Neighbor problems, Arrogance and Inept Parenting Edition:
Across the street and up a couple houses lives a family with three boys. One is the same age as our older daughter. This family appears to wish they lived in a rural setting with property, instead of in a neighborhood with houses close together. They have a couple dirt bikes for their boys.
At first, the boy would only ride the dirt bike a few feet back and forth in his driveway. Then, it morphed into riding it up and down our street, often apparently well above the speed limit. He also rides it on the sidewalks so fast that it could be a tragedy if he hit anyone. The large green space that we have at the end of the street is also used as his dirt bike track. There have been times that after our younger daughter is in bed, we hear that fool kid riding up and down the street. Thankfully, it is not an overly loud dirt bike, but it is quite audible from inside the house.
I know some of you here are fans of dirt bikes and other such machines. They're fine in the correct settings. A paved neighborhood street with houses only set back some 20 - 25 feet from the street is not such a setting. It's not a street legal vehicle, he speeds, rides on the sidewalk and on the green space lawn and he is not old enough to have a driver license. It presents a danger, it pollutes the air and disturbs the peace. It is also just trashy behavior. I'm embarrassed, as we have two new neighbors on this street and this is what they find out goes on here?
So, the other evening, after I'd already had to listen to, and breathe the exhaust from, that dirt bike during the day as I shoveled snow and did other things, I then needed to walk up to the green space where wife and younger daughter had gone to do some sledding. She hadn't told me they were going up there, and it was quite cold, so after about 45 minutes to an hour, I walked up there to check on them. Guess who was sitting on the sidewalk astride his stupid little dirt bike? I had to walk around him, and I simply said "Get out of the way!" He just gave me a stupid grin from inside his full faced helmet. That was the first clue as to what an absolute spoiled punk this kid is, but I chalked it up to a nervous grin. I walked past his friend and I said to myself "Morons." So this little miss speaks up to me and says "How is he a moron?" Then ensued an argument between me and these absolute brats. They were acting like adults, mouthing off to an adult so I interacted with them like adults. I called them out on being disrespectful to an adult, and they could not care less. I said I'd talk to their parents and as you can probably guess, the reply was "Go ahead!"
Well, it turns out the punk knew what he was talking about, because the dad almost entirely defended his precious little punk kid. The punk walks up, pushing the dirt bike (instead of riding it, hmm) and tells on me to daddy, saying "He called us morons." Daddy didn't like that, and got all mad that I'd dare say that to his kid, while he defended his kid's right to mouth off to me. He did, by the way, say he would have his kid stop riding the dirt bike "for now."
I now know just what a huge chip on the shoulder the man has, and just how much of a spoiled rotten punk the kid is, Three or four times during my confrontation with the dad, the punk came out (now dressed in pajamas) and stood there after being told every time to go back inside. He was standing there, just smiling at me from behind daddy. I see how the boy does not respect his dad, and it is now no surprise he does not respect other adults. If you have to tell your kid over and over to do something, the kid does not respect you.
He said he didn't know the kid had the dirt bike out that day, which I think is a lie. He also said a few other things that didn't add up as he tried to downplay things, and defend himself in the situation. I now also know he is a dishonest person.
I will add that the family is a member of the very large church in the area, and the kids go to a Christian school. They used to go to the same public school our children go to, but I think it was during the Covid mess that they switched to a Christian school. I broughtup to him that they are a churchgoing family, right? and said all of this is surprising. Of course he did not like being called out
I won't get into all that was said, but it just got left at him being mad that I dared to call his kid a name (remember, however, that I said it to myself as I walked away from his kid – I didn't look at and directly call him the name) and he defends his kid mouthing off to me.
I said "Ok" and walked home. A bit later, I the doorbell rang. I thought it might be him coming over to apologize. Nope. He was hotter than before. Why? His kid told him that I also called him a "dumbass." I don't remember saying that, but I don't remember all that was said in the confrontation with the punk kids. So inept daddy was now on my porch being all hot headed and tough acting. He wound up walking away saying "Don't talk to my kids!" Not wanting to inflame relations with a neighbor even further, and trying to keep my wife in mind who get so stressed out over any confrontation or trouble, I held back from saying much more than "I thought we ended it over there (pointing to his house) but now you're on my porch acting threatening? It can be like that if you want." The predictable response rang out "I'm not threatening you." By the way, I think it's more likely than not that the punk kid is lying about the "dumbass" thing.
So yeah, a dysfunctional household over there. He lets his kid flagrantly break the law and downgrade quality of life on this street, and his kid is clearly not respectful of him or anyone else as daddy takes up for him. Good luck in the future, man. A whole new level of problem will come when the punk starts to drive a car in a couple years. I just hope he goes off to college and does not continue to live here.
By the way, they don't even live on this street,. They live on the corner of this street and the more main street out there. They do park one of their cars on this street (more cars to come in the future, as punkie starts to drive. His older son I guess can't drive due to an eyesight problem). Oh, and this idiotic family put up a fake "no parking" sign where they park one of their cars on the street, and on it is scrawled their last name with "only." I thought this was a joke that would last a few days, but I'm beginning to think they take their fake sign seriously.
Oh, and their dog that is constantly off leash ran out and bit me on the hand one day as I was walking on the sidewalk.
I'm feeling... Pretty down on humankind right now.
