Overreacting or unruly kids?

United States
June 6, 2008 10:29am CST
I just want a second, third, forth, etc opinion on this issue. I feel like one of those people sitting on their porch shaking a fist at the youngin's, calling them hooligans. So, as some may know, I am staying with my boyfriend's sister for now until we can find a house to rent. We've stayed longer than we planned because she quit her job. So the kids in her trailer park are beyond the point of being on my nerves. They litter the streets, just standing around in the road, they don't move for cars. They definitely won't move if they've got a basketball hoop set up. They will see a car coming, keep shooting...it gets closer and closer, they keep shooting. The car has to come to a complete STOP and they keep shooting...the car is waiting for them to move, they keep shooting. They move when they are good and ready to move. The younger kids do things to passing cars, mock them and whatnot. I saw a kid flashing the "west side" hand symbol to a car, I've seen kids mooning cars, I've seen them flip people off once the car gets past them. And these are cars of people that live there and are just trying to go home. Young kids run around in the streets or ride their bikes and run or ride right in front of cars and the parents don't do anything, if they are even outside with them. I have gone home several times, going no more than 5 mph down the road and had to slam on brakes because a kid ran out in front of my car or was riding a bike and looking behind them and slowly turning right into the path of my car. And to top it off, there is now an epidemic of kids throwing things at passing cars. And by passing cars, I mean just cars driving IN the trailer park...so it's people that LIVE there. Yesterday I was leaving to take my boyfriend some lunch (he works 2nd shift) and some kid threw a water balloon at my car. And they threw it HARD, it was so loud I thought I had hit something...and then when I got to my bf's work, I looked at my car and a chunk of balloon was stuck in the window. I called the owner of the property and told his wife about it. Then come to find out, the same thing has happened to my bf's sister yesterday and her immediate neighbor. I was so mad, I was shaking. That probably was partly fear shakes too. It scared the crap out of me. It was so unbelievably loud...I swear I thought I hit something or someone threw rocks at my car. My question is, was I overreacting when I was so mad about it? Is this one of those "kids will be kids" moments...or are these kids just really out of control? My mom thought I was being too rash about it, my boyfriend was pissed when I told him about it, and his sister was pissed when it happened to her too. What do you think?
3 people like this
4 responses
@ShealM (388)
• Canada
6 Jun 08
This type of behavior is inherent in "parentless" children. What I mean is the parents are there but do nothing to discipline their children and correct bad behavior. I don't attribute total blame of the situation on the children involved but I do attribute most of the blame on irresponsible parenting and the parents.
2 people like this
@jillbeth (2705)
• United States
6 Jun 08
There are still a lot of good kids around, but for the most part I would have to say that they are getting out of control. There are so many blended families now, kids don't have the security they used to, and I think they see so much violence and bad behavior on TV that they think that's how people are supposed to act. Society in general is becoming rude and inconsiderate, though, I don't think it's only the kids.
2 people like this
• Canada
6 Jun 08
I don't think you were being rash about anything, and you sure were not overreacting. I think this is a matter for the POLICE!! If the children are too young to prosecute, they need to go after their aprents. Someone could get severely hurt, because of these little turds.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Jun 08
I was actually going to call the police, but I didn't know the number to the actual station and I didn't want to call 911 for that. It wasn't really an emergency. But that was my thinking on it too...I thought I had hit something, but I just slammed on brakes...what if someone had been right behind me and rear ended me? Or if I had swerved and hit someone. It wouldn't be hard to hit a kid, they are literally every-freakin-where. If it happens again, I sure will call the cops...and don't think I won't hop out of the car and see where they go, which house they go in. I'll call the police AND the owner of the park and get the whole family kicked out of there. Or at least fined horribly. It's absolutely ridiculous how the kids act in there.
1 person likes this
@besthope44 (12123)
• India
5 Oct 10
Well true, kids are stressed at their age of playing and funfilled age period to learn and been burden with lots of stuffs. So kids needs special care.