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AIBU?

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Original poster

Little kids chalking on pavement - is this vandalism?!

170 replies

Karlwho · 16/04/2019 17:24

Kids and their pals are out on the green in front of my house playing. Eldest kids in the group are eight, youngest is six. We live in a quiet little close, I'm hovering around front porch/livingroom window keeping an eye on them (but I'm not out every minute 'what you doing?!' If you get what I mean). Basically i can see them.
Anyway, my kids have got a big buc ket of pavement chalk, the gang aredoodl ing all over my path and house (looks fabulous, budding artists), and they then venture onto the PUBLIC path outside the garden.
Neighbour opposite comes to my door 'I don't know why your children are drawing over my path'. I went and checked that they weren't on HER path, and to make sure they werent drawing the poo emoji/getting creative with curse words etc. They were drawing flowers and boxes. Not in her property. On pathways.
Have I missed something?! Is this not allowed? she was at my door for a good ten minutes going on, and then went to the group of kids to tell them to stay over on 'my side' and not to go near her home.
dont really know if this is an aibu lol

OP posts:
groovergirl · 17/04/2019 03:56

So nice that kids are outside being active and artistic Grin

I love seeing chalk hopscotches and drawings on the footpaths. Our local school used chalk messages to guide people to the school fete. It was a big hit.

OwlBeThere · 17/04/2019 04:04

when i was about 5, my older brother and couple of friends in the street were doing this on the paths outside our houses, our bext door neighbour took exception and screamed at us to stop 'fucking the place up'.so we moved into our back garden to do it on the patio there.
she appeared about 5 mins later with a washing up bowl full of water and threw it at us. except it was boiling hot water and went all over my brothers legs and my back.
mental bitch.

tinnitusqueen · 17/04/2019 04:48

I hope she calls the police.

They'll enjoy the giggle Smile

PregnantSea · 17/04/2019 06:29

I'm guessing that the local teenagers throw eggs at her house on Halloween. What a miserable old bag.

Just smile and nod and then shut the door in her face.

Ferii · 17/04/2019 06:37

You're not unreasonable. What a kill joy that woman is. Chalking on pavements is fun and it brightens the place off, it washes off so where's the harm. Where I live I see adults doing it too. There's a house down a few streets from me that leaves chalk out in a basket and once a week they write a question and everyone answers it. Last week's question was "What's your super power", people wrote the most beautiful, heartfelt things about themselves as well as some funny stuff.

Spidey66 · 17/04/2019 06:41

Ffs it's chalk, not spray paint. It'll come off in the rain.

JuniorAsparagus · 17/04/2019 06:44

Chalk is fine. Presumably she is too young to have played hopscotch on the pavement.

glueandstick · 17/04/2019 08:14

Right. You’ve all made me decide to do some chalk drawing today with the kids. And I won’t even wash it off.

Moominfan · 17/04/2019 08:16

It's lovely. Bet the old battle axe complains about kids no matter that they do. Ignore op

kalopali · 17/04/2019 08:22

Technically criminal damage but you’d hope common sense would prevail.

gingerbiscuits · 17/04/2019 11:24

My friends & I were forever chalking on the pavements in our street when we were kids - patterns, pictures & hopscotch! Not even the grumpiest neighbours complained! Ignore her - it's not a crime. Grin

WhoKnewBeefStew · 17/04/2019 11:27

It’s lovely.

I’d much rather see kids doing that than being on phones or tablets

OffToBedhampton · 17/04/2019 11:40

Go out after dark and write 'killjoy' on her path...

Unless her name is Joy of course. That would be going too far.

😂😂😂😂GrinGrinGrin

GrandTheftWalrus · 17/04/2019 11:42

On a big box of chalks in morrisons it says they are for drawing on pavements.

But I also echo the drawing a cock and balls.

LadyRannaldini · 17/04/2019 11:45

My children, now in their 40s, were fascinated when their grandmother and great Aunt chalked a hop scotch grid on the drive and taught them how to play!

katseyes7 · 17/04/2019 11:47

l'm 60 and we used to draw on the pavements with chalk! She's being a misery.

Original poster
Karlwho · 17/04/2019 12:04

It's really sunny here, and my youngest doesn't want to go out 'front' and play today. Just wants to stay in backgarden. It's a shame, one of their buddies went in yesterday after 'being told off' Sad yesterday's artwork has washed away, no traces of graffiti can be seen :p

OP posts:
Neptunesgiraffe · 17/04/2019 12:05

Write DO NOT CHALK HERE in large letters across the pavement outside her house.

Neptunesgiraffe · 17/04/2019 12:05

In chalk, of course.

Original poster
Karlwho · 17/04/2019 12:11

Lol haha

OP posts:
Tonightstheteriyakichicken · 17/04/2019 12:14

What a shame, harmless fun. Some people forget what it was like to be a child.

Whatnotea · 17/04/2019 12:16

Actually, I would be a bit pissed if your children & their friends were doodling on the pavement outside my house. Buy them a chalk board.
I hope you will be out there cleaning it up when they have finished - or get them to do it.

Original poster
Karlwho · 17/04/2019 12:21

Whatnotea are you serious? I can tell you'd be pissed, you sound wound up in the post.
I had no idea so many people would find chalking so irritating.

OP posts:
Vulpine · 17/04/2019 12:22

You're a barrel of laughs ain't you?

Vulpine · 17/04/2019 12:28

I'd rather see chalk than dog shit or piss or fag butts

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