<p>We have next door neighbors with an 18 yr. old who’s been nothing but trouble since he was seven. Now he’s 18, back from reform school, and driving like a hellion. He almost ran me over last week. Another neighbor told me that on Monday he nearly killed her family of SIX as he was going 50 in a 25 mile speed zone. (We live in a gated community…ugh) She said if they hadn’t jumped into the rough they’d all be dead! The cops said they can’t help anything they don’t see. The parents wring their hands and let him have that dratted truck. I suspect there’s drug use (like before) but of course can’t prove it. The neighborhood kids aren’t allowed to ride their bikes anymore outside. This is ridiculous. If the police won’t help and the parents are hopeless is there anything else we can do? I suppose I could report his license tag every time I see him speeding. Any other ideas?</p>
<p>My gated community has a homeowners association with a governing board…does yours,any set way to make a complaint?
we also have speed bumps…residents hate them but they do keep the speeders in check…you go too fast, your car bottoms out</p>
<p>Let the air out of his tires??? :D</p>
<p>Maybe video tape him for a few weeks, and then present the evidence to the police?</p>
<p>I know of a kid in our town in the same situation. He eventually totalled a parked car of mine. When I spoke to the cops they told me that he had enough tickets that with this accident he would probably lose his license for a while. They also told me the only thing you can do is report it the minute you see it. Call 911 everytime. Don’t feel like you are being a pest.</p>
<p>speedbumps! Hate 'em, but they keep the kids safer. Also, I really don’t get why the police can’t stop by and talk to the kid about the complaints they’ve been recieving and let him know he’s on their “radar.” (pun intended.)</p>
<p>The police could could go to the parents’ house and talk to the parents and the kid.</p>
<p>Perhaps a few people in the neighborhood could install video cameras in their homes pointing down the street so that they could provide police with evidence that the person is speeding.</p>
<p>We have a homeowners association too and my previous neighbor liked to park commercial vehicles against the rules. We just notified the HOA and he was fined each time (in escalating amounts). Same thing with dogs and other neighborhood nuisances. My wife takes long walks in the morning and if we had a dog problem, she would eventually run into the person doing it. If that didn’t work, then I would just install a video camera in bedroom that scans the front lawn.</p>
<p>“Let the air out of his tires???”</p>
<p>Letting the air out of the PARENTS’ tires … now that might get results. Honestly though, this is a police matter. Get some videotape evidence and present it to the police. When they don’t act, get a signed petition and give it to town officials. That will probably get the police going. If it doesn’t, file suit against the town. I mean what do you have to lose really? It’s not like anybody’s helping you. Oh, one more thing … if you can find out who’s insuring the brat, give a copy of the video tape to the insurance company.</p>
<p>They would freak if I had a videocam with me and even pretended to tape him. That’s a good idea.</p>
<p>yup. Video tape him. Get the whole neighborhood on alert. Get everyone ready with their camcorder or the video mode on their digital camera or the video mode on their phone. When they see him driving recklessly, speeding, and endangering the neighbors, get it on film. Then present it to the police and the homeowners association. I also suspect that if it was mentioned to the parents that they could be liable in civil court for damages, they might reconsider their inactions. The homeowners association might even want to forward information to the company that insures the parents home. Heck, post the videos on You Tube. It will get someone’s attention. Sounds like it is in the neighborhood’s best interest to do this BEFORE someone gets hurt.</p>
<p>I love the YouTube idea. Perhaps do a video 60-minutes style. Interview the parents in front of their property and then show them video of their son and ask them to comment. Interview the son getting into his car too and then zooming off.</p>
<p>The local TV station might be interested too.</p>
<p>There was an interesting news story in Durham about a bunch of residents threatening to fire paintball pellets at cars speeding through their neighborhoods. That would be illegal but perhaps putting up signs wouldn’t be.</p>
<p>Whatever action you decide to take…One thing you could do is keep in mind that you will not only be protecting your kids and other neighbors from this young man. You will also be potentially protecting him from killing or doing permanent harm to himself, as well as saving his parents from losing a child (or having to take care of a disabled one for the rest of their lives). </p>
<p>Also, if drugs are a problem for him, you can assume that the parents are doing more than you know to help (even though it isn’t working), and also that he has little or no ability to help himself until he is in recovery.</p>
<p>Consequences for people who are acting the way this kid is acting are a really, really good thing. The more and the sooner, the better.</p>
<p>If this is someone who had to go away as a young person for drug problems, he is a poor soul more than a “brat”. Feel pity for these folks - the parents have probably had their hearts broken. </p>
<p>I would do the videotaping thing, and then pat yourself on the back for it. Be careful, though. Best to get a group of you together and present a unified front. </p>
<p>I think the best case scenario would be to write a letter from everyone (anonymous or not - you choose), and in a compassionate way explain that you fear for your kids’ safety as well as the young man’s. Then share your intentions to use videotape if a polite and reasonable request to obey the law is ignored. This may diffuse retaliatory anger in the long run.</p>
<p>I would be certain to notify the parents in writing. Here is why-- when and/or if he kills, maims, or otherwise damages himself and/or other people, it will be clear that they knew and are liable.</p>
<p>We have a case here where a 16 year old was drag racing and killed a grandmother and seriously injured others. Neighbors came out in droves to show the DA all the times they had expressed concern not only about the girl’s driving but also about the condition of the car (bald tires, etc). Girl was charged and convicted as an adult.</p>
<p>What do you mean by “reform school”? Was the kid adjudicated in? Was it an emotional growth school? Was it drug rehab? </p>
<p>I agree with notifying the parents in writing that the safety of others is being jeopardized by their family member and their OWN actions regarding their family member.</p>
<p>The first thing I would do is send a certified letter informing the parents of the problem. In the letter, I would spell out that one of the purposes of the letter is so that when their son injures or kills himself and/or others, they will not be able to say they didn’t know. </p>
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<p>I have no pity for anyone who enables a dangerous driver to keep driving. I’m a parent. I am sympathetic towards others parents right up until the point that they chose to deal with something by endangering other people’s children.</p>
<p>As far as compassion and pity go, I have been the only one in the neighborhood to defend the parents, because they’ve done everything they know how to do to help this kid. But now that he’s 18 and is becoming more dangerous, its enabling. They haven’t taken away his truck which says to me that they’re afraid of him or in denial. Its not right that the whole neighborhood lives in fear of him RACING around the corner, blowing through the stop sign and tearing down our street. As far as “reform school” goes, MOWC, it was some sort of place in Idaho where kids who have ADHD go to learn how to work on impulse control and “risky behaviors”. I noticed on the website that there is a rehab aspect of it available if needed but its not like Hazelden where everyone’s in recovery, its more about ADHD.</p>
<p>Your ideas have been so helpful. Thanks so much!!</p>
<p>I know you are trying to be helpful but honestly I don’t think it’s anybody’s business what type of reform school he was in. Every time you see him driving recklessly call 911. Given that the kid is 18 I’m not certain that the parents knowing via a letter from you makes them liable. Let the police handle this one.</p>
<p>we had such a young man living on our street. Enough calls to the police(albeit it is a village police so they come for injured squirrels/cats in trees) got us a patrol car parked at the T junction near the end of the street the hellion used to race motorcycle/car/dirt bike,they ticketed him EVERY time. Eventually, he was under 18, they got a person in need of supervision order, he was taken out of the home, mother agreed as she could not control him any longer and he was violent with her.</p>
<p>Some states allow civilians to issue tickets for traffic infractions, actually. It is rarely done and would involve going to court and such (and may or may not actually hold up), but you could try it to send a message if this is on the books in your state (try asking the police?)</p>