Am I just a grumpy old man?

[Los_Control]

Been dealing with a neighbor for some time ... putting up with it.

He is a young kid, the type that puts his dog on a chain in the back of the truck bed and parks in the sun ... when the dog jumps out and chokes itself on the short chain ... 3 different neighbors ran out to save the dog.

Then again, while he has a fenced backyard, he lets the dog run free ... The dog comes over to the other neighbors house and drags garbage all over the hood.

The guy is a menace in the grocery store, puts his young boy in the shopping cart and runs full speed up and down the meat isle. Making var000m var000m noises.

Boy just does not have the brains he was born with, imho. I just been avoiding him after he tried to hang his dog.

 

Now he has possession of a truck that belongs on a dragstrip ... am I just a grumpy old man that does not like hotrods?

Here is a mild video of what he did today, yesterday he tried to see how big of a burnout could do, came out with a tape measure this morning to measure the black marks his Hoosier slicks left on the road. ... truck been quiet for awhile, as I write this is getting dusk and he fired it back up again. And again it sounds like a drag strip in front of my house.

 

Am I just a grumpy old man? or should I embrace this kid for being a hot rodder?

open it up for opinions

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

in a  manner of speaking I see this young kids days are numbered.....in his carelessness or numbered as a count down till he is out of jail....he has bars in front of his face he has not yet seen...Karma will win out I assure you....hopefully before your patience runs out....had a similar type in this sleepy little town....his little bee-in-a-box ricer got repossessed.  Been nice and quiet again.....we can go an entire afternoon at times with no traffic and it is so calm and peaceful sitting by the firepit on the patio where the train is the only thing that defines the quiet.  

[plymouthcranbrook]

Used to have neighbors like that. We are in a small town north of Chicago in a residential area near a school. He used to take his drag car out on the street in front of the school and "test" it for acceleration.   Took several calls to the local constabulary but one day he was just a bit to slow in putting the car away. Last time for that.  They moved away shortly after and the house has been empty ever since(30 years or so). So no, you are not a grumpy old man. Just one who believes everything has its time and place.

Edited June 5, 2020 by plymouthcranbrook

[P15-D24]

And I would call Animal Control regarding the dog. 

[MackTheFinger]

Go to the police station and show them the video. I'd bet they already know him. 

 

Edit to say, the guy will probably blow up his truck and not be able to fix it or get bored and stop.. It's your call whether you want to outlast him. I'm sure the rest of your neighbors aren't happy, either. He oughta be turned in for abusing the dog.

Edited June 1, 2020 by MackTheFinger

[Dan Hiebert]

Pretty good chance that truck is not street legal.  "Display of power" (doing a burn-out on a public road) is also a violation in Texas.  But if I recall correctly, in TX a law enforcement officer has to actually witness motor vehicle violations to do anything about it.  Your town may also have ordinances that are either enforced by a code enforcement officer or the police / Sheriff's dept. / Constable's office.  There is no requirement that the person(s) being offended try to talk to the offender first, which I have noticed in the various places we've lived, never really works anyway.  The animal cruelty issues may carry more weight than motor vehicle ones.  But, nothing can be done unless the proper authorities know about it.  In other words, there are avenues other than waiting for karma to kick in, which often exceeds one's  patience.  You are not a grumpy old man, your neighbor is an inconsiderate, rude jerk.  You have more right to peace and quiet than your neighbor has to be a butt-head.  

[Todd B]

“Display of power”. I remember that term several times in the early 80s coming from the officer outside my truck window.
 

 

I do agree that the issue with the dog should be pursued for sure. Tie a short leash on him and throw him in the back of your truck.

[Los_Control]

3 hours ago, MackTheFinger said:

Go to the police station and show them the video. I'd bet they already know him. 

I actually thought about that .... think I am just keeping the video's handy in case something goes sideways.

The court house is on this very street just a few blocks down the road, and the police station sits behind the courthouse.

Those times he is doing multiple passes, police could be here in 45 seconds or less ... if they are not interested so be it.

 

This is not the first so called race car he has had, then a few weeks ago he came home with a Harley sportser then that disappeared and this truck showed up .... the truck does have a shoe polish 4 sale sign on the back window. Maybe it will be gone soon.

Kid had a pretty decent job and a company work truck, then the virus hit and work truck sat in his driveway for a month and it went away ... I assume his job did to.

I get frustrated with youngsters, I wish him no harm.

 

[MackTheFinger]

So you admit to being a grumpy old man.. That's a positive step!! ?

[Los_Control]

And I had such high hopes. This morning he drove off down the road a few hours ago in said truck ... YAY! maybe he sold it.

Fed X just dropped off a new set of slicks and sitting on his front porch. 

It aint over yet.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

1 hour ago, MackTheFinger said:

So you admit to being a grumpy old man.. That's a positive step!! ?

wishing him no harm and wishing he would abide by the laws of a polite society are not one and the same....

[MackTheFinger]

Progress is progress. I bet he put the shotgun back behind the door, anyway..

 

I've been goofing off today. Frenching the taillights on my '54 Ford Customline so I'm priming and sanding, priming and sanding, priming and sanding,  listening to The Hip due to a post on here a couple of days ago, and generally having a great day!! Thankfully I work remotely. The suits have no idea what I'm up to!! ?

 

Hope you're having a good one!!

