Neighbours young kids playing football in front of house.

[jimjam2313w]

The kids are young. Like 8 years or less. They aren't really playing football, just bouncing the ball around. I heard them screaming and shouting and looked at CCTV to see the ball bouncing off our two cars. One is my classic and fragile 1977 classic.

I go out to tell the kids not to bounce the balls off the cars and (to my almost surprise) I find that neighbour mum and visiting mum are sitting there watching this. I explain that I'm concerned about my old car being damaged because it is fragile. Visiting mum reassures me that the children are being watched and that "we don't want any damage to happen either".

Anyway, I keep the cctv on as we are watching our movie and the ball once again hits out car. I go outside and both parents are gone. So I tell the children they should not be hitting my car with the ball.

What more do I do? Sometimes the responses here surprise me so I am reluctant to say that I would like to warn the neighbour one more time then speak to the community police officer. Neighbours new friends seem to smoke weed ALL THE TIME and community police officer will obviously smell this right away if they come along. I don't want that to happen. I just don't want to have football marks on my cars OR the mirrors broken off my classic.

I can’t see the diagram!!!

Are you saying they are bouncing balls that end up hitting cars on your private driveway? Or are you actually leaving a classic car parked on the road?

What difference does it make? No one should be bouncing balls off any cars regardless of if it’s a classic car or if it’s parked on a public road

Kids being able to play is more important than a car. If they're doing it deliberately, that's different but if it's on the road, shit happens.

Someone with a classic car near me (terraces streets) has a cloth cover that goes all the way over his classic old car. Footballs wouldn't damage it though that.

I feel your pain. I've had to shout out the window to kids playing outside, they threw a rugby ball hitting one of the cars. They apologised and soon left. Keep telling them and hopefully they will bugger off. If not ask them if they will be paying for any damage.

Are your cars parked on the road, if they are you takes your chances a bit.

If they're privately parked, try and have another chat before getting the PCSO involved.

Bullshit. Kids should play in an appropriate place to play.

Would you let them play football in your living room? Them being able to play is more important than the TV and lamps.

We literally live beside the primary school. The kids usually play in there. I've kept my classic parked out front in the summer since 2008.

This is madness! Kids need to be taught to respect their surroundings and other people's property. It makes no difference if the car is parked on the road, the kids should not be hitting any cars with their football.

There's no 'letting' if it's on a public road rather than someone's private property, though?

I'd take kids playing in the street over protecting old lumps of metal any day - 2 cars taking up road space?

It makes no difference what kind of car it is.

The football shouldn't be hitting other people's property.

I Park my car on the road outside my house. Kids play outside all the time and occasionally my car gets hit by balls. They don't do it deliberately and it's never done any damage. It happens - I think it's just something you have to accept if you park your car on the road.

This

no one should be careless enough to repeatedly risk damaging anything. Cars, plants, pots, windows.

Your 'classic car' is a ridiculous relic of a bygone and very damaging age

Rent a garage

Separate the issues.

You have a car you're afraid of getting damaged. Don't park it on a public place. Look to move it to secure storage, under cover etc - if it's that fragile, you need to keep it safe.

Kids hitting cars with a ball. What weight is the ball? A big heavy leather football is very different from a light kiddies plastic ball.

Adults smoking pot. Not illegal I'm afraid, as unpleasant as it is when you're not a smoker of it. I'm subjected to it all bloody day by one set of neighbours - literally 6.30am to midnight so you have my sympathies.

I think your going to have to find somewhere else for the summer for your classic.
I know it’s a pain when your just popping to the shops and fancy taking it.
Push too hard and there’s a risk your escalating it and it becomes a target.

And in the real world most people would be upset about kids using their car as a football goal.

I roll my eyes at my neighbour complaining about kids playing or even just sitting chatting on the grassy area outside our houses... but they don't go near the cars.

People complain about kids being on screens all the time and it’s wasn’t like that when we were young.
But when they do all the things we used to do people complain about that too.

Smoking pot is illegal! Just because the police turn a blind eye doesn't make it legal.

Really?

Yeah - call the police on the 8 year olds ‘damaging’ the classic car parked on the road.

I am wondering how much damage could be done?

The polarising replies are really interesting.

I would not have dreamt of letting my son play outside on the road.

Number 1? There are three people who drive into the little cul de sac WAY TOO FAST and he might have gotten hit.

Number 2? The school is right behind our house. It has loads of playing area. I always took him in there with his balls, radio controlled cars, bikes, go-karts etc.

Number 3?: Damage to property and respecting other people's property.

Seems unnecessarily harsh. Do you view the items in museums the same way? This one just happens to still be used to its purpose.
we all have our “things”. I’m sure we could find ways to pick on yours. Ops is obviously her cars.

“Kids being able to play is more important than a car. “

Unfortunately this is the attitude you’ll get. Kids shouldn’t be playing on the bloody road anyway. Let alone hitting ANY car repeatedly with their bloody football!!

I know. I’m so confused.

it’s not ok. It does damage cars. New ones, old ones. It’s an unnecessary risk