I live in a private community in an end unit town home. My building sits on a cul-de-sac for parking close to our homes. The cul-de-sac is long and narrow, driveways on one side and parking spaces on the other. There is an entrance and exit on either side of the cul-de-sac. Here is the escalating issue:

There are at this time 6 children ranging from 9 to 5 that are sent into the cul-de-sac to play and ride their bikes (including the youngest on a trike). They ride bikes, scooters, skate boards in and out of parked cars. As they are children they are not attentive to the traffic, there is very rarely a Parent to supervise. The Parents do come out when I complain about the kids being in harms way, then return to their homes once I am able to get into my driveway.

On Tuesday the 9th, I had to wait to enter my driveway while one of the moms removed a skate board from my path. A 8 yr old girl from was riding her bike with training wheels, out of the culdesac and on to the narrow feeder street opposing traffic at around 5:30 pm…no parent in sight.

On Wed the 10th, my husband was stopped in the middle of the culdesac as he backed out of our driveway and attempted to exit by a 7 yr old child on a bike from with a hand gesture, my husband maneuvered around the child to leave.

Later, when I arrived home between 6:30 and 7:00PM, all of the children were gathered riding bikes and scooters jetting about making it almost impossible to enter my driveway with out first stopping and requesting the children stop from blocking my path.

I attempted to discuss this with the parents from all of the homes but one, from first a safety perspective and then noise issue as the children are loud and active as they would be in a play ground, and finally from a property damage perspective as they ride their bikes and scooters into the parked cars causing scratches and dents. Of course the parents know absolutely nothing about this. For all intensive purposes, the message I got back was as follow:

1. The children were going to play in the culdesac at any time as was their right.
2. It was the drivers responsibility to insure the safety of the children during this play.
3. The neighborhood was primarily for children and the noise issue was not their problem.
4. To move the play to the play ground at the entrance of the neighborhood was a great inconvenience.
5. Direction from the Association or Law Enforcement would not change 1 through 4.


I can not get to my driveway without avoiding these children with my car, there are at least four drivers in this culdesac that are under the age of 20, this alone is frightening. I cannot come home from work and open my windows and watch a TV show in peace as these children are loud and intrusive (and of course the dawgs a bark when they hear the screamimg), while their parents are quietly away from the problem. This simply does not seem fair to those of us who do what we can to keep everyone comfortable. If I could move my house out of this noisy hazard I would, but I can’t. It seems the parents and children have a place where this activity is safe and non intrusive but choose not to take this alternative. I really would like some help in moving this problem to an area where it is no longer a problem. I just know I am going to be the poor shmuck that doesn't look at the very second one of those babies crosses my path...it makes me sick thinking about it. The association has requested they stop and they suggest I call the police...but what would the police be looking for in terms of them being able to act? I simply don't know, can any of you help?

 Quote: Valerie Tietz-Kelly

..but what would the police be looking for in terms of them being able to act? ....

The safety issue.... the kids-in-the-street issue.

I'd get a camera and have it in my pocket every time I went to and from my car until I had a detailed (date- and time-marked) little portfolio.

There's no state law which'll deal with a situation

-as ambiguous as this
-with kids of these age
-who aren't subjected to overt danger or neglect.

Explore the realm of your local ordinances (city, village). An ordinance violation is a civil process...almost like your village or city is subjecting them to a quasi lawsuit instead of a criminal violation. There may be some interesting little violations you may not be aware of.

Generally, things like parking tickets, building code matters fall under the guise of ordinance...as well as certain minor criminal statutes which are adopted as ordinances.

I would contact your local Dept of Children Services. If the children are un-attended while outside, this could be an issue. I know here in Georgia that children ages 10-12 can be unattended for 2 hours, any child younger must be supervised. I work for the public schools, so we have to be aware of kids that be getting sent home with no one to supervise.
Annette