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.

Streets are not for parking. Just because you can do it doesn't mean that is it's purpose.

Is it okay to play football in any street/road as they are a public space for everyone?

Being brought up to respect other people’s property I’d say is the important thing.

If they aren't in use, yes.

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea what if there are parking bays on them or notices about parking?

You should be able to park your car where you want, without having it damaged. I would be fuming. You've asked politely, now it might be time to give a warning about criminal damage. The behaviour is unacceptable.

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea what constitutes not in use?

I should add, it won't be classed as criminal damage but the threat might put a stop to it.

If there are parking bays then yes, that's the purpose of the space.

No vehicles driving on it.

The space in front of our house has a marked disabled parking bay.

Oh I wish someone invented some kind of signal to say you can't park on a road then
Something simple like a yellow line or something ???

So if your car is legally parked in a designated parking bay, then of course the kids should not be entering that space or trying to use it for anything other than parking.

If you do nothing, you are saying that you are happy for a family next door to a school to be using illegal drugs.

So what, you believe a streets main purpose is to park your car?

Lazy parenting. Take them up the park. Why should they be allowed to damage property? Teach them respect for others. This issue with kicking footballs is huge. Most people don’t want to hear the bang, bang, bang of a ball hitting fences etc.

Ah, you're one of those. The kind who think kid's needs trump everyone elses. Sod other people.

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea do you think the main purpose of a street is a playground?

Kids needs SHOULD NOT trump everyone else

There's being a mug and there's this.

Nope just one purpose of it
Do you struggle elsewhere in your life ? It's just that I don't really feel up to explaining anymore why it's unsafe/irresponsible/dangerous to play football in a road where cars are legally allowed to drive and park

No I've clearly said it's for traffic. That's what it's for. Just because you can park on a street doesn't mean that's why it's there. Unless it had clear parking bays/lines, it's for traffic.

Growl: “if your ball hits my car one more time, I will end you. Go and play somewhere else. ^Now.”

hard stare

What are you on about? Why are you trying to make this personal?

I've said that I feel OPs frustrations. But wanting to park somewhere doesn't give you more right to that space than other people.

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea again
it's not a playground
It's for traffic