"THAT" Neighbor

Everyone has one. You know...THAT neighbor. The one who complains about how long your lawn is. Or how weedy. Or how noisy you are. Or that you don't take your trash can in at the time they feel is best. Or. Or. Or. Or....

I fear I am becoming that neighbor.

We have a serious problem with kids playing in the street. I don't mean riding bikes or roller skating. But playing. You know, rolling their little toy cars down the center of the road. Crawling around. Playing in the sand. All in the middle of the street. And that's just the little kids. The teenagers just stand there. Talking.

If we had nowhere else for them to play, I would probably feel more inclined to cut them some slack. But we have a huge common area. With a playground. A basketball court. A volleyball court. And an enormous softball/baseball/soccer field. There is lots of play area, just one block down. And it's not a huge block either. Beyond that...there are lots of cul-de-sacs. If you really just MUST play in the street, wouldn't you think you'd at least choose something other than the main thoroughfare of the neighborhood?

So yesterday, coming home from work at 7:30 pm, I turn onto the main street of our neighborhood. And there's the teenage posse. Standing in the road and basically blocking all ability to get in and out of the place. So I slow down, waiting for them to move. Nothing. I stop. And I wait. And they stare at me. I tilt my head and nod toward the road. I get the finger. I turn off my radio and say, "Could you all get out of the way please?" They holler back things not fit to print that really have nothing to do with anything. I honk. They inch ever so slightly out of the way (making more rude gestures) but at least they clear enough space that if I drive down the wrong side of the road and perilously close to a parked car, I can get by. So I do, commenting loudly as I pass that last I looked, roads were primarily meant for cars. More gesticulating on the part of the teenagers occurs.

I get home and seriously consider calling the cops. But really, what are they going to do? I don't think it's illegal. It's just stupid. And why should the police have to do what parents should be doing. Because that's my question. Where are these kids' parents?

I'll admit that occasionally, when I was driving my mom completely insane as a kid, she did tell me to go play in traffic. But I knew she wasn't serious. Have we gotten to the point that parents don't even try to instill common sense in their kids anymore? Because if you're not teaching that you should look both ways before you cross the street then I guess it stands to reason that it's ok to just stand in the street like cattle. But even cattle get out of the way of cars. And again, they're not doing something that requires the street....they're talking. Is there a reason that talking can't take place on a lawn or a sidewalk or a front porch...or down at the playground that no one uses? Why is there not even one parent looking out a window and, seeing the herd of teens milling about in the middle of the road, poking their head out the door and suggesting that their child at least show some courtesy and common sense and get the heck out of the street? Why is there not one responsible teen in the group who thinks that maybe they should at least clear out of the way when a car is coming?

So now I may write a letter to the HOA...or to the residents along the road who probably belong to the teens who are doing this and suggest that they try to find a way to exert some control - if for no other reason than the safety of their children. And I know the response will not applaud my concern for their safety - more likely they'll dismiss me as that neighbor, you know the one...every neighborhood has one.