I live in quite a remote place - not far from a village but really tucked away. Nobody knows we're here, delivery drivers never find us, ambulance couldn't find us one time(!) etc. It's down a private dirt track and there are three houses together (one ours), and then further down the track there's a farm and a house next to the farm.
A few months ago, I was walking down the dirt track back to the house, with my baby on my back in a carrier and my little boy pedalling (with stabilisers) his bike. Suddenly I hear a car horn honking and look up to see a car heading towards us, still a good distance away. First thought is to get organised and in to the side but then realise he's continuing to charge straight at us (there's a 5mph sign but it's not legally enforceable as private land, but he must have been doing around 40 mph I reckon). I just had time to pick up my son's bike, with him still on it, throw it into the hedge and then jump in after it as the 4 x 4 vehicle swept past us. I was shaking and very, very angry. I wanted to jump in the car and go down and yell at him (he drove on down to farm) but my husband (who I saw when I got home) said perhaps they were having an emergency.
Then a few weeks later I spoke to the lady who lives in the house next to his, and she said he's always driving like that up and down the track, but more than that, that he's making their life really hard - he's their landlord and has done things like cut off their water, install a camera overlooking their house, plant a yew hedge around where they keep their horses (apparently poisonous), threatened to kill her husband, and walks through their yard with a shotgun - unbroken - all the time. She was in the process of putting in a complaint about him and she then came to my door a few days later and asked me to do the same as the police said it would strengthen her case.
I thought about it, and decided not to. I live, as I said, in a remote location. The police would caution him - at best. I don't think it would change anything as he has a reputation for being very arrogant - and let's face it, the police aren't going to be here day in day out, and I would then have made an enemy. I am at home on my own most of the time with two very small children and local opinion has it that he's very arrogant, a bit mad (and he has guns). In addition to this, his wife is a recently retired cop, so any kind of police caution may not have the same effect if they know the guy and his wife. Right now, he has no idea who I am or where I live (apparently he objects to people walking down the track as it's private land so probably didn't realise I live here). It has meant that I don't walk down there with my kids, which is a shame, and I do also feel a little anxious I may meet him on the corner of the track when driving, going at speed, but I haven't seen him driving like that again so far (have passed him a few times).
Today she cornered hubby and said the police had told her I had not made a complaint. Hubby explained that I do not feel there is any point and have to think first and foremost of my own and the children's safety, and do not want our lovely life to turn into one of fear of a neighbour. She was very, VERY annoyed with us for not complaining and supporting her. We don't really know her but she seems perfectly nice.
AIBU not to complain?