Kids playing chicken on my road.

[Midsommar]

I live on a cul de sac, and over the lockdown period the kids on the street are becoming progressively more mischievous. I get that kids are bored and want to play, but they have now started playing chicken in front of cars. One of the children is no more than 3 or 4 years old, running out in front of cars. The other day one of the boys in the group lifted up his metal scooter and was swinging it round in circles right next to someone's parked car (not that it matters but it was a shiny new Merc, they wouldn't have been happy coming out of their house to see their car dented!)
The problem with these kids is getting worse and I don't feel like there is anything I can do. I don't have children so I'm probably being unreasonable and will be told this is how kids pass the time. AIBU to feel annoyed at their behaviour?

Yanbu

Are they kids all from one family? I would personally find out if they rent or own, if rent raise it with the landlord

That’s awful and could end tragically. Can you speak to the parents at all?

YANBU, and I have a child who play out. If DD were doing something like this, I would like my neighbours to tell me so I could do something about it.

No they are from about 3 different families. I don't feel comfortable talking to the parents - in the time I've lived here they've had police called to their house on more than one occasion due to alleged DV. I feel like if I speak to the parents I will become a target.

@tywysoges would you not tell me to mind my own business?

@Midsommar, I wouldn’t, no - but I’m very community minded, and whilst I love the fact that my child is able to play outside because we’re in a quiet location with plenty of other children, I would hate it for her to be a nuisance to the neighbours or, even worse in this case, putting herself and other children in danger.

But I know exactly what you’re talking about and now I’m wondering if you live in my old street

@tywysoges if these neighbours were like you that would be wonderful. There have been a few people move from this street so maybe you did live here, haha. I don't really want to impose of the family (I only know where one of the children lives, the "ringleader" of the group) I'm just concerned that one day someone isn't going to see them and hit one of them.

terrifying.

We did it as kids but cars are different now to the 70s.

I certainly would not allow mine to do it.

No good advice, sorry. I wouldn't go near the parent’s, they will be aware. You don't learn to play chicken at school do you?

In today’s childcentric society the odds are clearly stacked in the favour of children & their entitled parents so screaming free range children & inconsiderate parents are now the norm…… as I type this (wearing noise cancelling headphones) there are hordes of feral screeching kids screaming at the top of their lungs for attention right outside my house & have been doing so for the past 7 hours……. None of the parents have asked them to quieten down…… this is ‘normal’ where I live – often happening at well past midnight.

The housing association put up a sign asking parents to stop their children playing on scooters & bikes in the main road and we all got letters - but, of course, both have been ignored & children continue to congregate in the area & dash out from behind cars into oncoming traffic.

Really no point in even communicating with the parents because they will think little “Bratleigh” is perfect in every way & an extension of themselves……they won’t even listen to you, I guarantee it.

Law of averages indicates that a child will be injured eventually but as you aren’t the parent there’s very little you can do?.....apart from clamp those noise cancelling headphones firmly in place?!!...

I would contact the police tbh if I saw children that age running in front of cars. There is no way I would get involved in talking to the kind of parent who thinks this is acceptable behaviour.

The fact that there’s a 3 or 4 year old playing out unsupervised or supervised by children says it all in my mind.

I'm not one for telling posters to call the police over the slightest thing but in this case I would. It's very dangerous and someone could get hurt or killed, not to mention the trauma the driver would go through.