That this drives me insane???

[Flowers876]

New neighbours moved in about 8 or 9 months ago. Not particularly friendly, fine. They have a good size garden but for some reason they insist on putting a basketball net in the cul de sac. The constant sound of the ball being bounced drives me insane and its dangerous because you turn round the corner into the cul de sac and the kids are in the middle of the cul de sac playing with the basketball net and then you have to wait ages while they pick up all their cones and get out of the way so that you can park. After a 14 hour shift I just want to park so I can get into my house.

Everyone in the cul-de-sac has a garden why can’t they play there instead of the road which is for vehicles?
Playing in the road is potentially dangerous esp as the OP says that you can’t easily see into the road as you turn in.

What's a 'play area'? Are children only supposed to play in mandated 'play zones'?

It's a cul-de-sac anyway, not a through road.

Why are cars prioritised in public space? Just drive slowly, wait for them to move, and don't pretend it's some sort of faux concern for health and safety, that's up to them, not you. The long summer evenings are for a short time.

The 14 hours you are at work must be a blessing.

Er, because it's a ROAD. The concern for a child, literally playing in the traffic is quite valid.

Just bite the bullet and ask the parents to move it.
If they object, say you work in emergency services and are worried there will be an accident with a child if there is someone less cautious than you going round the corner e.g. delivery driver

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Join in. Maybe you will have fun and find it's a great way to relax after a stressful shift and long commute. Or the kids won't want to play with you and will take their ball indoors.

Quite unbelievable that you believe kids playing on a public road have more right to be there than a car. I'm pretty sure blocking off public roads with cones isn't allowed. But the entitlement is staggering.

The Highway Code changed in 2022 to give pedestrians - in any guise- priority over other road users, especially motorists.

Car drivers have no legal 'right' to be on the road. They have permission, granted by taxing and insuring their vehicle correctly and by being correctly qualified. Pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders do have the right.

So, no, not 'entitled' - legally correct. If the OP doesn't want to live somewhere where kids play I'd suggest moving to an A Road.

Are they hoping that other kids will come join in?

I think you're going to have to get used to it tbh.
It's a natural road calming measure, although I'd suggest that they played away from the junction or not right by your window.

It's good for the kids and it's wholesome. Its seasonal too and weather dependent so it's just kids playing

Drive (slowly) over the cones

Honk to get their attention

A very flimsy argument!
How about the public blocking off roads with cones?
Wonder what the Highway Code says about that?

Irritating, entitled and fuck everyone else.

There's a difference between kids being out playing, and putting up basketball hoops and blocking off roads with cones! It's a nuisance to OP because she has to stop and wait for them to move stuff. But I guess some people think that's ok.
How about playing in the back garden??

Have you tried telling them to get back on fortnite or social media like normal kids and stop trying to play basketball outdoors?

It's not a clear cut 'I can't play in the road and piss the neighbours off, so I'll have to go on the xbox'. Dear me.

I would understand if it encouraged all the children in the cul-de-sac to play together - as was the case in my old house - and I do like to see children playing however, the fact that its just that one family and the continuous ball bouncing with the basketball surely is noise pollution, worse than football. I try not to be a downer with things that would create resentment and possibly arguments with neighbours but I do see your point if they have placed it away from their own property. Do you know how your other neighbours feel about it?

😂 I would love to see what would happen if you joined in.. I once replaced a ball that a neighbours child had with a soft foam one and knocked on the door and gave it to the parent as the hard one was scuffing the cars (or my car) - very passive aggressive but it worked

Is it the parents or the kids putting out the cones? I can almost see why a parent might do it as in - "you can play in the street but you need to stay within this radius so I can check on you" type of thing. I can also see why they don't really want their garden to be 'the garden' every child from the street is in playing every day.

I live in an estate and there's kids out playing all the time, sometimes it's noisy but I think it comes down to your own bandwidth. I personally am glad to hear kids out playing and I think a ball is fine as long as it's not being kicked against the wall of your house. For me it's preferential to the likes of a droning sound like a running hot tub or someone power washing or doing diy. Are your windows open?

Yes it's frustrating you need to wait a few seconds but there's also nothing stopping you rolling down the window and asking them to move when you pull up. Or asking them to keep the cones on the pavement rather than the road itself. Or use 4 cones so you can drive through rather than lots of cones.

Honk the horn until a parent comes out. It's the cones and the non-immediate removal that seems to be the problem. If no child nearby just squash one with your car.

I read that as 'squash a child'.😁

Go slowly then beep your horn. Better they are playing basketball than other anti social activities.

gosh, it does look like that!!

Tell the parents to knock the cones on the head. If they want to have a line to show their offspring a limit beyond which they are not allowed, they can use chalk. Their children playing shouldn't inconvenience people who are trying to park their cars.