[keithb7]

Driving his truck like that in your residential neighbourhood is immature and potentially dangerous. Do families and kids not play in the areas surrounding their homes?  If everyone in the neighbourhood is pissed, it may only be a matter of time before a vigilante act is carried out at 3 AM.  He may be a mostly harmless young man, but he does need to be respectful and show common courtesy to the neighbourhood. Assume he was a nice friendly young man, busting his butt wrenching on his old Mopar on the road out front of his house. Polite and  humble, open to coaching and advice. If the clutch went in his old Desoto you might be under there giving him and hand over a couple of beers. Instead of wondering how long you'll all  have to put up with his antics.

 

Ya we're getting old and grumpy.  We get this way because we a have long, long view in the rearview mirror. We have learned how our actions may affect others. Today I want to carry on peacefully and do my own thing. Leave me alone. I'll leave you alone. Treat others as you'd like to be treated. How we want to be treated has alot more meaning as we age.  We sure ain't lookin for a fight.

Edited June 2, 2020 by keithb7

[RobertKB]

Once, long ago, when I was camping with my wife and young kids, there was an idiot and friends who came out to the campground from the nearby local town. It was around midnight and the driver and buddies in their truck came in revving their engine and peeling out repeatedly. Probably drunk local yahoos. Anyway, all of a sudden it stopped. 

 

Next morning, there was the truck in the road with a broken driveshaft. I suggested to the next door camping neighbour that we go over and remove and throw away the valve stems which we did. Looked like the tires had been slashed but were only flat. Valve stems are probably still out there in the bushes 30+ years later.

 

Maybe you should try the same one dark night. He might get the message if he's not as stupid as he sounds.

 

By-the-way, I am not a grumpy old man at 71, in fact just the opposite. I just don't like putting up with idiots!

Edited June 2, 2020 by RobertKB

[Plymouthy Adams]

unfortunately stooping to their level is not the answer...it only creates a dislike and cause for retribution....however with the law taking charge of the situation...they can try retribution by they quick to find that is not a good choice......often if is lack of parental guidance in early life that leads to this BUT not always, the effect of alcohol and wacky weed does often play a part and embarrasses their family to no end.

[T120]

On 5/31/2020 at 8:25 PM, Los_Control said:

 

 

Am I just a grumpy old man? or should I embrace this kid for being a hot rodder?

open it up for opinions

 This is the facial expression of a grumpy old man.....

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

for we the aging but not really old...hold to your ground and hopefully with disciplined reserve get your gained respect...

 

for the younger set, one day you will be in our shoes.....given you are allowed to live or survive the stupidity of above actions......

 

 

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I was wrong...ricer car was not repossessed....had a blown engine and the clown is still driving it like before and will end up blowing this one also...but rainbow in the mix...they moving this week I was told....I'd almost help them pack to leave....note the almost...he works out of town anyway and only heard it on weekends...but it was an annoying sound....like someone squeezing about 10 cicadas at the same time....speaking of cicadas, lot of Appalachia will have a bumper crop singing in the hardwoods this season….

Edited June 3, 2020 by Plymouthy Adams

[Ulu]

@Los_control

 

In California, this law is "Display of Speed" and you can be charged regardless of the actual speed you are going in MPH.

 

But if you burn rubber on a public street, you are guilty. I got busted for peeling out at Pep Boys Auto back about 1985.

 

Anyhow, I think this is white lie territory.  Clearly he knows you're a car guy. I might walk across the street and tell him in the friendliest possible manner that you heard Ol' Miz Jones down the block was furious and said she'd call the cops next time she saw such.

 

If that doesn't appeal to you, maybe just print a little copy of the relevant law, and put it under his windshield wiper like a ticket before he wakes up tomorrow.

That would be the absolute limit of my physical involvement with his property.

 

If he can't take the hint, Just speed-dial the cops on the phone while he's racing his engine in the street and let them take care of him.

The cop will not have to witness the incident if three neighbors will say he did it, and you have video.

 

Legally it might not be enough for an arrest, but it will get them to give him a serious lesson in the law.

 

Chances are he will knock it off once the cops come and talk to him.

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by Ulu

[Brent B3B]

LC, your thread title is “ am I just a grumpy old man?” And a commercial for AARP is playing in the back ground ?

 

LOL, that my friend is COMEDY!!!!! 

(And yes, you are ?)

Edited June 4, 2020 by Brent B3B

[Los_Control]

20 minutes ago, Brent B3B said:

LC, your thread title is “ am I just a grumpy old man?” And a commercial for AARP is playing in the back ground ?

 

LOL, that my friend is COMEDY!!!!! 

(And yes, you are ?)

I got to love that. I never paid any attention to the tv. Same time I admit the wife lets me watch my news channel while fixing dinner ... I personally would never donate a dime to AARP .. Funny how it all worked out.  I am laughing with you 

 

[Ulu]

I get ads for dog toys, Hawaiian shirts, and industrial saws and sanders.

4 years on social security and google doesn't know yet.

[Los_Control]

1 hour ago, Ulu said:

I get ads for dog toys, Hawaiian shirts, and industrial saws and sanders.

4 years on social security and google doesn't know yet.

I could use a couple new shirts, my dogs are like my children and off topic.

I feed my dogs the same food I eat, I just fix a lil extra for them .... I then feed them ice cream 3 or 4 nights a week to be certain they are to fat to get out of the fenced yard.

I know I am cruel, they never turn down ice cream. .... Ice cream for all!

[casper50]

I was given this T shirt in the last few weeks.