Neighborhood kids coming into danger + on property - Unsure of who the parents are. Appropriate to ask?

[Anonymous]

There are two children around 9 and 3 (could be younger but I would guess 3-ish) who come up onto our street.

Last night, I was grilling (old school charcoal style) in our driveway. I ran in to grab the heads of corn to add to the grill and the older one scootered up and around the grill. I was watching from my cell phone on the security camera. It seems he wanted to look at the grill right after I went inside. As I was coming back out I saw him scooter back out of the driveway. I considered hollering out to him but something inside of me thought it was not my place to safety speech the child.

I see them around often, both are well dressed but are constantly playing in the streets. I’ve yet to see parents.

Is it out of place to ask where they live so that I can raise the safety concerns to the parents?

MYOB?

[Anonymous]

Ask your other neighbors if they know whose kids they are. Someone has to know. You are definitely not the only one having issues with them.

[Anonymous]

A 9 year old kid made a circle around your grill in their scooter and you see this as some major safety issue that requires you to find their parents? Honestly, I would just move on.

[Anonymous]

Stop grilling on your driveway. Do not ever leave it unattended if you have no other place to grill. WTF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A 9 year old kid made a circle around your grill in their scooter and you see this as some major safety issue that requires you to find their parents? Honestly, I would just move on.

You don't see the possibility that a child would knock that grill down and get burned with charcoal?

Wow

[Anonymous]

I believe legally it's on you. You shouldn't leave hazards unattended. (And yeah, I realize in practice this isn't always possible)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop grilling on your driveway. Do not ever leave it unattended if you have no other place to grill. WTF.

OP can grill wherever they damn well please on their property. WTF

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 9 year old kid made a circle around your grill in their scooter and you see this as some major safety issue that requires you to find their parents? Honestly, I would just move on.

You don't see the possibility that a child would knock that grill down and get burned with charcoal?

Wow

A 9 year old? No. Super unlikely. Now whether he should be on your drive is a different question, but no...this is not really a safety issue.

[Anonymous]

Who grills on their driveway?

I would tell the kid nicely not to come on your property and to stay away from the grill. If you had time to pull up your security camera and watch the kid, you had time to walk out there and speak to the child.

[Anonymous]

If anything happens to them on your property, the parents can sue you. This is the reality in America, land of the lawsuit.

So please ask your neighbors, or ask the 9 year old. If you talk to him directly, please kindly tell him not to approach the grill too closely, because he could burn himself. Most kids are sensible and receptive.

The neighbor kids played with mine when they were little. Since we didn't want to ban them from our property (all the kids moved as a pack and ran from back yard to back yard, it would have really harshed the vibe), we took out an umbrella policy to safeguard against potential injuries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 9 year old kid made a circle around your grill in their scooter and you see this as some major safety issue that requires you to find their parents? Honestly, I would just move on.

You don't see the possibility that a child would knock that grill down and get burned with charcoal?

Wow

A 9 year old? No. Super unlikely. Now whether he should be on your drive is a different question, but no...this is not really a safety issue.

Of course it is. Don't be obtuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop grilling on your driveway. Do not ever leave it unattended if you have no other place to grill. WTF.

OP can grill wherever they damn well please on their property. WTF

+1 As long as OP is nowhere near the street or sidewalk, they aren't the one doing anything in appropriate here. I wouldn't do it on my driveway myself, but I've seen other neighbors do it safely away from where people are walking.

I think people jumping on OP have never encountered these weird "free-range" kids. They are not all bad, but some have no common sense and are just plain twerps. I remember as a kid there was a weird boy who bothered everyone. He got into the next door neighbor's garage as started playing with his tools and the neighbor started yelling every obscenity at him. That boy stayed away for a while after that. The crazy thing is neither my family nor the next door neighbors ever found out where the hell he lived!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are two children around 9 and 3 (could be younger but I would guess 3-ish) who come up onto our street.

Last night, I was grilling (old school charcoal style) in our driveway. I ran in to grab the heads of corn to add to the grill and the older one scootered up and around the grill. I was watching from my cell phone on the security camera. It seems he wanted to look at the grill right after I went inside. As I was coming back out I saw him scooter back out of the driveway. I considered hollering out to him but something inside of me thought it was not my place to safety speech the child.

I see them around often, both are well dressed but are constantly playing in the streets. I’ve yet to see parents.

Is it out of place to ask where they live so that I can raise the safety concerns to the parents?

MYOB?

I wouldn't want the legal liability. Home owner's insurance is not cheap.

[Anonymous]

Ask your other neighbors if they know who these kids are. I'm sure someone knows. Guessing this "problem" is already behind you since surely you don't grill on your driveway and leave the grill unmanned that often?

[Anonymous]

Grilling on your driveway is trashy, OP. And a 9 yr old can be near a grill. Hell, a 9 yr old can grill food.