Footballs again

I think making the effort to know your neighbours and engage with them makes all the difference when it comes to (the odd) football being kicked over the fence, an occasional party etc.

People who ignore their neighbours and then expect them to put up with loud music, renovation works and so on are plain rude.

When I did my first weeding and pruning round of the borders in my back garden one year I found twelve footballs! No idea whose they were, no-one had ever asked for any back.

My sons and their friend used to play football in our garden, but once they got big enough to kick the ball over the neighbour's fence I sent them off to the school field to play.

What I didn't like was children playing football in the road.
We're the last house at the top of a cul-de-sac so they all used to gravitate towards our drive, with their jumpers on the pavement as the goal. The goalie was never very good!
Seeing footballs bouncing off my car's wing mirrors did annoy me I'm afraid.
If I was quick enough I'd nip out and confiscate the ball. When they asked for it back I'd say I'll give it to a responsible adult.
One dad was a taxi driver and he agreed with me he wouldn't have been happy if his car got damaged.

...three fully grown teenagers start football and within minutes there are four balls in my garden.

I don't think people are quite getting this.

It's not the 'odd football' that lands in your garden 2 or 3 times a week which few people would mind.

Teenage boys' brains are not wired to self-regulate. Their bodies are almost mature but their brains are not. They probably have no care or concept that their kickabout is causing problems for others. I doubt they are even playing football, they're just kicking it as hard as they can for the hell of it.

It's up to the adults to moderate their behaviour - but as the father joins in, I doubt there's much 'maturity' there either.

People are allowed to enjoy their gardens, we know that, but there's a point at which one person's enjoyment becomes a bloody nuisance. Kicking balls with such force that they continually land in someone else's garden, playing very loud music with windows wide open, individuals 'partying' in their gardens, shouting and screaming until the small hours is not people enjoying themselves, it's plain anti-social behaviour. The family sound like they are self indulgent, ignorant and obnoxious neighbours... they probably think it's a good laugh.

The OP has posted before about this - her neighbours appear indifferent. They simply don't give a damn.

Where we lived before the two teenage lads next door would repeatedly kick the ball against and over the fence bang, bang, bang....ball over. Repeat this time after time, day after day. Plants broken, our dog occasionally hit with the ball, muddy ball against our windows and washing. Day in. Day out. It drove us mad. I feel very sorry for the OP.

We threw the balls back and bit our tongue telling ourselves live and let live but fuming really. Eventually the fence fell down. My husband went around and said he would replace the fence himself and buy all the panels and posts, but if one more ball hit it he would give their landlord the bill.

No more balls.

They were total arses in so many ways though. We were glad to leave.

Tolerance is occasionally needed, but sometimes there needs to be rule setting.

Right now I'm listening to goodness knows how many young lads having fun in my lodger’s room next door. The bass note of their music is very distracting, but it’s the first time that he’s played music that’s bothered me and I’m happy he feels comfortable enough to have his friends round. So I shall let it go on until I’m off to bed then tell him to call it a night!

And he’d better do as he’s told! ? ?

I have mobility issues and bending makes me go dizzy. So if any balls come into my garden they stay there until my nephew makes his next visit which is usually once a week. He throws them over the front fence into the street where they are available for any child who wants them to take them. I dont answer the door to unsolicited visitors unless they are deivring a parcel (ring door bell).

The parents are morons. This is unacceptable behaviour. Grown teenagers are big enough to go to the park and play football and the average garden is not a suitable space as clearly they can't confine it to their own boundaries.

StoneofDestiny

The parents are morons. This is unacceptable behaviour. Grown teenagers are big enough to go to the park and play football and the average garden is not a suitable space as clearly they can't confine it to their own boundaries.

Hear hear
That’s it in a nutshell ?

People saying "oh its only once a day" etc are taking no heed of the fact that not everyone is mobile or able to bend to pick up a ball and throw it back. Nor do we all have domestic support/partners.

Nothing to do with balls but yesterday I had the utitity company doing work near my property and twice asking me to get up and flush the toilet so they could check the drains. After the second time I warned the young man "please do not knock here again. I have very poor mobility and will NOT be answering."

Later on a new neighbour rang the bell (despite one of those "no callers without appointment" notice. She said via the intercom that she wanted to ask me something. I just told her "I am a disabled person in bed resting and will not be getting up again today. Please go and ask someone else."

Today Ive disabled the bell so it doesnt ring and disturb me. I will reconnect it next time Im expecting a caller or delivery.

If I saw a house with a notice like that I would not be disturbing them unless it was a serious emergency, and would expect to get a chilly reception.

Some people are so bloody entitled.

Our DD had a friend to play and this was the only time a ball went over the fence. The neighbour eventually threw it back with several punctures like she had used a knife or scissors.

For 23 out of our 25 years this neighbour was a nightmare and she stopped speaking when our new cat went in her garden. I think she hit the cat because he never went in it again!

It was unbearable and the best day of our lives was when we moved.