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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Snow on cars

215 replies

PerfectlyPortioned · 08/02/2021 11:04

We live next door to a playground that's covered in thick snow this morning. Lots of kids playing in it. A mother was standing watching her kids scraping all the snow off our 2 cars to make snowballs (parked in our drive which is open to the road) and I asked her (perfectly nicely) not to incase the cars get scratched. She looked at me like I was totally mad. Didn't want to be a killjoy but they are new cars (and on our drive).... I genuinely don't think I would let my kids do that....

WIBU?

OP posts:

LindaEllen · 08/02/2021 11:57

YANBU. They shouldn't be going onto your drive for any reason, it's trespass and they should be taught this.

Also the cars could be damaged by zips, toggles from coats etc, or even from little bits of grit in the snow they're scraping off.

BarbaraofSeville · 08/02/2021 11:57

YANBU, that's definitely crossing a line.

I'm far from precious about cars, but no way should DC be allowed to take snow off someone else's car or go in their garden without permission.

Cars could get scratched, and many people have company cars or lease contracts that mean that any scratches must be repaired which costs £££s.

Plus if the DC tripped or slipped it's likely the parents would be complaining to the homeowner.

SummerBlondey · 08/02/2021 11:58

No metal tools - but I asked her to stop them when I could hear one of their zips hitting the car as they had their coats open and were repeatedly stretching across the bonnet

This was my first thought! I have a new car (new to me, not brand new), and it has no dents in it, I would not be happy for kids to be scraping the windows and leaning on the bonnet, with scratchy zips on coats etc. I'd be livid actually!

Inthevirtualwaitingroom · 08/02/2021 11:58

As a teenager i got in big trouble writing in the dirt on someone's car.

Batshitkerazy · 08/02/2021 11:59

Not so bad if the car was packed on the road, but very cheeky to actually walk onto your drive

tttigress · 08/02/2021 12:02

Sounds a bit like the debate about feeding horses.

People who may be fairly normal in most circumstances get upset when told not to feed horses, scrap snow off other peoples cars etc.

Just shows how thick some people are tbh

TakeTheCuntOutOfScunthorpe · 08/02/2021 12:03

YANBU. Parents shouldn't teach their kids that it's ok to touch property that doesn't belong to them. I wouldn't allow them to touch someone else's car, especially if it's not on the public road. No more than I'd rest my coffee cup on someone's parked car. It's just rude.

knittingaddict · 08/02/2021 12:04

I wouldn't like it either op and I wouldn't let my grandchildren do this to other people's cars. If that's being a grumpy old bag, then so be it.

Notapheasantplucker · 08/02/2021 12:04

Yanbu.

AndreaMartelsCoat · 08/02/2021 12:04

@Batshitkerazy

Not so bad if the car was packed on the road, but very cheeky to actually walk onto your drive

No that's still unacceptable. Children need to be taught that they don't touch other people's property full stop.

lovemelongtime · 08/02/2021 12:05

You could hear the zips touching the car ????? how close to them were you? talk about a kill joy, really dont think they can hurt your car doing this.

Original poster

PerfectlyPortioned · 08/02/2021 12:06

Well I'm glad that not everyone thinks I am a complete grinch - I have primary aged children so I understand how exciting snow is (we were getting ready to play in it ourselves ).

We have lived by the playground for a few years so are used to kids coming and going past our house but coming face to face with 3 in my driveway draped over my cars was a first!

OP posts:

ThatsNotTheTeaHunty · 08/02/2021 12:06

I think it's very rude that they came onto your drive and touched your car anyway. I'd never let my child do that. My brother works with cars and absolutely hates when people take snow off his cars because it does indeed scratch them especially when you don't know what the other person has on their hands/ coats. OP YANBU.

Elai1978 · 08/02/2021 12:07

YANBU! You don’t touch other people’s property!

Original poster

PerfectlyPortioned · 08/02/2021 12:08

@lovemelongtime

You could hear the zips touching the car ????? how close to them were you? talk about a kill joy, really dont think they can hurt your car doing this.

I was coming out the back door with my DD and they were almost on my door step, so pretty close!

OP posts:

Berlioz23 · 08/02/2021 12:10

YANBU, are kids not taught not to touch anymore? I don’t think you’re being precious at all, you’re taking care of a car, it’s refreshing after the amount of people I see who drive round with scratches and dents. You’re taking pride in your property, nothing wrong with that.

Ace1185 · 08/02/2021 12:11

Regardless if your car is on the street or the drive it shouldn't be touched! That is private property. My son is told he does NOT touch others cars or play around them

MintyMabel · 08/02/2021 12:12

Your cars will be way more scratched by just driving down the road than from someone taking snow off them.

I'd have been pissed off that kids came on to my drive to do anything, but wouldn't have been worried that my car was scratched. They should be taught boundaries.

pistachioglace · 08/02/2021 12:14

If it was on the road it's fine but if they dared to be the first people to walk on the fresh snow on my drive I'd have their guts for garters - my drive, my snow and I want to be the first person to walk on it

Sparklingbrook · 08/02/2021 12:14

Your cars will be way more scratched by just driving down the road than from someone taking snow off them

Interesting.

Original poster

PerfectlyPortioned · 08/02/2021 12:18

@pistachioglace

They had also run all over my (fenced) front garden - my DD is much more upset about that as it was "her snow" and it's my fault as I was too slow getting out this morning.....but I needed my coffee

OP posts:

AndreaMartelsCoat · 08/02/2021 12:18

Your cars will be way more scratched by just driving down the road than from someone taking snow off them.

That's completely missing the point. The reason we have so many entitled people around these days is because parents are not setting boundaries, a car belongs to someone and a child has no automatic right to touch that car just because there is snow on it.

Poppins2016 · 08/02/2021 12:19

I don't think you're being unreaaomable. I ask my 2.5 year old not to touch other people's cars when we're walking past (on road parking) and he knows not to go into other people's driveways/front gardens.

Xenia · 08/02/2021 12:21

They trespassed on to your land. I wonder if she would like you to tramp into her garden unannounced!
Also potential criminal damage. Put the car engines on and melt it all.

Covert19 · 08/02/2021 12:22

I taught my children (one of whom is mad about cars and always trying to stroke them) that you never touch another person's car. That would include for snow-removal purposes. YANBU to want other people's children to keep off your driveway and off your car. A car is an expensive piece of property, and for some people, a source of pride and joy - children need to be taught to respect that.

I remember in one place we lived some local children were having a stone-fight with the gravel off one of the driveways, and using our car as a shield to hide behind. I went out and asked them not to do this. They stopped but the next time I went outside, "somebody" had drawn a big scary spider on my driveway with chalk. It was kind of cute. I really didn't want to be THAT neighbour, but I really really didn't want my car damaged by stones.

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