To be annoyed that DS's teachers are

[chiefcook]

telling them to stop people they see dropping litter and telling them to pick it up?

I have told him that this is ok within school, but when we are out of school, some people might get nasty if he tried to tell them off.

I can just imagine getting lamped by a smackhead in town!!

YADNBU. Is the teacher mad?

I'd send a note in immediately pointing out the obvious dangers. It's not unknown to get stabbed for "looking at someone wrong", heaven knows what telling people to pick up their litter would provoke.

maybe the teacher just meant friends and family

I'm always going "excuse me but you've dropped something" and then flashing their confused/embarrassed faces a big smile. Most times they pick it up. I wouldn't have a problem with DD saying the same thing as long as she was polite - why live life in a place of fear?

But my OH & friends tell me not to as someone will stab me one day. It just never occurs to me to even think this way.

I shout at cyclists who cycle through green men too ESP if I am with DD - but I must admit I do manage to bite my tounge and not shout at the ones who are all crazy eyed etc and most likely crack dealers on wheels (after OH begged me to stop I conceded this point - I'll stop hassling the crazyeyedcrackdealers). To them I simply tut.

It's annoying dangerous behaviour & much more effective to let them know their actions are frowned upon & publically shame them, than just tut on MN about it. Sometimes direct action is necessary. And I am a cyclist as well as pedestrain so have walked/cycled in their shoes!

I guess it depends where you live but that isn't always a reliable indicator. My car got attacked in Beaconsfield (with me in it) because I'd parked by the kerb but in what some man apparently regarded as his regular space. He completely lost it, ripped off wing mirrors & wipers and tried to smash the windscreen.

Beaconsfield is leafy Buckinghamshire and the guy was driving a big BMW. I had to be rescued by the police. So maybe my views are a bit on the cautious side.

i go with Downdog's "you've dropped something" thing.

i have been known to pick up a piece of litter and follow the dropper down the road with it and hand it to them.

dangerous advice to give kids - unfortunatly beating/stabing/shooting of people who have been "comunity spirited" enough to tell off nutters for dropping litter/making noise in the street/being anti-social is not that uncommon. More or less weekly you will read about such things in the paper. The school needs told - maybe it didn't occur to them that they could be putting kids in danger.

It's a sad reflection on society, but that's the way it is.

I take the registration numbers of people who throw stuff out of car windows. Someone did it in the High Street last week, and it hit my windscreen. I was almost the one who got out of the car and started ripping off wing mirrors...

My response to an adult would be "Who the fuck are you". My son dropped something, it blew away, and some uppity plum in mouth witch started blathering on. She caused a massive row, It doesn't come across well at all, and you might find yourself biting off more than you can chew

Territorial Mossie, what did they throw? Something lethal like a tin can or something less dangerous like a crisp packet.

Wouldn't say anything to a child, obviously, but some people would

crisp packet. It made me irrationally crazy, though... In the High Street!

Coke can!

Thats such stupid thing to tell children! YANBU.

So...the teacher is basically telling children to go and talk to strangers.

YANBU

Thanks everyone, I do the glare thing esp. at dog owners who don't notice their dogs mess, and people parking in Mother and baby spaces, and litter droppers. I do a lot of glaring actually!!

Explained to Ds that some people don't like being told what to do, quite hard though when i am teaching him to do what he is told!