Kids in the road

[happygirl]

I live where kids ride bikes/walk in the road. I live on a gravel road. When ever cars come this kids just stay put and won't move out of the way for the cars. So if there are cars on the other side you might be there forever until they move. I have seen cars honk I have seen people yell for them to get off the road. What would do?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I admit, I will get snitty. It is legal for kids to ride on a neghborhood street where we live and I do let my children do it.

I will drive slow when I encounter a child, but a child being dangerous or refusing to yield to the car, will get my horn--and if they still fail to move and I know which house they live in--I'm ratting them out.

I have no patience for kids who challenge a 2000 pound vehicle. I will not endanger them, but I have successfully "tattled' b/c unfortunately not all cars realize our street is a dead end and thus try to use our neighborhood as a pass through to get to another road. The purpose of my tattling is to save their lives.

Had one house who's THREE year old would use thier driveway as a ramp to ride her scooter into the road. I learned to slow down, but as she got more brazen, I did tell. She always did this from behind a car. So you never knew if she would pop out or not.

In your case--if you don't know where they live, I might consider calling the cops.

 

[FireDancer]

There are kids all over the roads here and when we were kids we always played in the streets. Both were/are nice low traffic neighborhoods.

We used to even play sports in the street. One example was street hockey, goals and all. If a car came we yelled car, moved the goals, let it pass, put them back, and played again. We would most definitely not stay put and play chicken though.

It will mostly depend on the traffic profile and speed limit of where you live. Being on a street like this was one of the criteria I insisted on when purchasing a house.

 

[disykat]

I also played in the street and let my kids do so as well. I consider that a perk of living in a rural area/culdesac. However, the rule ALWAYS was to immediately go to the side of the road when you see a vehicle and remain stationary! I would be very upset if there were kids out unsupervised that were young enough or bratty enough not to follow this rule.

I would get out and tell the kids in no uncertain terms that the next time they pulled that I would be calling first their parents, then any HOA, then, if necessary, the police. Obstucting traffic is illegal.

 

[charming23]

We used to even play sports in the street. One example was street hockey, goals and all. If a car came we yelled car, moved the goals, let it pass, put them back, and played again. We would most definitely not stay put and play chicken though.

That is what everyone in our neighborhood did as well until our street became the popular pass through to get between the main roads here. I never would have thought about staying put or playing chicken.

 

[VillageMama]

Had one house who's THREE year old would use thier driveway as a ramp to ride her scooter into the road. I learned to slow down, but as she got more brazen, I did tell. She always did this from behind a car. So you never knew if she would pop out or not.

Oh my word, Lisa... I had a neighbor child who used to do this and he was struck by a pizza delivery boy and was killed. The dear, reckless child was five years old.

I'll never forget seeing the life flight helicopter land on our street. That was 20 years ago and recently my son did the same thing. I have never freaked out on my child so much. Freaked. Out.

 

[portocall]

My son was hit by a car three years ago and while thankfully the car was going slow (the street was long, and this was not the norm) and he was okay, it was the scariest moments of my life. Evidently, he came out between two parked cars. He wasn't supposed to be in the street in the first place, or on his bike for that matter (I was getting my then two year old ready to come outside to watch him) . Now we live on a much quieter street and the kids in the neighborhood do play in the street, but mine are not allowed out of the backyard. I also tell on the more brazen kids that don't move, but for the most part they are respectful of cars.

 

[marcyinPA]

There are kids skateboarding in the streets in my neighborhood all the time. They don't move out of the way for anyone. I know a few of them, and they are not the most respectful kids. I have to admit that I barely slow down...I would never hit them, but I don't come to a complete stop anymore. They know I'm coming, they have to move. And when they see me not stopping, they jump out of the way.

The thing that bothers me the most is that these same kids skateboard on my property all the time, even after being told not to. We have a cement rain gutter between our house and our neighbors house that is apparently fun to jump when you ride a skateboard. These kids are not friends with my kids, so it's not like they've been invited to hang on my property. They are SO disrespectful when I've told them to leave. I've already contacted one of the parents, who I know pretty well, and she said she'd talk to her son. Didn't seem to matter much, since we caught him and the other kids again. Next step is to call the police. Hate to do it, but nothing else seems to work.