Kids waiting for school bus on my porch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It is more likely to happen considering the circumstances. No parental supervison + slick steps + my property = a situation I wouldn't be entirely comfortable with.

We as a society have become way too litigious but that's the reality. Just because you wouldn't sue someone in that situation doesn't mean that they wouldn't sue you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It is more likely to happen considering the circumstances. No parental supervison + slick steps + my property = a situation I wouldn't be entirely comfortable with.

We as a society have become way too litigious but that's the reality. Just because you wouldn't sue someone in that situation doesn't mean that they wouldn't sue you.


Sorry about the formatting. I bolded my response to the PP.

[Anonymous]

OP here- The responses are pretty divided into two camps. I will have to think some more about this. I don't want to be the neighborhood meany, but don't want to be a sap. I don't want to live my life in fear of getting sued, but financially I can't afford to be sued or to have my home owner' insurance increase. I wouldn't ever let my kids go up on someone's porch to wait for the school bus so it annoys me. I don't think the previous owners invited kids to go up on the porch. The place looked a little creepy before we bought it. The porch had junk on it, the paint was peeling, there was no furniture outside. We painted the house, the porch, put some cute patio furniture out there, have lots of plants, etc.

[Anonymous]

This would bug me too. I would not want random kids on my porch. It is not public property, it is trespassing! Next time, suggest that the mom lets her kid sit in the car with her if it is raining.

[Anonymous]

Your porch is your personal property. Just because some say they wouldn't care doesn't mean you're not allowed to care. Continue to tell them no and move them along. It would bug me too.

[Anonymous]

In the meantime, look into the city building a bus shelter.

[Anonymous]

Bottom line is mom needs to wait with her kid. I wonder if they are using a fake address for school. If it makes her late somewhere, she needs to pay for child care. For safety, why would you encourage your child to sit on a strangers porch.

[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.

oh no, rain! the horror.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People will think you are the neighborhood ogre.

Call the school and ask them to move the stop to across the street, that is what our ogre neighbor did and it worked out fine.

We have a family and the kids used to wait in their driveway. It was fine when their kids were in school but no longer. They complained to the school and the bus stop was moved (just a few feet to the stop sign). But, yes, they are sort of viewed as the neighborhood ogres.

I think you should pick your battles, frankly. Allow it in bad weather? But speak to the parents and set the boundaries. Just tell them you're uncomfortable w/ it otherwise and the kids were peering in the windows. But, you should be prepared for some blow back from it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People will think you are the neighborhood ogre.

Call the school and ask them to move the stop to across the street, that is what our ogre neighbor did and it worked out fine.

We have a family and the kids used to wait in their driveway. It was fine when their kids were in school but no longer. They complained to the school and the bus stop was moved (just a few feet to the stop sign). But, yes, they are sort of viewed as the neighborhood ogres.

I think you should pick your battles, frankly. Allow it in bad weather? But speak to the parents and set the boundaries. Just tell them you're uncomfortable w/ it otherwise and the kids were peering in the windows. But, you should be prepared for some blow back from it.

I cannot blame the family for not wanting the bus stop in their yard.

In no way is it acceptable for a child to sit on a strangers porch. Mom needs to wait with the child or drive her to school. Our neighbors kids do laps in our yard. It is very uncomfortable with the thumping, yelling and damage to our property. We do have a high fence and they climb it or open it. We have asked the kids to play in their yard and their response is mom sent them to ours. You need to teach kids to be respectful and set boundaries. It is one thing if permission is asked but mom is too lazy to wait five minutes or drive her kid to school. She needs to hire a babysitter not expect strangers to care for her kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I cannot blame the family for not wanting the bus stop in their yard.

In no way is it acceptable for a child to sit on a strangers porch. Mom needs to wait with the child or drive her to school. Our neighbors kids do laps in our yard. It is very uncomfortable with the thumping, yelling and damage to our property. We do have a high fence and they climb it or open it. We have asked the kids to play in their yard and their response is mom sent them to ours. You need to teach kids to be respectful and set boundaries. It is one thing if permission is asked but mom is too lazy to wait five minutes or drive her kid to school. She needs to hire a babysitter not expect strangers to care for her kid.

The bus stop is not in their yard. The bus stop is presumably in front of their house. If the OP asks the school district to move the bus stop, and they do, then the bus stop will be in front of somebody else's house.

Also, I'm really getting stuck on the idea that a 9-year-old is not old enough to wait for the school bus by herself.

[Anonymous]

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

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

People break out the village thing when really what they mean is, let me kid do the thing I want him to do because it's easier for me. Why does living in the village never seem to mean teaching your kid to behave in a civilized manner towards other people living in the village? Presumably the village also has respect for personal property? It's 100 percent rude and entitled to tell your kids to wait on someone's porch.

[Anonymous]

The parents at my bus stop don't even let the kids play on the lawn of the house where the bus stop is (though we are only about 95% successful). The only time I would consider running on to someone's porch would be a true weather emergency.

I am guessing the previous owners allowed it which makes it hard for you..but I would do the same.

[Anonymous]

I know I'm about the 50th person to comment, but I find it truly bizarre that parents would tell their children to wait on the porch of someone whose children don't even ride that bus. It would be one thing if your own children were out there waiting for the bus- it might seem more natural to offer your porch as a waiting spot in inclement weather. But the situation you describe is just strange and would definitely bother me.

I think I might talk to the bus driver and have him/her address the children.

[Anonymous]

I would not allow this regardless of the weather. If one kid does it, who's to say the OP wouldn't have ten kids one day on her porch? It's just not right. The OP's porch is private property and she has the right to expect people aren't loitering on it. I would not talk to the bus driver either; it's not the driver's responsibility to tell children to disobey their parents. I would continue to tell this child and her mother that she can't wait on the porch.