We currently Park 1 Car outside since I have a boat and a Motorcycle and other random crap in the garage right now.
One day I came home and I caught some neighborhood kids with a sling shot picking up rocks next door to me. I asked them what they were doing and told them to not take the neighbor's rocks let alone use the sling shot here.
Well since then I have noticed rocks getting into my drive way and today I actually see a dent on my car which appears to be created using a rock.
Now the father of these kids is a ex police officer. I have no proof they actually did anything but it is likely they did or still doing it.
I am thinking of just cleaning up the garage and putting the car inside which will be tight fit with my Boat and Bike but I rather do than not have proof and speak to the father.
I am not sure if I want to go through the effort of setting up a video camera. Maybe I should so these little bastards get whats coming to them.
What really annoys me is that we take very good care of this Car and it has so many dents and dings on it from Hit and runs etc. You just cant have anything nice these days with out people shitting all over it >:(
Why are kids such A holes these days :-\
Camera. You can blame *every* ding in it on the kids. Once you have proof, go put a nice ding in your windshield, so you can make them buy you a nice, clear, new one too.
Stick it to the little SOB's.
Camera. The cop, (unless he's had problems with the kids in the past) will likely stand up for his kids in the absence of CLEAR proof...
Invite the cop over for a beer and discuss it with him, likely to fix it himself before it becomes a problem.
He might not even know they have the slingshot.
But who is gonna fix the current dents?
rocking chair.
shotgun.
dang kids!
or, y'know... the camera.
a shovel full of dirt and rocks flung at them might make them stop
or wait for them to do it and come charging out of the garage with something similarplant it in the ground and ask them sternly yet not overly loudly why they did it. when they try to run walk over to their house witht he tape from the afore mentioned camera set up and show their father.
Figure out where they shoot from.. Put a HUGE strip of double-stick tape there. When you catch them, feed them to wild animals and take their clothes and put them on scarecrows with a sign that says "sic temper assholi!"
Quote from: NAKID on May 19, 2008, 06:03:27 PM
Camera. The cop, (unless he's had problems with the kids in the past) will likely stand up for his kids in the absence of CLEAR proof...
The same could be said of any parent.....
I'm assuming youre getting damage that you didnt notice before you saw the kids and the slingshot.
Camera route is a good idea. Then talk to their parents
you could always get a pellet gun, tell them that you know they are hitting your car with rocks and that if you see them again they will promptly get hit with pellets [cheeky]
A little off topic.
A shop I worked in, Nikiski Alaska.
Rob the shop helper is out back sand blasting parts. Comes inside to complain about neighborhood brats using him as BB gun target practice.
Lloyd and I go the long way around, catch the little bastards in the act.
We drag them into the back of the shop, put their BB gun in vice of welding table, fire up TIG welder, weld end of barrel shut, and then hand it back to them.
On the way out we told them " No charge for fixing their BB gun "
Never heard a word.
I cleaned my garage tonight to fit the Jeep, Boat and Motorcycle all in the garage at the same time.
Thats the quick fix till I can setup a camera if i even do that.
Now I need to fix the garage door opener. I don't mind opening the door manually but thats way to much manual work for my fiancee :(
(http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/systems/dvic552.jpg) ;)
Quote from: He Man on May 19, 2008, 10:17:53 PM
(http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/systems/dvic552.jpg) ;)
+1 ;D
Quote from: Mac_48 on May 19, 2008, 09:00:14 PM
you could always get a pellet gun, tell them that you know they are hitting your car with rocks and that if you see them again they will promptly get hit with pellets [cheeky]
this has worked to keep the varmints away from my truck [thumbsup]
Depending on where you live the slingshot could be illegal too.
(http://www.army-technology.com/projects/apache/images/apache2.jpg)
(http://www.army-technology.com/projects/apache/images/apache19.jpg)
Quote from: MendoDave on May 20, 2008, 01:50:46 PM
(http://www.army-technology.com/projects/apache/images/apache2.jpg)
C'mon, mang! Be realistic! None of us can afford that thing.
(http://www.chrisabraham.com/claymore-thumb.jpg)
Less is (clay)more.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Klassischer-Flegel.jpg/450px-Klassischer-Flegel.jpg)
Children are difficult...I say make nice with them.
Give them candy and marshmallows and soda pop. Buddy up to them. If they think you are the coolest guy on the block they probably won't mess with your sh*t (they'll probably continue to vandalize stuff... but not yours).
And if they keep it up...poison those little bastards.
"I say we blow the make the beast with two backsers up."
Another vote for camera. If nothing else it might look intimidating enough to keep them away.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a295/giacco/snowday007.jpg)
Quote from: lethe on May 20, 2008, 03:51:11 PM
Another vote for camera. If nothing else it might look intimidating enough to keep them away.
