his house is at the entrance, he doesn't really have a reason (in your eyes) of coming down your end?

What car is it by the way?

It's owned by the HA, not the council, and we pay a premium with our rent for maintenance etc of the road, flower beds etc.

It's a Ford Focus.

Not even sure what this "child sensor" would be, but travelling at 20mph stopping distance is about 12m, and I doubt it kicks in until he's centimetres away :S

MamaMoo_2

kelfen wrote: »

(This is a spectacularly childish set of suggestions, garnered from me and the OH to try and bring light to the matter)

With the dog poo, why not pop it on his car as a 'reminder'?
Sellotape a condom to his exhaust pipe and make a big balloon!
Water down the dog poo and put it in a water pistol and shoot it through his letterbox

I approve of ALL of these...

MamaMoo_2

kimbyanne wrote: »

Is it? What if your neighbours don't like having children playing outside near their property, cars, etc? Is it just a case of tough luck because you want your kids to play outside that everyone should be accepting?

honestly, when everybody else down this road is in agreement that there's no reason why the kids can't play out if he stays down his end of the road, then yes. 3 out of four houses let their children play out there, why should he ruin it for everyone out of sheer spite?

OP, has this guy actually said why he doesn't like the children playing outside (is it they are too noisy, leave their bikes lying about, are they out in the dark, etc?) or does he just not like it for no reason?

nope, no reason given. The kids, if not riding their bikes, will leave them by the gate to the garden, they aren't noisy, don't shout, scream or act rudely, and they're always in well before dark.

Is he driving about the speed limit when he comes in the culdesac? I remember one of the mothers who lived near me trying to get the HA to put a sign up to say something like "Slow - Children Playing" and was told no because a) children shouldn't be playing in the road / car parks and b) the speed limit in the estate was 20mph so people coming in or leaving could drive at that speed without issue. If this guy is coming in to the culdesac above the speed limit you could involve the police.

he's driving about 20mph, which to me is totally unacceptable on a road so short.

I would just try and talk to this guy to find out what the problem actually is (although if he is moaning about you letting someone use your parking space, he might just be a moaner as I don't see how you letting someone use your space is any concern of his)

We've tried being nice and civil, but he always just gets moody and huffy. As I said, the list of complaints he's sent to the HA have been ridiculous. Complained that my dog was making too much noise, about a month after I had got rid of said dog...

MamaMoo_2

scotsman4th wrote: »

I grew up in the street I live in now. I played out on the road.

Residents raised worries about damage to cars with our rounders, kerby and football, in return our parents raised worries about the speed some drove up and down the cul-de-sac (whilst we retalliated by chapping their doors and running away).

But we all got on. Always. And still do some 34 years later. Now it's MY kids out in the street playing.

It's threads like this that make me realise how great it is to live in my wee house, in my wee street, in my wee village. People just dont get on like we used to.

Good luck OP, try to switch off.

This is very much like the road I grew up on. Unfortunately, last year they opened it up and it's now not a cul-de-sac, but a road leading to the local shops, so it's busy all the time. A massive shame!
I know I'm probably very naïve, but I think playing in the street and making friends with all your neighbours is one of the best parts of being a child! And on a quiet, small cul-de-sac, where everyone else has made friends, it seems a but stupid for this guy to be so intolerant and rude about something that really, shouldn't concern him.

Alex-Riley.

I'm getting this from the fact that he doesn't let his kids out maybe he feels he's not inflicting his children on you keeping them in the house/back garden that he doesn't like seeing the other children playing on the road when he's doesn't

MamaMoo_2

Alex-Riley. wrote: »

I'm getting this from the fact that he doesn't let his kids out maybe he feels he's not inflicting his children on you keeping them in the house/back garden that he doesn't like seeing the other children playing on the road when he's doesn't

If he chooses to hide his kids away, that's fine, but I certainly shan't be doing that. We're hardly "inflicting" our kids on him. Not like they stand outside his house shouting and screaming like little !!!!!!. When he moved here he knew full well that every house around here would have children (HA said that as they were all 2+ bedrooms they were being let mostly to families with young children) so it's not like he was expecting to live in a retirement village. If you don't want to live near kids playing, don't move into a house where your neighbours all have children under 6 (he was the last to view his house, we had all already moved in the previous week)