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.

It’s not about the car. It’s about entitlement and lack of respect. If the car wasn’t there the ball would be hitting windows, doors and fences.

Errrr no! Cars cost a lot of money, children shouldn't be playing football in a way that it hits cars. They can play in lots of places away from peoples cars.

Would you say a child has a right to play in front of their house if their house went straight on to a main road? I have never seen the road in front of my house as a playground, I have seen it as a road and told DS to treat it as any other road using road safety techniques that I taught him, even if it is a quiet road.

I imagine those dismissively saying the kids are more important than the car would change their minds if it were their own property.

So easy to be generous and laidback with other people’s stuff, innit. Selfish.

Its fairly simple , the OP tells the kids to play in front of their own house , if the ball damages the car and she has the CCTV evidence she asks the parents to pay / gets police involved . Really no need to turn it into a drama . Where I live kids do not play in the street because the area has been designed with green areas and play areas but there are plenty of places where children do play out .

I am op.

I spoke to the parent again and told her my concerns. She seemed to understand. Seemed surprisingly educated and intelligent considering she had been sitting watching her kids bounce balls off cars.

Anyway, I moved CCTV for better angle and if damage occurs I will seek compensation.

I have always had the car out of garage during summer months since 2008. Previous neighbours have understood the stupidity of playing balls on a dangerous road. I have chased straying kids because there are parks and a school to play in. The school is left open for kids to play in.

It was an interesting thread and I am glad the vote was in my favour. But the posts arguing in favour of kids playing in the road make me think the world has gone to shit.

I’m not sure kids playing in the road is the sign of any change.
Ever heard of kerby?

Children should not be kicking a ball and hitting cars. Repairs are v expensive.
They should go to the park to play football.
I hope you wouldn't mind them damaging your car with a ball then.

Take your pick

Op, you're right, the world has definitely gone to shit, pretty sure kids playing in streets are not the cause though

They sound like the sort of neighbours who would smash your car up if they found out you'd spoken to the pcso...

There aren't many people saying kids should be playing ball games on roads, it's more that it isn't your road to make rules for and if you don't want the public to use the space around your car, then you need to store your car in a private place or accept that things will happen that are outside of your control

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea there are quite a few posters on here saying the children have a right to play on the road

We all have a right to use the road, it's a piece of land. Drivers do not own it.

@Sigmama so would you play football on an A road or a motorway as drivers don’t own it?

Yes, kids should definitely stop playing outside and just sit inside all the time because the streets are literally filled with cars. Protect the metal.

Car owners also have a right to park their cars without footballs bouncing off them, through inconsiderate parenting. I'm not sure why you use the collective term "we" when you are putting children's games above adults paying extortionate car insurance, including excess, when they have to make a claim.

Grow up and stop deliberately trying to skew the OP's position.

Do you need a wet flannel and a lie down?

Toomuchlaundry, this conversation is about residential streets, no?

Artycrafts, surely the rest of us have the right to live without inconsiderate car use, why do drivers needs trump non drivers needs?

I'm off to bed. Continue your silly game on your own.

Kids playing in the road is ridiculously chavvy, gardens & parks are for play.

Don't know about kids playing being 'chavvy' but owning multiple old cars is not exactly classy

The kids from down the road constantly play football outside mine while I am at work despite having gardens and a park close by. As soon I come home I ask them to move in front of their own homes ( after I have moved all the abandoned bikes, scooters and toys so I can park ) . There is no off road parking or garage. On bin day I also pick up all the drinks bottles and cans and sweet wrappers they drop. Children should be taught to respect their environment and other people’s property.