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a295/giacco/snowday007.jpg)
Set phasers to "stun".
Aw, hell, who am I kidding? Set em to "deep fat fry."
That camera looks like a perfect sling shot target [evil]
i have had great success using a high power pellet rifle to kill pesky varmints.
nevermind :P
What does the fact that the father is an "ex cop" have to do with anything? Even if he was currently a cop it still wouldn't matter. Go talk to your neighbor. You have no idea how many calls we go to because people don't talk to their neighbors anymore.
Quote from: howie on May 20, 2008, 08:58:44 PM
That camera looks like a perfect sling shot target [evil]
Except that another camera would see you do it. ;D
Well, technically, that one would too!
Quote from: NAKID on May 21, 2008, 12:39:12 AM
Well, technically, that one would too!
Not all are as obvious as that one.
I'm saying that even if he shot THAT ONE, it would still record him shooting it...
Go talk to dad. Tell him you know he's an ex-cop, tell him you think some neighborhood kids are running around vandalizing cars, can he call the local PO and see if extra cruisers can swing through the neighborhood.
If there are more kids in the neighborhood, he might not assume their his kids. But, might take the info to heart and give his kids a "talking to" to ensure it's not them. Just let him know you're noticing dings that look like they're coming from rocks, mention the rocks in the driveway. Take a "wild guess" that it's a slingshot, or something like that. He might be able to put 2 and 2 together if he knows his kids have a slingshot without you outright blaming his kids.
Quote from: hbliam on May 21, 2008, 12:25:30 AM
What does the fact that the father is an "ex cop" have to do with anything? Even if he was currently a cop it still wouldn't matter. Go talk to your neighbor. You have no idea how many calls we go to because people don't talk to their neighbors anymore.
This makes a lot of sense. Cops are people too, and, in this case a parent. Give it a try.
I vote for a Thompson Encore Pistol chambered in 410 loaded with rocksalt, I know the one time I got shot with something like that as a kid I never went back there again.
Quote from: kutter on May 21, 2008, 03:39:30 AM
I vote for a Thompson Encore Pistol chambered in 410 loaded with rocksalt, I know the one time I got shot with something like that as a kid I never went back there again.
This is what caused a peeping tom to not frequent a nearby neighborhood. A homeowner tracked him through the neighborhood & lit him up with rock salt ~
JM
I hear that stuff sucks. . .
Quote from: slowpoke13 on May 21, 2008, 01:36:37 AM
Go talk to dad. Tell him you know he's an ex-cop, tell him you think some neighborhood kids are running around vandalizing cars, can he call the local PO and see if extra cruisers can swing through the neighborhood.
If there are more kids in the neighborhood, he might not assume their his kids. But, might take the info to heart and give his kids a "talking to" to ensure it's not them. Just let him know you're noticing dings that look like they're coming from rocks, mention the rocks in the driveway. Take a "wild guess" that it's a slingshot, or something like that. He might be able to put 2 and 2 together if he knows his kids have a slingshot without you outright blaming his kids.
This sounds like sound advice and it is what you should probably do, but its not as much fun as talking about machine guns, helecopters and blunt force instruments...
Quote from: sno_duc on May 19, 2008, 09:22:20 PM
A little off topic.
A shop I worked in, Nikiski Alaska.
Rob the shop helper is out back sand blasting parts. Comes inside to complain about neighborhood brats using him as BB gun target practice.
Lloyd and I go the long way around, catch the little bastards in the act.
We drag them into the back of the shop, put their BB gun in vice of welding table, fire up TIG welder, weld end of barrel shut, and then hand it back to them.
On the way out we told them " No charge for fixing their BB gun "
Never heard a word.
TIG welding is way cool. I'd go with this solution. If you don't have TIG you could always go with MIG.
I think if you are going the welding route then just get a nice flame going on an acetylene torch, heat the barrel real well and flatten that puppy out with a nice 3lb engineers hammer, very gratifying, and ya get sparks and everything!
Yeah, I don't know why people don't talk anymore. You're not an idiot (by any means!). You know it probably has something to do with those kids, and you know you don't have proof. This father's no idiot, and he's made a living out of putting 2 and 2 together. Just tell him what you think in a "thought I'd come talk to you, let you know what's going on and hear what you think" kind of way. If i were their dad, I'd like to know what my kids are getting up to, and even what the neighbors think my kids are getting up to. My reputation and my kids reputation would benefit from keeping all this kind of stuff out in the open.
Just be conversational, not confrontational, and it should be fine. [thumbsup]
Quote from: BWClark on May 21, 2008, 09:30:41 PM
Yeah, I don't know why people don't talk anymore. You're not an idiot (by any means!). You know it probably has something to do with those kids, and you know you don't have proof. This father's no idiot, and he's made a living out of putting 2 and 2 together. Just tell him what you think in a "thought I'd come talk to you, let you know what's going on and hear what you think" kind of way. If i were their dad, I'd like to know what my kids are getting up to, and even what the neighbors think my kids are getting up to. My reputation and my kids reputation would benefit from keeping all this kind of stuff out in the open.
