Monday, April 13, 2009

Pet Peeves

All the bikes are in the MIDDLE of the road. So it makes it difficult to get around them.

I live on a road that ends in a cul du sac. I live on the end. I know and like all the families. BUT Most of the families around us have small children. For some reason the parents seem to think it is OK for their kids to play in the street leading to the cul du sac. I know we aren't a high traffic area and it is safer for kids and animals. But doing chalk drawing on the road? They have driveways. Bike jumps? Again they all have very nice drive ways. No matter the traffic load it isn't safe to play in the street especially sitting down in the street! Plus every time I drive down my street I live in fear of hitting a child. I drive at 5 miles a hour if it a sunny day always. They dart out in front NOT looking for traffic half the time. Plus when they see you and take their own sweet time getting off the road. Not everyone drives 5 miles a hour. People that don't know! What else bugs me half the time their isn't a parent out supervising. When my children were 3 to 6 they never went out alone. Of course we had a fenced in yard they played back there and in our drive way no where near the road. Different type road to be sure, but I was THERE. Not all the parents are guilty of that and I realize they "share" watching duties at times. SO please really WATCH the kids you are responsible for at the time! Get them off the street when cars come!

Ok another peeve connected to previous one... I am in no way responsible for when people come to visit my house for the way they drive down the street. I have a two teenage daughters. That means teenage people drive to my house. They are not MY CHILDREN I have zero say in their driving. I do not want calls. If you are upset call the police! Explain why the heck your kids was playing in the street to the cop and why you are mad that a kids drove 20 miles a hour on a residential street...well with in the speed limit. The road isn't your children's play ground! It irritates the adults that come to visit my home too! I've had many, many comments... I got one of those call last night because supposedly Nima's friend scared one of the kids with his driving...

Yet another pet peeve... toys left in the street. I hit a scooter once with my brand new tires... I have bikes in front of my driveway at times. I have to get out and move them. I would have NEVER let my kids be so RUDE! (see above picture. I had to yell at the kids to remove their bikes NO PARENT IN SIGHT)

It is now spring again so I will be dealing with the kiddy circus in the road till cold weather is back.

I don't want to be that Bitchy neighbor but this is a safty issue and so a rudeness issue. I'm not sure yet how I'm going to handle this yet.

5 comments:

CB said...

Have the same problem with bikes on our compound. I don't have an answer either. We don't have the problem with kids playing in the street - everyone here knows that would be suicide! Back in VA we have a neighbor that, no kidding, would routinely back out of her driveway - blocking the entire road - then decide she forgot something in the house and leave the car running while she spent 3 -5 minutes in her house. More than once I considered moving her car for her.

Sandie said...

Ugh! I have the same rude neighbours that you do. I'm not sure what to do either. However.. if they called me? I would say.. exactly what you said here. They are driving IN the speed limit. You can't tell them what to do. They aren't your kids. You make sure they don't speed... that's it. Why do people assume the world is there for them, and them alone. The rest of us must make room in our lives for life their way. Period. Ugh. Can you tell this rubs me too?

Linda Rodriguez said...

Ugh....I feel your frustration! We don't have that problem in my neighborhood, but I would be livid if it were happening. YOu are totally justified in your thinking. Not sure what you could do other than alert the police about the safety issue. They *might* send a patrol car out every so often and that might encourage the parents to *teach* their children proper street etiquette. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I am right there with you - this kind of thing gets me aggravated too!

vtpuggirl said...

It is rude, maybe you could have the families over for a BBQ and discuss it with them. You can lead a horse to water though. . . The parents have to be engaged, the kids aren't going to change.