Pavement chalk - AIBU?

[HubbabubbaT]

I saw a lovely thing online about a sensory walk pavement trail for kids - hop like a bunny here, spin here, follow the dots, touch your toes, smile - that sort of thing ... Thought it would be a lovely idea to do outside our house for all the kids going for walks with their parents .. cheer the kids up a bit. Happened to mention to neighbour over the fence before I started... He said oh isn't that vandalism of the council's property??? - AIBU or would it be nice thing to do? I tried googling it but there doesn't seem to be any clear cut law against it as far as I can see..?? Just don't want to draw it all out and then have to wash it straight off if it's illegal! Just to confirm I tried the chalks on the patio and they wash straight off..

@Espee we all know that heathy people are allowed out periodically in lockdown. You know that don't you?

fallfallfall
we need to up our chalking game, ours look nowhere near as nice.

I am on it...

So, dog piss is fine but chalk is not...?

Correct!

It bloody well lowers the tone of the whole neighbourhood.

especially in the context of the pandemic? No, it really doesn't.

“Lowers the tone”

Fucking hell 😂 @Esspee do you model yourself on Hyacinth Bucket or something ? Where do you live that’s so bloody posh ? Let me know so I don’t accidentally buy a house there

The people saying 'but you're supposed to be staying in'... is it really much different to doing your 'daily exercise'?

most kids do it on their drive and in front of their own property, so they're as good as staying in.

It's different if you live in central London on a busy street obviously.

I have just seen a video of a police community officer following the chalk marks, hoping, jumping etc. So as long as it will come off in the rain I don't see a problem.

there is a family in Bristol who have used chalks to colour their entire house, brick by brick as a rainbow, and the front garden wall, it was on points west last night

It bloody well lowers the tone of the whole neighbourhood

Ffs, some people could suck the joy out of anything.

Your neighbour sounds like he has a screw loose, tbh. It's just chalk, and you're not planning to write or draw anything obscene or hateful. I can't imagine any but the grumpiest would be bothered by it.

It bloody well lowers the tone of the whole neighbourhood

Strongly agree.

I am an oldie, and love to see chalked out things on the pavements etc. It reminds me of my younger days. I would like to get some chalk now, and kneel down on the street pavement and do a work of art. I am only 78 ha ha, but that's ok !

Well, if its done well, it can look ok. Judging by some of the photos above, I'd be praying for some heavy rain ASAP.

It bloody well lowers the tone of the whole neighbourhood

you live in the wrong neighbourhood. If you had a big enough drive in a nice neighbourhood, you wouldn't be able to see any of the drawings from the houses around you. HTH

It bloody well lowers the tone of the whole neighbourhood

If a few chalk drawers on the pavement can have such a detrimental affect on the whole neighbourhood, I can't imagine the 'tone' of the neighbourhood is terribly high in the first place.

If person A goes for a 15 min walk or bike ride, person B chalks on their pavement for 15 mins... both people out for 15 mins, and stay home the rest of the time, what would be the difference?

if you are walking or cycling, you are constantly moving. If you are chalking on the pavement outside your house you are effectively blocking anyone else using the pavement as they can't use it and stay 2m away from you.

That means the only way 2 people can go in opposite directions past your house is for one to walk on the opposite pavement and for the other to walk in the middle of the road, which might not always be a safe option.
It's akin to the people who stop in the middle of supermarket aisles, thereby stopping anyone else getting past.

Well, if its done well, it can look ok. Judging by some of the photos above, I'd be praying for some heavy rain ASAP.

Get Banksy along to help out!

Spray paint = vandalism

Chalk = nice bit of fun.

Neighbour = tosser

Were their fond parents standing watching them do this?

I expect so and maybe even helped them! @Esspee you sound a nightmare neighbour!

Were their fond parents standing watching them do this?

I’ve certainly witnessed this and, interestingly, it was exactly the same mother who is happy for her children to dominate our local pub with their ‘charming’ exuberance. I suspect there is a fairly big correlation between the parents who are chalk advocates and the parents who allow their children to behave badly in shared public spaces.

@Srslydontgiveacrap

Awe. Thank you! My kids LOVED it!

So, dog piss is fine but chalk is not...?

Correct!

That says everything I need to know about you.

you are not really going to a walk if you are stopping and drawing on the pavement as you go. How is that different from stopping to sunbathe in the park?

FFS

I just don't want any social media shaming or passive-aggressive notes through the door saying 'It has been noticed that Ginny at Strupac Towers has not chalked and rainbowed this week'.

That means the only way 2 people can go in opposite directions past your house is for one to walk on the opposite pavement and for the other to walk in the middle of the road, which might not always be a safe option.

not everybody lives in a high traffic area