UKC

Got home yesterday to find a note from the local housing association reporting a complaint and requesting a stop to "minor antisocial behaviour" involving some kids playing football in the street, walking across other people's drives (and that was it!)

It also pointed out was how dangerous this is because a kid might get run-over.

Does anyone think this is reasonable of the housing association (and complainant)?

For the record we live on a cul de sac.

I should point out I don't have kids and I'm in general not a particular fan of the noisy little buggers, but as far as I am concerned when ever I've need to ask a kid to not do something (like bang your ball against the back of my shed) I've had no problems with talk back or anything similar. (we are talking kids younger than 10 here)

We used to have a sign in the road that said "Slow, Children at play"

Personally I'd much rather these kids had a healthy outdoor life running around playing football than were scared indoors.

The only antisocial behaviour I've seen in our street is the ridiculous speed some members of the street (or their visitors) insist on driving on a residential road.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

My dad used to threaten to put up a sign saying" slow children, at play". Seriously though sounds like overkill.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

IF it's a quiet cul de sac, I would say children playing in it is to be encouraged. I can see there are potential problems with balls in gardens and breaking windows, but something to discuss, surely, rather than officious letters. If you don't have children but support them playing, perhaps you would be in a strong position to find a solution, being "neutral".

In reply to balmybaldwin:

and no doubt parking on the pavement......?

You seem to have lost sight of the fact that cul-de-sacs are designed to accommodate motorists, not residents, and in particuilar their off spring. Cars reign supreme. Kids playing is totally anti social behaviour....

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Sounds a bit tosserish.
So long as the kids dont take the piss to much and dont run through someones prize roses or such like I cant see the problem.
Like you I live on a cul de sac and there will often be a few kids outside kicking a ball around or messing about on scooters/bikes and the like and, also like you, whilst I aint exactly fond of kids I cant say it has ever bothers me. Its normal behaviour for kids, or should be.

I am guessing from the last line the complaint probably comes from those who want to speed up to their drive way to save those 3 seconds.

In reply to balmybaldwin:
I live in one of those 1970s estates with the front onto a footpath/cycle path and lots of greenery, trees etc, with cars hidden away at the back. Kids play football there, and it does occasionally end up on my garden. I don't really mind, I just think it's nice that they can play out in the "street" as they could in years gone by, climb the trees and such things. I'd never dream of complaining about it.

What I would complain about is people shoving junk through my letterbox walking across the garden to next door and nosing in as they do. They, as they are not welcome, should use the path. Maybe one day I'll enjoy putting a fence up to prevent that - but if the kids kick their ball in accidentally, they'd still be welcome to come in and get it.

Neil

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Sad muppets with nothing better to do, young kids playing out is social behaviour and vital to the health and development of the kids.
Anti social is encouraging them to stay indoors and watch TV.
I would be tempted to go round all the neighbours and take a poll of who is for and against kids playing out, my guess would be all but 1 house on the street will be I favour.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I don't think there is such a thing. There is either anti-social behaviour or thiere is not. "Minor" is just a crappy term dreamed up by someone wanting to throw a bit of weight about.

The Metropolitan Police define Antisocial Behaviour as:

“Behaviour by a person which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as the person”.

So the playing footie in the street is tosh unless they refuse to move when a car comes or unless it is dangerous. The walking across drives is rude and I guess could fall into this.

Certainly seems petty.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Tell the kids to mail out "social invitation to join the soccer" to the complainants and nobody will be able to claim anti-social behavior.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I wouldn't blame the housing association, I expect they've tried ignoring the complaints and have to be seen to be taking action regardless of how daft the issue is. But whoever is complaining to them about kids playing football (unless there's some harassment you're not aware of) is a bit pathetic.

Maybe not quite on topic, but I always find it frustrating how many miseries that hate kids buy houses next to the green bits on estates where the kids play, or buy flats two down from a busy bar that's been there 20 years then complain so much the council starts looking at taking the bar's licence away. There's plenty of houses around people!

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I've spoken to the bloke who penned the letter, and he tells me that this was due to an incident when kids "ran out" in front of a car, and was sent more out of concern until they can get the car problem under control

Quite a constructive discussion was had and he agrees that the "Anti social behaviour" if any is due to poor driving, and also confirmed my suspicion that there appears to be a small group of residents responsible for it.

Also confirmed that the police have been consulted, and we could soon see speed bumps on the road (not ideal, but a much better solution)

I also discussed the "slow kids at play sign" and he's going to look in to reinstating it.

so it looks like a win/win

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Nice one. We live in a similar cul de sac (although without a housing association) and the only anti-social behaviour I see is people driving at ridiculous speed or slowing down and then accelerating excessively. It's a tiny minority of people although there is enough traffic that it's still regular occurrence. I imagine these are the same people that seem to think 30 or 40mph is an appropriate speed to drive around a supermarket car park full of people and cars. I'm not sure why some people feel the need to drive so aggressively in the least well-suited locations. That is to say, I'd rather they didn't drive that way anywhere, but why they think roads with kids, parked cars etc are the best place to show their driving 'talents' I have no idea.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Until recently I lived down a dead end street (not posh enough to be a cul de sac). Loved to see kids out playing on bikes, and being kids somewhere safe. Frankly, it's the cars which should be looking out and driving slowly. Can they put "Play Street" signs up - they do that round my old neck of the woods. Good to see community spirit put ahead of driver's convenience.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

I grew up on a couldisac (doesn't look right but I can't spell it) in the mid 70s to the early 80s.
it was great, all the kids played on the street and the parent's that had cars drove slow. Out Street was L shaped and the upright was up a hill so it was perfect for building go carts and whizzing down, the bottom was flat and that was our football, cricket and general running around area.
I lived there for 11 years and don't remember anyone getting hit by a car because the drivers gave a crap.
Shock horror sometimes the parents would come out and play with the kids, maybe help build or improve a go cart or a impromptu dad's v lads football game.
One of my best memories was a Christmas eve when just about the entire Street was out until the early hours sledging down the hill, kids, parents and grandparents all out having fun.

In reply to balmybaldwin:




Spot on, kids playing in the street is actually social behaviour.

In reply to balmybaldwin:
My parents have lived in a cul-de-sac since I was 5 - never had any problems playing outside/in the road - nor do the kids that live there now/visiting kids, although there's always been someone driving a bit fast.

My parents have the largest front garden and all street parties are held on it. I can't remember her ever complaining about a football on the lawn, apart from an "Oi, mind my roses/windows/car"

Years ago, the porch windows were acrylic for a reason

If there's enough of us, we usually go to the school playground at the end of the road, anyway.

In reply to balmybaldwin:
Speed humps and a sign do seem the way forward. I know of some people who bought a manor house as a collective 30 years ago and turned it into flats while living in caravans, it used to be a hospital so they restored it essentially, and they got worried about the speed people drove along the drive and into the car park where children would be playing, so one resident put in a speed hump which was really brutal, and actually took a couple of exhausts off over the years. It did a great job of slowing people right down though, if people went at more than about five or ten mph they risked damage to their cars. Children have got to come before cars and driving.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

I remember the garage door windows gradually getting tougher and tougher glass at my childhood home as we kept breaking them with footballs until it was wire reinforced which got fitted.

In reply to Dax H:
Aye, we built snowmen together down our dead end street a few years ago, a right old mix of folk. Me aged 40+, builder dude from down the road in his twenties (he turned out to be a creative genius with snow), kid from across aged about 8 with his mates from the next street down, joined by a Polish lady in a coat which I still envy even now ... definitely social not anti social!

Thank you for reminding me, a great memory!