Kids waiting for school bus on my porch

[Anonymous]

I agree with the previous poster, it is the insurance company that will sue, not your neighbors. Every time my kid has gone to the emergency room with a cut that needs stitches or some like that I get a letter from my insurance company asking all of these questions like "where did this happen, where you are your house , was anyone else involved" and questions like that. The insurance companies are pretty much looking for someone to sue so that they don't have to pay out the claim.

[Anonymous]

And we bemoan the lack of community in American society.

"It takes a village, but not on my front porch."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And we bemoan the lack of community in American society.

"It takes a village, but not on my front porch."

It only takes a village when it's a question of me (who knows the right thing to do) interfering with somebody else (who is doing it wrong).

OP, put up a sign: "Get off my lawn, and my porch, too."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And we bemoan the lack of community in American society.

"It takes a village, but not on my front porch."

I would have no problem with this scenario, except for the fact that the homeowner is then potentially opening herself up to a lawsuit if someone's kid gets hurt doing some stupid stunt. If OP knew and trusted her neighbors I doubt this would be as big a deal, but the scenario now sounds like expecting almost complete strangers to form the kids' "village".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that the previous homeowners allowed it. Personally, I'd be fine with it in inclement weather. The mom might be a jerk, but the kids are just kids and it sucks to stand in the rain.

And what if one of those kids falls on wet slippery porch steps and gets hurt? Will the kid's parents let it go?

OP, I'm with you. That's what umbrellas are for. OR, if people are driving their kids to the bus stop, they can let the kid wait in the car until the bus comes.

[Anonymous]

I would not be okay with kids waiting on my porch, even when it was raining. I would draw a firm line and not allow it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My guess is that the previous homeowners allowed it. Personally, I'd be fine with it in inclement weather. The mom might be a jerk, but the kids are just kids and it sucks to stand in the rain.

And what if one of those kids falls on wet slippery porch steps and gets hurt? Will the kid's parents let it go?

OP, I'm with you. That's what umbrellas are for. OR, if people are driving their kids to the bus stop, they can let the kid wait in the car until the bus comes.

It's sad that people live their lives being afraid of being sued for things that have a small likelihood of occuring. I would think anyone who didn't allow a child to sit on a porch for a few minutes to get out of the rain was a very cold person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unbelievable! We're just talking about elementary school students trying not to get wet when it's 35 degrees and raining. I cannot believe how much animosity there is on this thread for some kids who just want to stay dry.

I would have absolutely no problem with this.

God knows how difficult it is for kids to obtain umbrellas and rain gear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel a bit like the neighborhood ogre, but I don't want kids waiting for the school bus on my porch. I wanted to post here to see if I am being reasonable or making a big deal over nothing. I just moved into a corner house in new neighborhood. The house has a school bus stop in front of it. My kids go to another school so don't ride the school bus. As I walked outside to get the paper one raining morning I saw two kids on my porch peering in the front door stained glass window. You can't see inside unless you put your face up to the door. I told them to go wait on the corner and they ran off the porch. As I was picking up the newspaper a car pulled up and a girl around 9 ran out of the car and started walking up to my porch. I called out and told her to wait on the corner. Her mom rolled down and the window and said she was only going to be there a minute until the school bus came. I am not sure if she had said this in nicer tone I would have let it go but the entitled attitude tone she said it in pissed me off. I told her kid again in a louder voice to go wait on the corner and the mom drove off. A few days later the same girl stood on my porch and when I went outside she said her mom said it was OK because it was raining. I again told her to go wait on the corner and she was not allowed on my porch no matter what the weather was like. I feel like it is a slippery slope, that if I am not consistent I will have kids on my porch every morning then in the afternoon waiting for their parents. As it is I pick up a lot of food wrappers on the corner and my plants there all get trampled. I figure that is not a big deal but the porch is. Any thoughts?

OMG. That mom and the other parents who tell their kids to wait on your porch are awful. What is their problem? No, it's not ok. You need to talk to that kid's mom in person, wait to see her and talk to her. Approach nicely and tell her calmly your side: the kids leave trash, because her kid is there others feel they can, too, and basically it invites anyone to hang out on your porch, they peek in your window, etc.

Those people are completely in the wrong. You are in the right, OP. Also, call the school to have the bus stop moved.

At our kids' bus stop, the house has a porch. I would never, ever think to have my kids or anyone's to stand on their porch. People should wait in their car with their kid, or give the kid an umbrella.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I knew them - I might. But I wouldn't want random kids on my porch! Aside from the liability thing, kids don't respect personal property as well and I don't want trash, trampled landscaping, or my stuff broken. In our neighborhood (and when I was growing up), kids waited in cars in bad weather until the bus came. If a parent can't wait, the kid hops in somone else's car to wait.

Sounds like it's fence time.[/quote]

This. put up a fence if you can afford it. It is not cheap, but totally worth it.

[Anonymous]

17:33 here. I forgot to add that also tell the mom "no" calmly, the kid can't stay on your porch (after stating your reasons why).

[Anonymous]

They can wait in the car OR carry a small umbrella OR wear a rain coat and hat. Not on my porch either.

[Anonymous]

I think it's important to teach kids to respect personal property. I don't even like people walking across my yard, let alone hanging out on my porch.

I am from a rural area out west, and you don't just hang out on people's property. For people who think this is fine, where are you from?

[Anonymous]

Do people really conduct their lives based on "This would probably be the right/decent/friendly thing to do, but something might happen, and then somebody might sue, so I won't do it."? I guess people do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's important to teach kids to respect personal property. I don't even like people walking across my yard, let alone hanging out on my porch.

I am from a rural area out west, and you don't just hang out on people's property. For people who think this is fine, where are you from?

From somewhere where the population density is greater than 6 people per square mile.