Just be conversational, not confrontational, and it should be fine. [thumbsup]
Okay, I have to admit that this is a better solution than the Welding fix. Maybe you could weld something to put you in the right mood than go
talk to the dad.
I would just get one of those child-sized mannequins, dress it up and then doctor it to look like it's bloodied and beaten, then hang it in front of your house with a sign "sic temper assholi"
Quote from: ducatizzzz on May 22, 2008, 11:16:45 AM
I would just get one of those child-sized mannequins, dress it up and then doctor it to look like it's bloodied and beaten, then hang it in front of your house with a sign "sic temper assholi"
Teenager-sized chalk outlines work well, too.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/M1-A1_Abrams_1.jpg/800px-M1-A1_Abrams_1.jpg)
Quote from: howie on May 20, 2008, 08:58:44 PM
That camera looks like a perfect sling shot target [evil]
my first thought!
You could always run over their bikes Just say that they left it in your driveway. [evil] Won't fix your dent but it will make you feel better!!
Who cares if dad is an ex-cop..if the kids are being azzholes, you two need to have a discussion about the damage.
Quote from: corey on May 22, 2008, 01:18:58 PM
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/M1-A1_Abrams_1.jpg/800px-M1-A1_Abrams_1.jpg)
Oh, No Apache Helecopters because they're too expensive but M1 tanks are OK? [cheeky]
Quote from: teddy037.2 on May 19, 2008, 07:10:03 PM
rocking chair.
shotgun.
dang kids!
or, y'know... the camera.
As much as I like Teddy's suggestion on how to deal with this, both he and I live in The Peoples Republic of Hawaii and that sort of behavior is frowned upon down here... :P
Invite them over for fudge:
http://ducatimonsterworldwide.org/index.php?topic=2609.msg36034#msg36034 (http://ducatimonsterworldwide.org/index.php?topic=2609.msg36034#msg36034)
Any update?
The Saga continues...
I came home last night from a graduation in Southern california.
I noticed the air conditioner was not working so I went to check it out today. I noticed there are 2 baseball size rocks next to the air conditioner. One looks like it struck it and bent some of the air coils. I really dont think the rock broke the air conditioner but who knows ???
the house next door is vacant but the house next to that has the same child I caught with a sling shot. I heard him making noise like he was breaking something and I saw him sneak into the next doors backyard through a broken fense board. a few minutes later he disappears and 3 or 4 small rocks come flying into my backyard.
I look over the fense and I noticed the house across from his house has a broken window. I walk over to get the broken window story from them but the house is also vacant... No wonder why they did not say anything.
Enough is enough. I knock on the kids door and talk to the parents and told them everything. I told them I did not see there child do anything but all these things are adding up. Of course the kids denied it.
well before I left the house i befriended the parent. I fixed her sprinkler Head and there older son just bought a ninja 250 to learn on so we shot the bull for a hour and befriended him as well.
I dropped a few hints about setting up a camera and notifying the police to see if they got any other reports to do a little scare tatics.
Not sure what else I can do. I still need to talk to the other kid across the street whos step father is a ex police officer.
Quote from: ROBsS4R on June 15, 2008, 08:17:23 PM
[...] I befriended the parent. I fixed her sprinkler head and their older son just bought a ninja 250 to learn on so we shot the bull for a hour and befriended him as well.
This is a winning strategy!
One question:
Is "fixed her sprinkler head" some sort of euphemism?
QuoteThis is a winning strategy!
One question:
Is "fixed her sprinkler head" some sort of euphemism?
Heh
i like older women but she is not my type ;D
Quote from: trenner on June 15, 2008, 09:46:25 PM
This is a winning strategy!
One question:
Is "fixed her sprinkler head" some sort of euphemism?
Well
now it is [laugh]
Quote from: trenner on June 15, 2008, 09:46:25 PM
This is a winning strategy!
One question:
Is "fixed her sprinkler head" some sort of euphemism?
Only if she was lactating ~
JM
QuoteWhy are kids such A holes these days
Because they're kids. I was a kid and I was an ass hole, still am by most accounts.
The kids next door to me are little shits. Sneeking out at night, don't look you in the eye, soon to be dope-smokers just like there dad. Well, I sure do recognise that.
I try to take interest in what they're interested in (Heavy Metal, playing music, there 3 yr. old brother, and that's about it). I talk to them. The oldest one has a KLX 110 and the pilot jet was cloged so I fixed it.
You can't pick your family or neibours but it's best if you can get along, even if you don't like them.
Not trying to preach, just telling you what's worked for me.