Ding dong ditching and cops brought home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the defenders of DDD. Even something as simple as waking up a sleeping infant and causing alarm/concern to neighbors is really not nice and I would be really ashamed if my kid did that.

If your TWEEN popped a balloon or made a loud noise close to sleeping baby at a park and they woke up crying would you be like, LOL! Kids! I sure hope not. What's the difference?

My 10 year old DD knows better than to do this. She'd also probably say, people are crazy, you never know what could happen. She's 10.

Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil.
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 2.1

In summary - there are simply some stupid people in this world, and lots of them appear to use the internet.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I guess they don't know how to play the game. You ring the doorbell and run away. No chance of getting shot.

Because the other (stranger) residents are just props for their entertainment. No matter how it might frighten or annoy them. Got it.

Door bell ringing is not scary

This has been gone over.

Yes. Just reminding you it’s not scary.

Of course. But and I both know that a group of adult- appearing young men pounding on your door after your family has gone to sleep is not “just ringing the doorbell”

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Harmless prank = nobody is harmed. Like the example of calling your friend's house in the afternoon and asking if their refrigerator is running. Or putting toilet paper around the tree of a girl you have a crush on.

Not harmless prank = somebody is harmed, even if that harm is just being briefly frightened or inconvenienced or woke up from sleep before a day of work. Now, to do one of these types of pranks on a complete stranger at 10pm- that's no longer funny.

I usually don't throw this word around, but if your definition of "harm" includes "being briefly frightened or inconvenienced or woke up from sleep before a day of work," you truly are a snowflake.

Yes, frightening someone on purpose- not like shouting "boo!" which is also cruel to do to some random adult stranger, but by pounding on their door in the middle of the night- is harmful. People are harmed by being terrified that an intruder is about to enter. Who are you? Can I start tapping on your bedroom window with the butt of a gun while you're asleep with your babies, wearing a mask, and call it a harmless prank?

They rang the doorbell. Do burglars usually ring the doorbell where you live? That's a pretty polite intruder.

I live in an upscale community in Fairfax County. Three years ago, a guy who had a Washington Gas Company uniform on rang the front doorbell - it was the middle of the day. My DH answered and the guy tried to force is way in. My DH was able to shove him back out the door, slam it shut and lock it while yelling at me to lock all the doors in the house. DH called the police and I blasted a text to all the neighbors. Turns out this wasn't the guy's first attempt. So while it may not be 'usual', it's also not 'usual' for my doorbell to be rung at 10PM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trayvon Martin

I can’t believe it took 10 pages to get to this. My immediate thought was to Trayvon, walking by himself, minding his own business, dead. Ahmad Awbry running in bright sunshine, minding his own business, dead. I would be beyond upset to know that my son went to a sleepover and was out unsupervised and getting into mischief and brought home by the police. But, I am Black and know that this could be a death sentence. Certainly my son wouldn’t be at another sleepover, rest assured.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think it’s crazy that the police brought them home. I don’t think this is nearly the big deal people are making it out to be, other than going to the park at 10 was a dumb idea.

This. It's overzealous policing. Police stopped and picked up kids for walking around? That's ridiculous. What law was broken? Even the ding dong ditch - someone called the cops? Because of . . . why exactly?

That said, even though it was an overreaction, because the police were involved you need to let the other parents know immediately.

And where do you live, OP, that people would open fire because of this?

As an aside, the kids obviously are white, because otherwise we'd be reading about this in the paper, and a few of them would be dead.

Totally agree with everything here. We did far worse things in middle and high school and we all turned out to be well functioning and law abiding adults.
Is ding, dong, ditch a crime in some jurisdictions?

Also, remind your kids that a lot of people have Ring doorbells so they are likely going to get caught.

Yes. Probably not in OP’s since the kids weren’t charged, but it is illegal in some areas.

What is the crime, exactly?

Since your Google is apparently broke, here, let me help you.

https://www.guidelinelaw.com/is-ding-dong-ditching-illegal/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ding-dong-ditch-leads-to-charges-for-homeowner/

Yes what a harmless prank! Amirite? No harm to anyone! Just little kids being silly!

So the criminal justice system believes ding dong ditch is harmless and a violent response from a home owner is illegal.

Wow! The system did work.

"Harmless"? I see many people being harmed as a result of that teenager's decision.

Post something what’re a homeowner was harmed by a ding dong ditch.

First google search, a disabled vet who some 9 year old girl likes to repeatedly ding dong ditch and even broke his door so it slams harder, but the person is disabled and has difficulty getting to the door when it rings.

Shot a 15 year old who rang doorbell and ran away
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/james-moshier-accused-of-shooting-15-year-old-ringing-doorbells-and-running-away-with-friends/
LAUREL, N.Y. -- A young teen attending a sleepover never thought a game of "ring the doorbell and run" would land him in the hospital.
The birthday party ended in near disaster when a homeowner grabbed a shotgun and started firing, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported Friday.

WOW, the same scenario here, minus the shooting!

