New neighbours....

[Lukat]

Hi, new neighbours renting house opposite us and firstly their children have took to using their upstairs window as a viewing area to stare into our living room.... With a telescope!! I have to have my curtains closed as feel Aa though they are always looking.... Have caught them many times.
Also, we live on a cul de sac, 4 houses and very quiet, the children who live in cul de sac Inc mine, play right outside our house which is fine, and usually safe. However, the new neighbour (dad) races into cul de sac in his car like he is on a race track... also reverses off drive in a rush too!! I am concerned for the kids playing as it's only a matter if time until there is an accident..aibu to ask him to slow down? Also, HOW to ask him without being horrid. And to tell him about kids staring.

He also has to reverse off his drive, the other day he was in such a rush he never even looked behind him... I am not watchful neighbour.... I can see all this from my living room!

God, I'd talk to them about the telescope and the fast driving. Much easier to do it straight away than leaving it to drive you mad. Do they seem ok as people? Telescope; big smile, 'the kids are looking in my window with a telescope (bless 'em) and I don't like it! Do you mind if I ask them not to, or would you ask them?'
Driving, how about suggesting to all the neighbours that you or the children make a 'dead slow; children playing' sign, 'because we're so lucky they can play out here, and we were so pleased to see you had children too!'

He does work in the industry!! But so does my dh and he checks and is careful. It's a new housing estate..... Kids play out, not rocket science to change it down a gear!

I would tell them about the dog but ask the landlord not to mention your name.
Your neighbour does need to slow down. It is the drivers responsibility to drive at an appropriate speed and be able to stop and avoid all accidents.
I live in a similar cul de sac and people driving like this would not be welcome.
Can you have a friendly word with your neighbour about his driving?
I would ignore the staring through the windows though.

Have thought about a sign and kids off so will set them to it. They don't appear to be approachable but it's early days and cannot go on looks/attitude alone.

Or alternatively tell him to stop driving like a nob as he's a danger to children, even if they are only playing on the pavement, which he presumably has to cross in order to get on and off his driveway.

I know this is AIBU, so I shouldn't actually be surprised, but I honestly can't believe that people are making excuses for why people shouldn't be brought up for driving badly.

Twofurryones- your right, he just needs to be considerate.... Like the kids are when playing out....it's a shame to have to bring them inside because he can't slow it down a touch. To be fair, if he carries on he will end up inside his living room as his speed is so fast he struggles to stop just outside his living room window.

If it's a cul de sac, so a dead end, and got speed bumps too, then I don't see how he could be going very fast?

Reversing out..... He will be using his mirrors, how can you yell he isn't being careful?

Have other parents nearby noticed it too?

He just seems to put his foot down as soon as he can, he hits speed bumps at speed and as soon as corner turned his foot goes down again, not sure of speed but fast enough to hurt the kids.

I'm surprised at the people saying that the driver checks his mirrors. Don't you know about the blind spot? You can look in your mirrors all you like but you can't see everything from them.

I agree with everyone that your kids need to be road aware. But the driver also needs to stop driving quickly in the cul de sac, there is just no need for it.

The kids are very road aware and when a sensible driver enters cul de sac they stand on pavement and know when to respect road users... However there is a small window of opportunity for this loony driver to race round corner and to hit kids before they have even noticed.... On the cul de sac it's like an un written rule that the kids play and drivers are cautious. We have 4 teenage boys next door all with cars and their mates but they all respect our area. It's not rocket science that if there are houses there are kids!!!!