# Stupid neighbor heathen children. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 14, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452 "2009-03-14T21:41:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/81 "2009-03-18T07:03:27Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Part of living in a society is occasionally dealing with people from classes you don’t like. And part of living in a neighborhood is interacting with children. If you don’t want to see anyone ever, go live in the woods. “Occasional” and “interacting” is not the same thing as heathens stomping about on one’s garden. Despite popular belief, none of us is responsible for other peoples’ children nor should we be. This is why this woman thinks it’s OK for her to just turn her four kids loose on the neighbors, because “of course” someone will look out for them, entertain them and - WTF? - run to the garden center to buy them some plants?? We all have the right to peace and quiet, particularly in our own homes. If you want to adopt children from irresponsible selfish parents, that is your headache, but don’t expect that the rest of the world wants to do so. Part of living in a society is respecting boundaries. ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/82 "2009-03-18T11:04:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It was halloween. So that makes it okay? It gives him a pass? What? Maybe that is okay in your neck of the woods but not mine. I was taught to respect other peoples property and I passed that on to my children. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/83 "2009-03-18T11:30:34Z")
> [@SomeUserName](#): > > So that makes it okay? It gives him a pass? What? It is a reason. Perhaps you forgot the social contract: “Trick or Treat.” It not like they burned your dog. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/84 "2009-03-18T13:31:02Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > We don’t like dickhead chiildren, or in my case, any other kind either. Those little squirts. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/85 "2009-03-18T13:37:19Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Yes, the state of the average “parenting” job these days is extremely sad. On one hand we have the helicopter parents, on the other we have the ones that lose total interest in their kids after they get past the cute stage, and the great in between is very sparsely populated. I wish parenting classes were mandatory because, yes, it _is_ hard work teaching kids to be worthwhile humans, and far too many people don’t seem to want to do that job these days - after they’ve already had two or three “kyute widdle babees”. > > I suppose we should be sick and tired of the parents, but it isn’t the adults that are stomping thru my flowers, kicking over my planters and denting the next door neighbor’s garage door. And while it is the adults that invite people over for a party, it isn’t them who scream blue murder in the pool for hours on end. So, I plant roses with big thorns in my front garden, throw anything that lands in my backyard away and snarl at kids that are/are about to break something of mine. If for no other reason than I don’t always know whose kids they are! Heh, you must be loads of fun as a neighbour. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/86 "2009-03-18T13:41:15Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > “Occasional” and “interacting” is not the same thing as heathens stomping about on one’s garden. Despite popular belief, none of us is responsible for other peoples’ children nor should we be. This is why this woman thinks it’s OK for her to just turn her four kids loose on the neighbors, because “of course” someone will look out for them, entertain them and - WTF? - run to the garden center to buy them some plants?? Heh. I was going to reply to this, but then I saw it was **curlcoat**. I’m not sure what all I’m allowed to call you these days, but trust me, your life will be a lot happier once you finally get some medical attention for your mental illness. Barring that, I believe that we all get what we wish for and wish you a cheerful time in the hell of loneliness hate that you are building for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/87 "2009-03-18T13:45:54Z")
What the garden space needs is a scare clown or a laser defense system. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/88 "2009-03-18T13:47:26Z")
A scare clown? That’s redundant. Anyway, I saw a King of the Hill episode about this recently. But for it to work, you need a hellion of your own to unleash on the parents of the little blighters. Maybe you can borrow one? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/89 "2009-03-18T14:33:07Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > A scare clown? That’s redundant. > > Anyway, I saw a King of the Hill episode about this recently. But for it to work, you need a hellion of your own to unleash on the parents of the little blighters. Maybe you can borrow one? Scare clown - A stuffed clown on a pole that moves among the crops when the children are not looking. When they look it’s on the pole. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/90 "2009-03-18T14:40:55Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Scare clown - A stuffed clown on a pole that moves among the crops when the children are not looking. When they look it’s on the pole. And…I’m not sleeping tonight. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/91 "2009-03-18T15:52:59Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Oh, did you mean that putting a painful plant (i.e., nettles) in a public place was obnoxious? Okay, I didn’t get that from your post. Fair enough - I reread what I wrote, and I can see that “placing a plant to harm in a common area” is ambiguous in this thread to the extent that it could be the plant that is being harmed by the kids, or the plant that is there to harm the kids… In that post, I meant the latter. However, after further posts, it is really not clear whether this is a common area, which I think makes all the difference in the world in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/92 "2009-03-18T16:56:39Z")
**To the OP:** Never pay the Danegeld! Once you pay, you’ll never get rid of them, and they always come back for more! Minimize your contact with these kids; the last thing you need is a false child molestation charge slapped on you (I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here). If it _is_ your common area by your condo agreement, document the damage and go to the Condo Board. If they do nothing, Small Claims Court for non-enforcement of your legally binding condo agreement is one option. If it’s just a “general” common area, not yours specifically, you’re really SOL. But I like the stinging nettles & poison ivy suggestions. My kinda thinking. ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/93 "2009-03-18T17:03:20Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It is a reason. Perhaps you forgot the social contract: “Trick or Treat.” It not like they burned your dog. It is not a reason. There is no reason days before Halloween to smash another persons pumpkins on their own personal property because they were bored or something. Even days after it does not give them the right to be on my property. The only time is Halloween night to come to the door and get the candy. To me the pumpkins are decorations and they should be left alone. I guess if it was some $150 inflatable snoopy you would still just “MEM” at that too? It sucks when people put up decorations for holidays and asshole little kids smash them because they have nothing better to do and then their parents take the old “oh that is what kids do” attitude. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/94 "2009-03-18T17:38:08Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Plus it’s not like I do this on a daily basis or anything. Volunteer for every social program, bake cookies for the neighborhood, and represent a pillar of the community, but shove one kid in a woodchipper, and what do they remember you for?! ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/95 "2009-03-18T18:34:16Z")
How much longer was that pumpkin going to last anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/96 "2009-03-18T18:49:01Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > How much longer was that pumpkin going to last anyway? Until the person who paid for it, carved it, and set it on their porch decided they were tired of it. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/97 "2009-03-18T19:35:19Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Those little squirts. Win, because that _the_ seminal post. ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/98 "2009-03-18T20:05:30Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > Until the person who paid for it, carved it, and set it on their porch decided they were tired of it. Exactly! WTF? The point was he came onto my personal property and smashed something of mine that we were enjoying. Leaving pumpkin laying all over the front steps that we had to clean up. I mean tulips only last so long so it is okay if the local brats come and pick them all out of your flower bed or stomp them out? I mean really, how much longer where they going to last? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/99 "2009-03-18T21:27:04Z")
I don’t defend it, but it’s a rather more universal practice to smash pumpkins on Halloween than to stomp on a flowerbed on any given day. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452/100 "2009-03-18T21:28:10Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I don’t defend it, but it’s a rather more universal practice to smash pumpkins on Halloween than to stomp on a flowerbed on any given day. To be fair, the kid who smashed the pumpkin had a history of other destructive acts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-neighbor-heathen-children/489452.md?page=6)