Playing outside used to be a common part of growing up and having fun, but in today’s society, for various reasons, it happens less often.
Whether that be due to the pull of video games, staying inside to chat to their friends on their iPads, or just the fact that they have miserable neighbours who complain when they’re playing outside.
Seeing children playing outside is less common, but such a heartwarming thing to see, so when one mum had a complaint about her children, she was flabbergasted.
She claims a neighbour knocked on her door to moan that her children were riding scooters past her house.
The mum took to Mumsnet to vent. She wrote: “We live on a small estate (22 houses). One of my neighbours knocked on my door yesterday to ask if I could please stop my children riding their scooters past her house.
“Today my daughter came in to tell me that the neighbour had now asked her not to ride on the footpath outside her house. I went outside. She asked me why my children ride on the footpath right outside her house.
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“I told her; it's a footpath. They're allowed on the footpath. I have asked my daughter to avoid being right outside her house but my son is autistic. I've told her that. He doesn't understand "don't ride your scooter on this particular bit of the footpath.”
“But, am I being unreasonable to think that what she's asked is unreasonable? You can't ask people to not use a footpath!
“They are not on her property, fair enough she can absolutely ask people not to be on her property, but she can't control the footpath. She complained that they ride their scooters near her car.
“Her car is parked right beside the footpath. She's in a corner house so she probably does have more footpath outside her house than most. But that's not really anybody's fault.
“She's really taking it personally. 'They're outside MY house'. They're on the footpath, they're not peeking in her windows!”
It does seem rather unreasonable to not allow children to ride their scooters outside in a public space, and many people took to the comments to share the sentiment of the original poster.
One sympathised, writing: “I’ve no advice but on the estate i grew up we had neighbours like that. In the 1980s we used to play on the streets and pavements in the side streets.
“There was a house that had heavy net curtains and an ‘old couple’ lived there and shouted if you did anything outside their house. Even in passing. Bonkers. And we did.
“Now I would tell them to buy the pavement and the road if they want control of it….”
Another wrote: “Footpath is not part of her property so she cannot dictate that. Tell your daughter to carry on. What a miserable neighbour.”
“Yep, bonkers. We are in a cul de sac and often have kids scooting or cycling past as it's a safe bit for them to be in. I like seeing them going past and being out and about!”, another said.
One fumed: “I know the type, thinks she owns the road!”
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
