Should residents be able to 'police' sections of their street?

[StreetStrife]

After just being shouted at by an incredibly rude and aggressive woman who barged out of her house to have a go at me for letting my dog wee on a patch of council owned grass at the end of her close I thought I would ask wise Mumsnetters their thoughts.

The woman who took it upon herself to police her street, and also, apparently, takes it upon herself to 'look after' this small patch of grass by planting a few geraniums in the middle, claims that because she looks after it and children play there sometimes I should not let my dog on it. Apparently my husband has "already been told not to use it" by her, so how dare I.

My thoughts are that children play in gardens and parks where dogs go all the time, that this is not her land, and that this is a convenient place for my dog to wee while we temporarily have no garden access due to building work. It is the closest bit of public grass we have, and I am currently injured and can't walk too far (although this is not a visible injury). My dog is prone to UTIs and likes to wee on grass rather than pavement, and often refuses to go if there is no grass. The next nearest patch of grass is an extra five minutes away.

This has reminded me of many incidents I've been involved in or heard of over the years, often to do with parking spaces on public highways but outside someone's house.

Should residents be able to 'police' the use of the streets directly in front of or around their home? I think no, so AIBU? If you are one of the people that think I am unreasonable I'd love to hear why, and if you do this on your street do people abide by your demands?

How ridiculous 😂

They don't need to collect the wee. Just walk their dogs in appropriate places when it's toilet time. Flower beds, park benches, peoples gates are examples of places dogs shouldn't be allowed to wee. It's not difficult. Just a little consideration needed.

Good idea.

Where do you all live that smells like dog piss all the time? I have literally never been to a park/walked past a patch of grass and thought “wow that smells like dog piss”.

Unfortunately some unknown person may come along in the dead of night and cut down the precious geraniums ...

This!

Near me there are some woods and there is a path through them.

As people walk their dogs into the woods at the first point of entry the dogs basically unload and the whole area stinks of dogshit and piss because a lot of owners don't clean it up because the dogs do it off track and in the woods and therefore it's "OK to leave it".

There is even a disposal bin with bags outside that particular point.

Fortunately no one really lives near that bit, it's across the road from where anyone lives.

I’m going to ask if you can shed any light on why some people decorate bushes with bags of dog poo? Or if anyone else can. Particularly when there’s a bin there for that purpose.

We get regular complaints about an area that stinks. It turned out to be a plant growing there. Very unassuming looking shrub, but it really does stink of dirt.

Not the drug dealers, rapists, groomers, abusers, racists, homophobes, antisemitics, Islamophobes, tax evaders, freeloaders or criminals.

No.

OP is everything wrong with this country. Because she walks her dog and lets it wee on land owned by the Council.

You couldn’t make it up 😂

Exactly!!

really? What you don’t find streams of piss revolting? Really? Oh come on. I’m sure you’d welcome a dog pissing on your front step, or your car wheel. I find it weird that dog owners don’t feel embarrassed to let their dogs piss anywhere and everywhere.

All manner, it’s not the fucking zoo 🙄

I doubt utOur council don't mow the nice flowers people plant on the grass outside their property. In fact it's hard enough to get them to do much mowing or weeding anywhere these days until residents have all sent in complaints

But OP's dog isn't peeing on 'Flower beds, park benches, peoples gates'.

I am aware. (Although I'm not entirely convinced the geraniums were unscathed). I did say "for example"...

But that’s the whole point. The dog is peeing on council owned land. Not a privately owned flowerbed or gate etc.

If it’s not illegal, no one’s wishes trump someone else’s on public land.

Lots of places are "council owned". You wouldn't take your dog to piss on the registry office or a museum would you? Just because it's public doesn't mean dogs must piss on it.
Plenty of places that aren't nicely maintained or children's play areas to choose from.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. A concept that seems to elude dog owners...

Dogs aren’t generally allowed in museums or registry offices so that’s a moot point.
It’s a grass verge, where plenty of wild animals with be shitting and pissing, not a designated playground.

The fact that someone has taken it upon themselves to
maintain a public space, doesn’t mean other members of the public can’t use it as they see fit.

I mean if it were the grass verge outside my house, I’d hate it if it were a place children congregated to play but I wouldn’t have the right to tell them to move on, would I?

I just think it's antisocial to deliberately take your pet (what wildlife may or may not do is irrelevant) to urinate on a nice space. There's no need for it. Take your pet somewhere else, or your own garden for toileting.
With the number of dogs around these days every single patch of grass has become a dog toilet. At least let other people enjoy the prettier, cleaner ones!

That is your opinion though.
Why does your opinion trump mine?

That’s my whole point. It’s not considered antisocial behaviour by law. You don’t know people’s circumstances. In this example, the poster clearly explains why she does what she does. Her neighbours wishes don’t trump that. The same as this poster’s wishes don’t trump her neighbours. So ultimately it comes down to whether it’s lawful, and it is.

There’s plenty of things that I think are annoying and antisocial in this world which are perfectly lawful things to do so I have to suck it up.

Both unreasonable, you for letting your dog pee on a cared for patch of grass and her for having a go at you. I think there are too many dogs everywhere now and hate that all the parks smell of dog wee - dog owners should teach their dogs to wee at home. If you don't have a garden you shouldn't have a dog.

Have you read the OP or the OP's updates?
No, thought not.

I don't think AIBU is the right board for you as you're not interested in hearing any opinions other than. "Ignore the old bat! Let your dog piss in front of her house as much as you like."

OP, some of us can actually read and comprehend. You are not being unreasonable. Your guardian of the geraniums is the unreasonable one.
I hope you building works are completed soon so you can go back to using your own property and not have to be subjected to her rants.