WIBU to actually put this bike in the bin?

[CrohnicallyHungry]

Bit of background- there are a bunch of 7-10 year old children who live right at the closed end of our cul de sac. We live half way down- around 8 houses away. We've had words a couple of times in the past as they play outside our house and have done things like pulling branches off trees and taking rubbish out of bins and leaving it on the floor. Each time we have been nice and just asked them not to and explained why. They also like to play football outside our house, we ask them to play outside their own house (so it's their parents' cars/windows that get hit, not ours!).

One of the children has a habit of just leaving his bike wherever he happens to get off it- usually on the pavement, behind parked cars, etc. However we came home to find it on our front garden. We have a small garden with no fence or anything around it (new build and we're not allowed to put up a fence), but it's clearly a personal garden not communal, as we keep it weeded and have planted bushes so it looks different to our neighbours'.

We picked the bike up off our garden and put it on the pavement next to our wheelie bin (due for collection). One of the other children saw and jumped on the bike and rode off shouting to his friend (the bike's owner). So we said something along the lines of 'Next time it goes in the bin!'

So WIBU to actually follow through with the threat if he leaves his bike on our property again?

Could you grow a hedge if you're not allowed a fence?

wow, some perspective called for here! YABU for intending to put a childs bike in the bin if he leaves it on you grass again. why do you not have a hedge or fence if the grass is so precious?

Sorry not helpful. No I wouldn't throw the bike in the bin unless you want a lot of drama... But I can understand your frustration.

I don't think so, the layer of soil is thin and poor quality, the concrete from the path and pavement spills over into the garden a lot too.

That was to nunya's first post.

surro firstly, it's not even grass. Secondly, I explained why I don't have a fence. Thirdly, shouldn't I be able to expect people to stay off my private property (unless invited) without a physical barrier such as a fence?

I'd fantasise about binning it too, tbh. I wouldn't actually do it, of course, but this child sounds like a PITA with no respect for elders. Sorry for not being helpful, but I do sympathise.

Of course, I know I WBU to actually do it (for a start it wouldn't fit) but doesn't fantasising about it make you feel so much better?

I actually feel pretty sorry for the kid, he's clearly never been taught how to behave appropriately and he's never supervised playing out in the road, so it's not his fault he's such a PITA.

Well, you could do it if you fancy getting arrested for theft. Not sure you have the right to dictate which bit of the road they play in, either.

Look there are better ways to deal. My Mum had similar so she strategically planted and used some big boulder-like stones to "spoil" the area the kids were returning to....they just went elsewhere.

Oh and she was ALWAYS nice to the kids. She greeted them "Hello!" with a smile and then once they'd returned the greeting she'd say "Can you play somewhere else please kids, I've got to go to sleep now because I've been on nights" and they always went. They respond to polite friendliness. Some of them used to come and stand and chat after than while she gardened.

Could you put it in your back garden and tell the children you want to speak to their parents before giving it back? Or even better just go down and speak to them before it happens again.

Not nit picking, but do you own/rent that peace of land.

I put a fence across my drive and the bloody kids still think its ok to come on!!
They climb my trees and run off when i go out to tell them to leave my property but after a few days they are back again.

Funny thing is at the end of the street are 2 huge playing fields...

I understand your frustration.

Why not try being nice.

And politeness got me absolutely no where!

ici we haven't dictated to them where to play, we've asked them (nicely) to please stop kicking the ball near our cars as we were worried about the cars getting damaged. And we only said that after one of them did kick a ball into one of the cars.

mrsw I do smile and say hello to them and speak to them politely. They do respond at the time, but next time I see them they are either at it again, or doing something else equally as annoying.

Yes icanseethesun I am referring to the piece of land between my house and the pavement that is outlined in the title deeds to the house.

www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Timber-Border-Edging-150mmx1m/p/158379

Could you put that around, I know you said you can't put fencing up but would you be able to put this around.

What would happen if you did put fencing up on your land.

Just remembered something else they did... minesapintoftea reminded me. They went down the back alley to my house (which is private access and only I and my direct neighbours have right of way over) and opened my back gate. Not sure why they did that- but it goes to show a fence wouldn't necessarily make any difference.

Anyway, unfortunately for them my dog was loose in the back garden and chased after them! Never seen a bunch of kids run so fast! The really funny thing is that he was a Jack Russell so they were running from a 12" high dog.

icanseethesun a neighbour put edging like that up and it was knocked over/ripped up pretty quickly. If I did put a fence up then I guess I would be instructed to remove it as soon as the company noticed, which would be next time they came to tend the communal areas.

I guess I'll just console myself with knowing that I'll be moving soon, and it will be someone else's problem!

Good luck with the move.

At least the end is in sight.

you can take it to the police if you dont know whose bike it is (genuinely). i have done this. even better, it becomes your property if they dont claim it (but that would be mean!)

Why don't you just have a polite word with the parents? Just tell them you nearly ran over the bike as it had been left on your drive and mention you have asked the kids nicely many times to leave things in your garden and your bin alone and while you appreciate that the children need somewhere to play, you would like them to respect your property and that includes kicking their football somewhere away from your cars and windows.

I once came home to find two of the children on our street - one lived next door, the other a few doors up (I knew them both to speak to by name and their parents) - playing together taking 'onions' out of my garden. It was Summer and they were digging bulbs out of the border with their hands by reaching over the wall. I asked them to stop, told them they should not be doing that as it was my property and they were my things and asked what they'd done with the ones they'd already had out. Turned out they'd dumped them in the gutter. I was livid and spoke to both sets of parents who dealt with the kids. I got an apology from both children. I replanted the bulbs and never had an issue with them again.

Padlock it to the fence?

merci that sounds like a good plan! Can't be accused of doing anything wrong, yet hopefully would encourage the child to look after their things and think twice about dumping stuff on our doorstep.

wow I'm scared of his mum, she looks like she could and would eat me for breakfast. Maybe appearances are deceiving, but I don't think so seeing as whenever I see her she's effing and blinding about something or other. She's the kind of parent that sends him to play outside our house so that they're not bothering her with their noise/risking damaging their car etc.

Thankfully, the worst offending child moved out some time ago. We saw her putting things down the pumping station pipe (- obviously if she had blocked it it could have had disastrous consequences, so we asked her nicely not to. The next day we saw one of our cars had been keyed. We had no proof, but did mention it to the local police as it was too much of a coincidence to dismiss.

andrew I don't have a fence!