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Sounds like a pretty flimsy ordinance to me. What is the difference between riding your bike down the street and riding your bike illegally in the street? When does retrieving a ball that has rolled into the street, become playing in the street.
I think it would be fun call your favorite TV station and have them do a troubleshooter segment on the lady who doesn't like kids playing in a cul du sac. It would be fun to see the lady try defend *that* position. Just watching the reporter and photographer knocking on her door would be quite entertaining. And at some point, I would imagine the police department will classify her complaints as nuisance calls.
Find a sympathetic town council person and/or county commissioner and take it through the process.
If you decide to go to speak with her in person, you might wish to take along a neutral third party.
A neighbor of mine slowly slipped from normal to in need of psychiatric care, so do not assume that you are dealing with a person in normal mental health.
Sounds like a pretty flimsy ordinance to me. What is the difference between riding your bike down the street and riding your bike illegally in the street? When does retrieving a ball that has rolled into the street, become playing in the street.
I think it would be fun call your favorite TV station and have them do a troubleshooter segment on the lady who doesn't like kids playing in a cul du sac. It would be fun to see the lady try defend *that* position. Just watching the reporter and photographer knocking on her door would be quite entertaining. And at some point, I would imagine the police department will classify her complaints as nuisance calls.
Find a sympathetic town council person and/or county commissioner and take it through the process.
The ban on children playing in the street was a pretty big discussion point a while ago, esp. when they included language referring to the parents as accomplices to the children's illegal playtime.
It just boggles my mind that there's an actual law against kids playing in the street. It's one thing if it's a major thoroughfare, but a cul-de-sac? What harm does it do? Sheesh.
I grew up in a neighborhood full of kids my age. We played in the street constantly. Not only is it a shame that it's against the law, but your neighbor needs a hobby - and a life. My sympathies to you.
If you decide to go to speak with her in person, you might wish to take along a neutral third party.
A neighbor of mine slowly slipped from normal to in need of psychiatric care, so do not assume that you are dealing with a person in normal mental health.
Lana
Interesting possibility. I know my dh worked with a woman who was having similar difficulties after a certain medical procedure. They ended up firing her or mandating early retirement.
Well we took it to the town council at their meeting tonight. It didn't go so well They said they wanted the suggestion of the Police Chief.
He happened to be there and said he was against it, even for culdesacs. His reasoning was safety, large toys in the road hindering service vehicles, and that the majority of children are not well-behaved or supervised I'm not quite sure if that's true.
They are going to consider it but I don't think they have any reason to change it, I mean it doesn't really impact them.
Thinking about it afterwards I wish I could have asked the Police Chief about the enforcement of this law. From what I see kids play in the streets everywhere around here. When we went door to door with our petition there was not one person who even knew about this ordinance. This "law" is not stopping the behavior and his own staff even told this they don't want to enforce it unless they are forced to. I guess it's just our bad luck that we have the one rotten apple.
If this does get shot down, what could our next steps be? Anyone have any ideas?
I'd start calling the police on her for taking pictures of my kids.
If you want an ordinance changed you and your neighbors need to start making some noise at town council meetings (or whatever the equivalent is in Apex).
I don't know about Apex, but in Morrisville we have lots of advisory committees; your concern would come under the "public safety" committee's purview, and the appropriate action would be to write a letter to that committee. The committee would then take it under consideration and make a recommendation to the town council, who would vote on it. It takes a while, but things do get done. Maybe check and see if Apex has a committee like this. Having a petition and taking it directly to a town council meeting could work, too.
There's nothing illegal about taking photos of children.
She is most likely mentally impaired, and if she is, there is nothing you can do. The law is on her side.
If you worked hard to get the law changed, I'd worry she'd run over a child to prove the danger of playing in the streets.
I'd consider moving.
Quote:
Originally Posted by twingles
I'd start calling the police on her for taking pictures of my kids.
If you want an ordinance changed you and your neighbors need to start making some noise at town council meetings (or whatever the equivalent is in Apex).
Thanks for everyone's replies. I actually posted an update in post #16.
We have been taking the kids over to the adjacent culdesac to play where we also know everyone on it and they all have kids and are happy to have them all play out there together. The police told us that if the neighbors are ok with it then there is no problem.
Based on mine and other neighbor's information and observations we really don't think she is mentally ill so even though we have a temporary solution we still would like to change this.
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Possible mental illness
They said they wanted the suggestion of the Police Chief.
I'm not quite sure if that's true.
