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AIBU?

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Original poster

To find pavement chalking by neighbour unreasonable?

414 replies

Hanji83 · 19/08/2026 20:29

We are in a row of houses which have a footpath running in front of the road with a grassed area either side. One of the neighbours has two kids, who for the past week have been drawing on the pavement using chalk. It looks an utter mess. Would it be wrong of me to say something to the parents?

OP posts:
summitfever · 19/08/2026 22:55

you’re giving new money vibes op 😂

LilyBunch25 · 19/08/2026 22:55

ConstantlyFuriosa · 19/08/2026 21:25

I’m just hoping for rain in general! I’ve got rain on the brain.

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Chucking it down here in the NW

AllIneedAreMyFamilyandDogs · 19/08/2026 22:54

StupidCupid50 · 19/08/2026 22:53

I’m with you OP, it’s like graffiti

It's chalk. Very temporary.

There was this time me and my friends went and did the same. We didn't have chalk though we did have crayons. No-one was happy.

magikarpediem · 19/08/2026 22:54

I was once told off as a child for chalking on the pavement and I’ll always remember it because it felt really mean spirited. As an adult I still don’t understand why someone would be bothered about chalk..

StupidCupid50 · 19/08/2026 22:53

I’m with you OP, it’s like graffiti

gardenflowergirl · 19/08/2026 22:53

Rain is forecast, it'll be gone this time tomorrow.

MerryUmberHedgehog · 19/08/2026 22:49

Did you never play hopscotch?

Clafoutie · 19/08/2026 22:48

HollyIvy89 · 19/08/2026 22:17

I just got my hose out and washed away the bit in front of my house. I hate chalk. I think it’s rude.

It could also be considered rude to be wasting water when the country is facing drought conditions

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 19/08/2026 22:47

My DC love doing chalk drawings with our neighbour's daughter, and it's becoming a little ritual where they go out and play with her doing drawings then football. I love joining in, having fun and creating little pictures with them. It's totally harmless fun, and gets them outside the house, in the sunshine and enjoying their summer holidays

Our lovely neighbour conscientiously cleaned it all away with a broom and soapy water last time, but I felt a little sad seeing the cute innocent drawings disappearing. Kids have so much fun doing innocent things like this. Let's live and let live. 🥰

AllIneedAreMyFamilyandDogs · 19/08/2026 22:45

Not a battle worth picking. The rain will wash it away.

PashaMinaMio · 19/08/2026 22:44

Hanji83 · 19/08/2026 20:32

Ok, clearly there’s a strong disagreement. No it’s not a reverse. It does look a mess. But clearly I’m being harsh so I won’t approach my neighbour or argue with everyone on here.

If it bothers you that much get a brush & a bucket of hot water and wash it away.
Dont worry about your reputation as a miserable $?* amongst your neighbours.

BitCoinBillionaire · 19/08/2026 22:43

Now I wouldn’t have an issue with it but I also wouldn’t allow my kids to do it. Outside my house only? Possibly. On our driveway? Yes. In the back garden? Yes.

but all over the road and outside people’s homes? No - wouldn’t allow it

so I can see where you might be coming from OP

JudgeJ · 19/08/2026 22:42

Hanji83 · 19/08/2026 20:32

Ok, clearly there’s a strong disagreement. No it’s not a reverse. It does look a mess. But clearly I’m being harsh so I won’t approach my neighbour or argue with everyone on here.

One of my loveliest memories is of my mother and aunt, her sister, both in their late 60s, chalking a hop-scotch grid on the flagged drive and playing hop-scotch, leaping around like I'd never seen before, teaching my amazed children how to play. If it's not rained already it will soon and all will be washed away.

ShedShedShed · 19/08/2026 22:40

HollyIvy89 · 19/08/2026 22:30

As I detest it lol I can’t stand it. It’s rude when it’s in my eye line.

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Wow. What's it like to be so miserable?

dreamiesformolly · 19/08/2026 22:38

Good grief, there are some joyless souls around. Anyone would think chalk was indelible. I rather like seeing kids' chalkings on the pavement myself, and I'd far rather see kids playing hopscotch than some of the other things they could be spending their time doing.

scalt · 19/08/2026 22:38

Has somebody done a chalk drawing of Oliver Cromwell, and resurrected him?

Stuckinhospital · 19/08/2026 22:36

JustAnotherWhinger · 19/08/2026 22:34

The kids in our street were absolutely delighted earlier when a very posh sounding lady in her 60s who recently moved here asked “ooh may I?”

They’re praying someone from number 4 does it before it rains as then they’ll have had an adult from every house on the even side take a turn. It’ll make their year I think if someone does 😂

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Were going to need you to report back on this please.

JustAnotherWhinger · 19/08/2026 22:34

Stuckinhospital · 19/08/2026 22:18

Aibu that I really want to go draw an obstacle course on the pavement outside and then watch ring door cam to see if anybody does it and really hope the posh neighbours do.

The kids in our street were absolutely delighted earlier when a very posh sounding lady in her 60s who recently moved here asked “ooh may I?”

They’re praying someone from number 4 does it before it rains as then they’ll have had an adult from every house on the even side take a turn. It’ll make their year I think if someone does 😂

Cosyblankets · 19/08/2026 22:34

Did you never play hopscotch?

vodkaredbullgirl · 19/08/2026 22:32

.

Playing Outside Pinkalicious And Peterrific GIF by PBS KIDS
HollyIvy89 · 19/08/2026 22:30

ShedShedShed · 19/08/2026 22:18

Why is chalk rude? It's just calcium sulfate

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As I detest it lol I can’t stand it. It’s rude when it’s in my eye line.

Dollymylove · 19/08/2026 22:28

Bloody hell OP you could give the Grinch a run for his money 😆

billybear · 19/08/2026 22:25

once it rains it will disappear,cheap things for kids to do harmless.they could be doing a lot worse kicking footballs over your fence all day, sceaming at the top of their voice,

ShedShedShed · 19/08/2026 22:21

grasshopperhop · 19/08/2026 22:09

I hate chalk on the pavement and would never let my children do this. It’s totally unnecessary and looks awful! I’d be out there with a hose and broom!

Haven't you got anything more interesting to do with your life than scrub pavements?

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