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AIBU?

to have shouted at these teenagers in the street?

154 replies

bluebeanie · 29/03/2014 22:03

I don't live in the best area, but still. There was a group of about 9 guys hanging around my street just now making a fair bit of noise.

I watched them for a bit in the dark upstairs bedroom and then suddenly one was on my drive approaching the car. I saw red and opened the window. I shouted, 'What the f do you think you are doing? The guy responded that he was checking out his reflection in the window. I said that I've got a sleeping baby here (true, but in the back room) and to p off or I'd call the police. I then slammed the window shut and called them anyway. The Police never really come for that sort of thing anyway and I never saw them.

Anyway, they left soon after, but I'm half expecting to wake up to my tires slashed or my paintwork keyed. It's not a fancy car (Hyundai i30). God, I'm shaking. It's not a usual occurrence thank god. I'm usually timid. Hell hath no fury like a mum, I suppose.

OP posts:

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WorraLiberty · 29/03/2014 22:05

How rude

Are you always that nasty to people?

bluebeanie · 29/03/2014 22:07

He was on my property

OP posts:

Norfolknway · 29/03/2014 22:08

Sounds like you were a bit scared!

Probably a bit abrupt. But, he was making his way up your drive.

Meh :-/

Floggingmolly · 29/03/2014 22:09

Are you on your own? That sounds really intimidating; 9 guys hanging around right outside your house, and actually coming into your garden and approaching your car!
It's pretty crap that the police wouldn't do a drive by for you? What's the bloody point after some damage has been done? (But hopefully they've cleared off for good and all will be well).

WorraLiberty · 29/03/2014 22:09

And you could quite easily have asked them to move along because they were disturbing your child.

Instead you chose to give them a mouthful of bad language.

Come back when your child is a teenager and see if you think it's acceptable that an adult treats them like that.

MamaPain · 29/03/2014 22:10

What do you want a fucking medal?

I hate all this mother lion mentality.

I don't think there's any pride in being so rude to someone, you'll probably get a round of applause from the mn noise police though.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/03/2014 22:10

That is not really a normal reaction you know?

Jolleigh · 29/03/2014 22:10

I think that attitude could have bitten you in the arse. He could have easily been coming to knock on your door to tell you your car window was a bit open.

He wasn't I suppose, but talking to people like that probably shouldn't be the default setting.

bluebeanie · 29/03/2014 22:10

On my own with my baby. Dh out for the night.

OP posts:

VoyageDeVerity · 29/03/2014 22:11

Was there any need for that?

SmilingHappyBeaver · 29/03/2014 22:11

Good for you OP, what the hell was he doing on your drive?! Hopefully they'll stay away now.

phonebox · 29/03/2014 22:12

YANBU. My DF did this once - it turned out to be a drug addict well-known to the local Police who was trying to break into the house. Good thing he scared him off, really.

It's a shame your local Police don't respond to this sort of thing - even if they had local community officers patrolling, that would help.

WorraLiberty · 29/03/2014 22:12

And I'm quite sure the Police have better things to do on a Saturday night.

Fair enough if you'd spoken politely to the teenagers and then got a mouthful back or if they threatened you.

But you didn't even give them the chance to apologise and move off down the road...which many teenagers would have done.

Just because some of them act like anti social yobs, it doesn't give you the right to assume they're all up to no good and to treat them like shit.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 29/03/2014 22:12

YABI

I can understand that you were feeling vulnerable, but now that you've been so rude you're left feeling vulnerable.

Would that have happened if you'd politely asked him to get off your property?

VampyreofTimeandMemory · 29/03/2014 22:13

oh my god i've seen ruder comments from one mner to another on here than that.

good on you, it's a pisstake loitering around on someone's property anyway, some people will always tell you yabu for the fucking sake of it.

morethanpotatoprints · 29/03/2014 22:14

That doesn't sound normal behaviour to me either.
I would have ignored them tbh, but opened the window and watched them.
They would soon move on. Were they waiting for a mate maybe?

WorraLiberty · 29/03/2014 22:14

And as Jolleigh said, what if he'd been coming up your drive to tell you you'd left your car open, or something valuable on the seat?

You would have felt like a right twat and they would probably never do a good turn again for a stranger.

VampyreofTimeandMemory · 29/03/2014 22:15

and 'what ifs' are pretty irrelevant - he was checking his reflection, apparently

SirChenjin · 29/03/2014 22:15

He was on your driveway. He had no right to be there, and although you could have asked him politely you had every right to tell him to move off your property in any way you so wished.

I'm the parent of 2 teens - if either of them were hanging about streets at night, making a noise and wandering onto other people's driveways they would incur my wrath too.

VampyreofTimeandMemory · 29/03/2014 22:16

sir agree with you there, if my kids were teens and fucking about on someone's property, i'd be having 'stern words'.

kim147 · 29/03/2014 22:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Joules68 · 29/03/2014 22:19

Hell have no fury like a mum??!

What's that supposed to even mean??

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 29/03/2014 22:19

Errmm, I can see both sides here. I have two teenage boys of my own & can't stand the way some people automatically assume teenagers are up to no good. Because they are teenagers. And boys.

But, I can see how a sizeable group of young men hanging out on my drive & approaching my car could be intimidating. TBH though, just opening the window and making it clear you were watching your car probably would have been enough for them to move on.

phonebox · 29/03/2014 22:20

Do any MNers personally know of a large group of teenage boys who hang about in the streets at night who are up to some good?

I'm genuinely curious - I grew up in a deprived area and we avoided large gangs hanging around like this like the plague. If one group started hanging around outside my house and then started approaching the house or car, I'd be terrified and react just as OP did. Instinct takes over.

wheresthelight · 29/03/2014 22:22

screaming abuse probably wasn't the smartest thing but to be honest, in the same situation i would have done the same!

i would complain to the cops about their lack of interest though

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