How to deal with neighbour's kids messing with car?

bravobeastie

I would go with the CCTV thing. Maybe drop into conversation next time you see her that something happened to your car so you think you will install one of these cameras. You don't have to go to the expense of actually doing it, just get a dummy cam and someone you know with a boiler suit and a set of ladders so it looks as if its being properly installed.

Failing that, buy a dozen eggs, leave them in the sun with a slight pin hole and after a week or 2, lob em at her kids as they run past the car :rotfl:

(That last bit was a joke lol)

Stephb1986_2

bravobeastie wrote: »

Failing that, buy a dozen eggs, leave them in the sun with a slight pin hole and after a week or 2, lob em at her kids as they run past the car

Now this sounds like a good idea! :T

Steph xx

PasturesNew

I am writing because the title caught my eye as I'd love to know how to handle this if it ever happened to me... and was surprised to see you've got ASD. The reason I was hoping to learn from the thread is because I'm on the scale and would have exactly the same thoughts and trouble that you're having.

I bet you're on tenterhooks every day, worrying at every noise, wondering if they're doing it or about to do it and checking.

It's not about the water too much is it. It's also about how things can escalate if you don't try to put the fear of god into them. It's about if they'll come back after dark and do worse, or if they'll do it more because you asked them wrong. It's about whether they will move on to kicking footballs or play fighting and ending up over your bonnet ... and I could find 100 other things that are also terrifying and deeply upsetting. That whole powerlessness to deal with a situation; not being able to do it as you don't know what to say or how.

Personally, I bought a car based on functionality, I have no emotional attachment to this one. Which is quite marvellous as it picks up dents and scratches in car parks. However, it'd be a different story if kids started playing near it as they can start chucking things and each other around. So I'm lucky I don't get this.

anewman wrote: »

I am not sure what to do - don't want to be seen to be making a big thing out of nothing or trying to cause hassle, but I do not want them messing with the car. I also do not wish to escalate such behaviour or bring further undue attention to my car. Certainly not all summer holiday. I'm not the best person at talking to people (shyness, social anxiety, asperger syndrome [guess more and more people are hearing of that now but here's a description The National Autistic Society - What is Asperger syndrome? ] or whatever it may be) so have wondered if I should write a letter warning them off, or just go out and play hell when they're messing with the car. If I was perhaps more "normal" and chatty with them I would not have the problems I am currently experiencing - but have to deal with things as they are anyway. But I am wondering what I should do. Do I stick a letter through their door? Do I go out and play hell when I catch them messing with it? I do not think going round and having a word will work.

I'd suspect that even if you wrote out your speech and it was perfect, then the minute you get over there and she says "F... off, what's it got to do with you, my kids can play where they like. Who died and made you God" you'd be instantly stuck for an answer as you couldn't write down what she said and go home to work out your reply!


As for your letter, it was written in exactly the style I'd write (that makes it wrong). It's very factual, logical ... to the point of sounding pompous and over-formal. You've done exactly what I would do: write out the facts as I see them and let them know what would happen if they didn't comply with your polite and reasonable request... a preferred Aspie way (in my opinion) of trying to write out exactly what you want so it isn't misunderstood and you've managed to fit in what you meant. Unfortunately, this will be read completely different by an NT person. Especially an unreasonable chav-sounding one.

I can offer no words, no letter, no help. Just good luck!!

anewman

pulliptears wrote: »

Also, get yourself a CCTV camera pointing at the car (make sure it only films your property though!).

Unfortunately not possible, it would have to face across someone else's garden. Had been considering doing it anyway.

I rarely clean the car, once a month or less, but they seem to think I clean it too often - seems to be the only thing they have said anything to me about besides asking if the postman had been once.

I stuck a modified version of the letter through their door as fed up with it having gone on for 4 days in a row. I could only see it escalating. See what happens now I suppose.

For the assertion they are ch@v scum, I actually thought they were decent people and probably still would if I hadn't caught her near car with egg on it. I'm sure the kids aren't bad kids, they're just out in the street and have a football and a water gun, and one possible thing to do is direct them towards my car if they're fed-up of playing with each other - and the little one's will follow the eldest. Unfortunately it seems no one has instilled them with respect for other people's property, or they're acting out the family's jealousy at my owning a car.

It does just seem to be me, but then again my car is the only one I can see out of the window that is there every time I look out. There is a blue Ford Focus out of view, and a large number of people visit another house at the end, but I have not seen any such behaviour towards other cars.

Suppose it doesn't help that the road is a cul-de-sac with a big wide square open road directly outside their house which the kids treat as a play area.

anewman

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd suspect that even if you wrote out your speech and it was perfect, then the minute you get over there and she says "F... off, what's it got to do with you, my kids can play where they like. Who died and made you God" you'd be instantly stuck for an answer as you couldn't write down what she said and go home to work out your reply!

Yes that's exactly the way I would be. Good to know someone else has an idea what it feels like :T It's why I stuck a letter through the door. Is also a killer in interviews etc.

pinkshoes

I'm not sure a letter would do any good, and if they take it the wrong way, it could make things worse.

If you see them playing football near your car, just go out and ask them to go play in the park, or use their own front door as a goal.

I had similar neighbours in a place I rented a while back, and used to drive my car through as many muddy puddles as possible so the kids wouldn't play near it. (They'd get filthy and get yelled at by their mum!). When they used it as a goal post, I pointed to one of their parents cars and told them to use that as a goal post instead.

I wouldn't worry about the water pistols, as theyre pretty harmless.

anewman

pinkshoes wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about the water pistols, as theyre pretty harmless.

Still it's not theirs to spray water on or stand next to IMO. If I happened to have sorted some rust out on the car and touched it up with paint, which I am wanting to do, and they come along and spray water all over it the result won't be good and I won't be just a little angry.

They will obviously think I am being petty but I am sure if I go out with a water gun spraying other people's cars I'd get my head kicked in.

Dick_here

PasturesNew wrote: »

I bet you're on tenterhooks every day, worrying at every noise, wondering if they're doing it or about to do it and checking.

It's not about the water too much is it. It's also about how things can escalate if you don't try to put the fear of god into them. It's about if they'll come back after dark and do worse, or if they'll do it more because you asked them wrong. It's about whether they will move on to kicking footballs or play fighting and ending up over your bonnet ... and I could find 100 other things that are also terrifying and deeply upsetting. That whole powerlessness to deal with a situation; not being able to do it as you don't know what to say or how.

Yes, that perfectly explains the issue to someone who hasn't experienced it. It's easy to say 'just tell them to go away' etc, but when dealing with these chavs these days, it's quite likely that the result will be that something that irritated you but meant nothing to them is turned into a personal vendetta against you and it gets so much worse then. You can end up not even wanting to be at home for fear of it.

Is moving a possibility ?

strawberrysplit

:mad: hi there this used to happen too on my husbands car for us there was nothing we could do to prevent this i had so many words with my neighbour but she did not take anything seriously also it was not just her it was other people throwing things on our car, ours was target...we now park in garage .......i think people are just jealose....hope you sort it out as for me it was headache for the last few years

MrsE_2

Stephb1986 wrote: »

a few times i've had to park my car on the pavement slightly and on the road and the kids have been racing past it again (its brand new on a 08 plate) so you can imagine i will not be chuffed if the little toe rags touch my car. So i've gone out this time and said "alright mate can you keep away from our cars please" and he said ok and sort of keeps away but you know the brain power kids have now! lol.

TBH if you're on the pavement you're asking for trouble.
The pavement is for people, the roads are for cars.