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Hey Pandas, AITA For Contacting The Police Over Concerns About Children Playing In The Street?
Moderator’s note:
If you find yourself disagreeing with this person’s actions, we encourage you not to downvote the post. Instead, kindly express your opinions in the comments. We recommend maintaining politeness and articulating your thoughts with well-constructed arguments.
Like most people, I was always taught to not play in the street, and if I was riding something to stay out of the way and avoid traffic.
RELATED:
Unfortunately, others feel it’s okay to play in the street, even when there are city laws that say it’s illegal
Image credits: George Barker (not the actual photo)
On one tight corner of my hometown there is a family of 4 kids between the ages of 8-18, and their mother actively encourages them to play in the road, and they have even put up basket ball hoops.
I run a delivery business and several times over the past few years, whenever this woman’s kids are playing, they don’t leave the street and she comes out and yells at us for passing by
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
Usually, because her kids start screaming. I am a safety and legal type person, and today, when they refused to leave the street, I told the kids that it was illegal to have the hoop and be playing. As always, they ran to tell their mother who came out and started yelling at me while I was making a delivery to her neighbor.
When I tried to drive away they called me names and told me I should call the police. So, I parked safely, just up the road, and called the police
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
Told them where to meet us. When the officer came, I explained we have been having an issue and specified that I was concerned about safety, and what they were doing was illegal and dangerous. A mother should not be encouraging illegal behavior, in my opinion. The officer said he didn’t know the ordinances involved, but he felt it was okay to have kids playing outside rather than indoors. I left the situation without talking to the mother again, and went home to find the actual ordinance. I then called and left a message for the officer telling him which one it was.
So, am I in the wrong? Should I just ignore the kids’ refusal to get out of the road and agree with the officer that it’s okay since it gets them out of the house?
Moderator’s note:
Please note that the images included in this article are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the actual individuals or items discussed in the story.
If you have a comparable experience or story you’d like to tell, we welcome your submissions. Click here to share your story with Bored Panda.
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What do you think ?
BookFanatic 1 year ago
We played in the street all the time as kids. The oldest was in charge of yelling "CAR!" and we'd all scatter.
Laugh or not 1 year ago
Same. We played in the street all the time when it wasn't raining or too cold, even at night in summer. As soon as a car came up, we would stay on the side walk safely. Those kids are entitled idiots.
Load More Replies...
Justin Smith 1 year ago
The big thing is the kids refusing to get out of the road when a car was coming. And the mother getting mad that cars are driving on the street.
Maryanne Mackie 1 year ago
I think the parents should instruct the kids to move to the side when a car comes down the road.
Load More Replies...
Joseph Dixon 1 year ago
There are kids who play basketball in the street where I live. They usually clear out as soon as they hear a car, so it doesn't bother me. However, if the kids just keep playing like no one was there, then that would be a huge issue.
ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
It'd be a problem, but would your first instinct genuinely be to say "this is illegal!" and go and look up city ordinances? Because my first instinct would be to knock on the door myself and have an adult conversation with the mom.
Load More Replies...
arthbach 1 year ago
It totally depends on the street, and the time of day. Where I grew up, and in one of the house where my children grew up, it was totally safe for children to play outside, and be free-roaming. It was the sort of estate where it was immediately obvious there would be lots of children, and they would be playing. Where I live now, it would not be safe for children to play in the road, but there's a little park 250m from out front door. There's also a school playing field 150m away. These would be far safer places to play.
Ge Po 1 year ago
In my country, there are streets with official signs that state: 'slow down, children playing,' to warn drivers that children might be roaming the streets and dashing out from in between parked cars. Even if such a sign is not in place, in the 'living area's' aka the roads without shops or businesses, it is completely normal to see kids biking or roaming the streets. Only when there are cars parked along the street, parents will tell the kids not to play football there.
Load More Replies...
Erica Brownrigg 1 year ago
When I was little, the neighbor kids thought it was funny to walk slow in the middle of the street so cars couldn't pass. One day, they did it to a teenager that wasn't putting up with it. They backed up and then gunned it.f The kids had to jump out of the way and ended in the ditch. On the flip side, their mom was not aware of what they were doing, and when she found out, it was the kids yelling, not the teenager. This is a FAFO situation, all it takes is one pissed off person, or a drunk and something bad is going to happen.
Michelle Seasor 1 year ago
Nta I was allowed to play in the street but was taught to move out of the way the cars
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
OP: Please copy-paste the entirety of the ordinance. I am intrigued and would like to see its exact wording.
Orange Panda 1 year ago
It's a safety issue. If you can't share the road with cars, you shouldn't be in the road. Also, the officer was lazy.
BookFanatic 1 year ago
We played in the street all the time as kids. The oldest was in charge of yelling "CAR!" and we'd all scatter.
Laugh or not 1 year ago
Same. We played in the street all the time when it wasn't raining or too cold, even at night in summer. As soon as a car came up, we would stay on the side walk safely. Those kids are entitled idiots.
Load More Replies... Justin Smith 1 year ago
The big thing is the kids refusing to get out of the road when a car was coming. And the mother getting mad that cars are driving on the street.
Maryanne Mackie 1 year ago
I think the parents should instruct the kids to move to the side when a car comes down the road.
Load More Replies... Joseph Dixon 1 year ago
There are kids who play basketball in the street where I live. They usually clear out as soon as they hear a car, so it doesn't bother me. However, if the kids just keep playing like no one was there, then that would be a huge issue.
ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
It'd be a problem, but would your first instinct genuinely be to say "this is illegal!" and go and look up city ordinances? Because my first instinct would be to knock on the door myself and have an adult conversation with the mom.
Load More Replies... arthbach 1 year ago
It totally depends on the street, and the time of day. Where I grew up, and in one of the house where my children grew up, it was totally safe for children to play outside, and be free-roaming. It was the sort of estate where it was immediately obvious there would be lots of children, and they would be playing. Where I live now, it would not be safe for children to play in the road, but there's a little park 250m from out front door. There's also a school playing field 150m away. These would be far safer places to play.
Ge Po 1 year ago
In my country, there are streets with official signs that state: 'slow down, children playing,' to warn drivers that children might be roaming the streets and dashing out from in between parked cars. Even if such a sign is not in place, in the 'living area's' aka the roads without shops or businesses, it is completely normal to see kids biking or roaming the streets. Only when there are cars parked along the street, parents will tell the kids not to play football there.
Load More Replies... Erica Brownrigg 1 year ago
When I was little, the neighbor kids thought it was funny to walk slow in the middle of the street so cars couldn't pass. One day, they did it to a teenager that wasn't putting up with it. They backed up and then gunned it.f The kids had to jump out of the way and ended in the ditch. On the flip side, their mom was not aware of what they were doing, and when she found out, it was the kids yelling, not the teenager. This is a FAFO situation, all it takes is one pissed off person, or a drunk and something bad is going to happen.
Michelle Seasor 1 year ago
Nta I was allowed to play in the street but was taught to move out of the way the cars
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
OP: Please copy-paste the entirety of the ordinance. I am intrigued and would like to see its exact wording.
Orange Panda 1 year ago
It's a safety issue. If you can't share the road with cars, you shouldn't be in the road. Also, the officer was lazy.
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