To call the police on this family?

[catofdoom]

I live on a dirt road. It's single track and very windy. This particular part has a sheer drop off to the ocean.

Driving home with ds yesterday afternoon and out of nowhere two kids (between 10 and 12 I think) jump out at me and start pelting my car with water balloons. Trying to get them through the driver's window. (Luckily they didn't.)

They are my next door neighbours. They're only here for a month in the summer though.

It scared the absolute shit out of me. How I didn't crash in to a tree or go off the road I don't know.

I stopped and told them what a horrible thing to do it was and how dangerous it could have been. They laughed at me and ran off.

I drove home, turned around and drove back to go and speak to their parents (I'd seen the car home.)

Coming back they did it again!

I carried on past their house to go and sit further up the road and have a think. DH then came home and they did it to him too! He got out of the car and they ran off, their Mother was outside, dh told her what they'd been doing and she walked off and slammed the door in his face.

Turns out they did it to my brother in law the day before. They've been sat by the road with a big bucket of water balloons for a couple of days. Their Mother must have know, the only windows of the house and the porch look down at the road.

Anyway, so since we've had no apology. If it were my son I'd have marched him round there furious to apologise.

I want to lodge a complaint with the police (I've already spoken to the local policeman but he's not on duty until tomorrow night.) DH thinks we shouldn't stir things up. I think they could do with a talking to, I'm annoyed their parents clearly don't give a shit. Plus, if it happens again they could cause a nasty accident.

So I guess it's more of a - what would you do?

Also, we're in the States in an extremely low crime area (one burglary in 10 years) so I won't be wasting police time, they'd actually be thrilled to have something to do rather than sit on the side of the road trying to catch speeders.

Funny about the waving . With the funeral do you want to go or feel that you should. There's a difference if you feel it is a duty rather than something your heart dictates then I believe your friend would have said save the money, you don't need a funeral to say goodbye to me. However if you feel that you will not rest easy without going to the funeral then go. I've been to enough funerals to regard them as a cathartic event rather than where I say goodbye to my loved one. Hugs

I was in a position of financially not being able to attend the funeral of someone I cared a great deal about.

I went off on my own at the time of the funeral to a quiet place I loved near the ocean and sat quietly for a couple of hours just remembering good times past and feeling the love & friendship we had for each other. I felt so much comfort and felt so close to her.

If you decide it isn't feasible to go, I know there are probably lots of beautiful yet quiet places on your island where you can do the same.

Thank you @AcrossthePond55 @Pashazade I've decided not to go. Another very close friend has really pushed me out over the whole thing and I actually feel going to the funeral will be upsetting enough, without having to deal with some weird grief competition. So I'm grieving for two lost friendships now. It's all a bit weird.

I had dinner with sister and brother in law last night who said that the kids had actually jumped right in front of his truck screaming then pelted him with balloons. God knows how he didn't go off the road. Very glad I called now.

Apparently they've been keeping an extremely low profile.

I'm so sorry about your other friend. Yes, competitive grief is horrible. I haven't experienced it, but I've seen it second-hand and it was so hard on the person who felt their grief was being discounted and that she was being marginalized.

Have the dingbat neighbours returned to Kentucky?
If so, I trust Operation Honey Window is a go.

@AcrossthePond55 it's really dreadful. Not what you need when things are upsetting enough. Another of our close friends died a few years back and she did the same then too.

@Weezol no! They'll stay until the kids go back to school and having just had a look that appears to be the first or second week of August!!

@catofdoom That's for sure! But you've got her number now and hopefully you won't be having to deal with her any time soon.