[Anonymous]

Used to be a fun game

[Anonymous]

Something like this happened in one of the "safe, planned communities" in moco this week and the consensus among neighbors is the kids are rude and thoughtless but the parent is the problem.
I don't understand what people are thinking letting teens roam around at 10 pm. They aren't up to anything pro-social at that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's mischief not criminal. Adults are insane. I wouldn’t call the cops and waste their time over innocent fun and I wouldn't punish them.

No. It's illegal. It's not really hard to look it up. You're on the internet already.
https://www.guidelinelaw.com/is-ding-dong-ditching-illegal/#:~:text=The%20simple%20answer%20is%20Yes,ditchers%20may%20face%20if%20arrested.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:OP was naïve for thinking six eighth graders would go innocently play at a park at 10pm, the kids were typical dumb teenagers, deciding that annoying neighbors would be fun (who does this in the era of doorbell cameras?), and police resources were used to break up mischief rather than go after actual criminals, but the biggest problem by far is that this is a country where there are enough people who would shoot a gun at someone fleeing their home after ringing the doorbell that the police predict you’ll get shot for doing that. That’s extremely disturbing.

The only thing disturbed is the OP and her teenage son she didn’t raise with any respect. Respect yourself, respect others, respect property, respect the elderly, respect authority, respect your position as the parent, the list goes on and on. This has nothing to do with gun’s and everything tO do with OPs poor parenting.

I just love how some of you act like you were never 13 and dumb.

I did alotnof dumb stuff as a teen and my parents made me take responsibility.

OP should have marched the boys over the neighbors houses in the morning to apologize. Op should have had the teens each go home. Op didn't even bother calling the parents.
OP is a giant a**hole.

[Anonymous]

I hope you texted the parents immediately OP? I have girls but they would have told me right away because the alternative would have been much worse and they know it. I also wouldn’t want my child wandering my safe neighborhood at 10pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Used to be a fun game

It was never a "fun game". It's always been an obnoxious way to annoy people and think you should get away with it because you're just a kid. There seems to be a lot of people, at least here on DCUM, who think that's okay too. No wonder so many kids are so obnoxious. With kids being raised like that by parents who think it's no big deal, is it any surprise so many teachers are finding other things to do with their lives.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Trayvon Martin

I can’t believe it took 10 pages to get to this. My immediate thought was to Trayvon, walking by himself, minding his own business, dead. Ahmad Awbry running in bright sunshine, minding his own business, dead. I would be beyond upset to know that my son went to a sleepover and was out unsupervised and getting into mischief and brought home by the police. But, I am Black and know that this could be a death sentence. Certainly my son wouldn’t be at another sleepover, rest assured.

I'm white and I thought the very same thing that you did. Thank you for articulating it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8th grader had friends spend the night. They went out to the park down the street (very safe master planned community) around 10 and about 30 minutes later my doorbell rang and it was 2 cops and my kid and his friends. The cops let me know they got a call and found the kids walking. The kids admitted and were honest and kind of in shock. I couldn't believe they would be so stupid but I realize the collective wisdom of 6 8th grade boys is actually dumb and risky. The cops told them they were putting themselves in a lot of danger because people around here wouldn't hesitate to use a gun in a situation like that in this day and age. They were not wrong. The kids definitely learned their lesson.

How would you handle this with the other parents? One kid already told his mom. Others told me they want to be the ones to tell their parents in the morning, which I understand. I should follow up with a text to the parents later in the day to see if they have spoken with their kid, right? I would want to know and I don't want the parents to think I am not taking responsibility.

Good Lord a "very safe master, planned community" where people "wouldn't hesitate to use a gun".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Harmless prank = nobody is harmed. Like the example of calling your friend's house in the afternoon and asking if their refrigerator is running. Or putting toilet paper around the tree of a girl you have a crush on.

Not harmless prank = somebody is harmed, even if that harm is just being briefly frightened or inconvenienced or woke up from sleep before a day of work. Now, to do one of these types of pranks on a complete stranger at 10pm- that's no longer funny.

I usually don't throw this word around, but if your definition of "harm" includes "being briefly frightened or inconvenienced or woke up from sleep before a day of work," you truly are a snowflake.

You know what? I don't care. Your "snowflake" 14 year old nearly grown man doesn't have the right to "briefly frighten" or "wake me up from sleep before work" just for his own amusement. Just, no. Full stop. Do better.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harmless prank = nobody is harmed. Like the example of calling your friend's house in the afternoon and asking if their refrigerator is running. Or putting toilet paper around the tree of a girl you have a crush on.

Not harmless prank = somebody is harmed, even if that harm is just being briefly frightened or inconvenienced or woke up from sleep before a day of work. Now, to do one of these types of pranks on a complete stranger at 10pm- that's no longer funny.

I usually don't throw this word around, but if your definition of "harm" includes "being briefly frightened or inconvenienced or woke up from sleep before a day of work," you truly are a snowflake.

You know what? I don't care. Your "snowflake" 14 year old nearly grown man doesn't have the right to "briefly frighten" or "wake me up from sleep before work" just for his own amusement. Just, no. Full stop. Do better.

You are confused. You are the snowflake here.

No, you’re the one who is confused, snowflake. DP