I've never seen that either as a kid or as an adult. [kids refusing to move off the street]
"Refusing" was the wrong choice of word. They would move, but grudgingly, slowly, and sullenly. The message would be clearly, "So what the f--k is your problem?" It adds up to a form of intimidation, especially for the elderly. In the neighborhood I'm referring to, I was o.k. because I had my own kids of the same age. However, we had an elderly couple who lived across the street, and who were basically driven out of the neighborhood. They cared about their property, their lawn and their little gardens, and they were constantly in the position of yelling at kids cutting across their yard and the like, who disrespected their property and their right to peace of mind. They became the butt of numerous mean-spirited pranks and petty vandalism (never by my own kids, who actually got to know them and liked them). The worst part of all was that the other parents always took their kids' side and in effect encouraged the harassment. We thought it was a really ugly commentary on how kids are too-often raised today. The couple eventually sold their house. |
