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Ring and dash pranking by kids in my neighbourhood, what can be done?

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24

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    #32
    bobbyy gee
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,306 ✭✭✭bobbyy gee


    Under the 1851 Petty Sessions Act a person can ask a judge to issue a summons for a suspected lawbreaker. A garda or lawyer is not required. The standard of evidence necessary for issuing a summons is quite low.


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    #33
    boombang
    Registered Users Posts: 2,108 ✭✭✭boombang


    Magnifiqalex wrote: »
    When he came he was all concerned with his daughter, not at all concerned with the cause or the problems, he just said his side and went back.

    The father's attitude is so pathetic. What is wrong with people?


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    #34
    krissovo
    Registered Users Posts: 2,645 ✭✭✭krissovo


    As a kid we used to call it knock and bolt and as stated before we did it to get a chase or some reaction. Getting cursed at from the door was cool but a chase used to get the adrenaline running. Even a curtain twitch used to signal to us you needed another knock later.

    After we got bored of knock and bolt we progressed to “Hedge Hopping”. The idea was to jump over hedges or fencing through as many gardens as possible. It was a great cardio work out.

    Hedge hopping led to another game where filled a envelope with dog poo and set it on fire on the doorstep and then rang the bell. The reaction we wanted was for the owner to stamp out the fire and get covered in dog poop. I am not proud of what we did but it was part of being a kid in what was largely innocent fun.

    Oh and get a ring doorbell, stops all that nonsense or at least gives you a laugh when you see what is going on.


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    #35
    mrsgiller
    Registered Users Posts: 42 ✭mrsgiller


    Where I live it's called Nick nack, think all kids including my own have done it at some stage. Don't answer the door and they will get bored, it's hardly a criminal offence. My solution was to move my bell into my porch and lock porch door. End of problem


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    #36
    Samuel T. Cogley
    Registered Users Posts: 10,684 ✭✭✭✭Samuel T. Cogley


    mrsgiller wrote: »
    Where I live it's called Nick nack, think all kids including my own have done it at some stage. Don't answer the door and they will get bored, it's hardly a criminal offence. My solution was to move my bell into my porch and lock porch door. End of problem

    End of usefulness of the doorbell also.


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    #37
    mrsgiller
    Registered Users Posts: 42 ✭mrsgiller


    Saves unwanted visitors and cold callers. If some one is expected they will knock on window or call me.


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    #38
    Darc19
    Registered Users Posts: 3,817 ✭✭✭Darc19


    Adults do it too

    https://www.facebook.com/paulvutv/videos/237857370803437/?extid=gUIXSs6AJs5sUwvt


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    #39
    NickNickleby
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭NickNickleby


    oh, we were brats. As a child in Birmingham, we called it "Thunder and Lightning". You knocked on the door like thunder, then rang like lightning.

    In Dublin, it was nick nack. We lived in a corpo estate, with terraced houses. The doors were in three pairs per block - literally right next door to each other. So, we'd go in, in pairs and knock on two doors simultaneously. then run and watch the neighbours come out and batter each other for nick-nacking them. Never happened of course:pac:. then you'd get to know who gave the best/fastest reaction, so that resulted in dares. You might be dared to bang 10 times on the knocker before running like hell. Or, nick-nack and hide within grabbing distance. Everyone assumes you're half way down the road, so who had the b*lls to hide right next to the door. Ahh, fun times.

    It happens to me now, but too late at night to be scaredy 10 year olds. But I still open the door, just to let them think they got me.

    Embrace it OP, its kids having fun, and being daring.


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    #40
    Samuel T. Cogley
    Registered Users Posts: 10,684 ✭✭✭✭Samuel T. Cogley


    Darc19 wrote: »
    Adults do it too

    https://www.facebook.com/paulvutv/videos/237857370803437/?extid=gUIXSs6AJs5sUwvt

    I want my five minutes back.


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    #41
    HBC08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,286 ✭✭✭HBC08


    mrsgiller wrote: »
    Saves unwanted visitors and cold callers. If some one is expected they will knock on window or call me.

    Why did you bother moving the doorbell rather than just removing it.
    You might as well have put it under the kitchen sink.


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    #42
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,232 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Our youngest generation have discovered the nicknack, but aren't very good at it!

    I was driving in a couple of weeks ago and saw a bunch of little girls (8-10 year olds) running in and out of gardens. I pulled into the driveway and sat in the car for a bit replying to messages before going inside. One of the little ones marched past the car, straight up to the front door and rang the bell. I gave her a blast of the horn for the craic and she nearly somersaulted with the fright. The dashcam footage is gold. :D


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    #43
    ...Ghost...
    Registered Users Posts: 3,266 ✭✭✭...Ghost...


    endacl wrote: »
    The dashcam footage is gold. :D

    Why hold back? Show us some gold. :D

    Stay Free



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    #44
    Magnifiqalex
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭Magnifiqalex


    Thank you everyone for replying, I am new to this website and i really didnt expect so many replies so quickly, so i would just explain the thoughts and my thinking that i had already gone though.

    The Thing is I did ignore them, I did believe that they would leave if i didnt give them reaction. But I work from home, i have constant meetings happening in calls, The fact i snapped was truly when it happned on the work day, it started friday evening and it was fine, i was cool enough not to chase them tll sunday. But by Monday, it was really with the calls, the issues, I was not able to control. They were ringing continously and putting garbage in my front yard and into my letterbox, Although i do not justify my actons( which seem to be overdone due to that devil's fake crying), something had to be done other than ironically requesting them to stop ringing.

    I have thought about camera in the front, but as mentioned in one of the replies, these kids are not 3-5, they are alot bigger gang. I feel like anyone with face covered can come up and do the damage. They already broke the ringbell light( which was done intentional or not i am not sure).

    For the changing of ringbells, i checked that too, they are mostly sold with tranformer bells form and not really the other kind similar to Canada where i stayed previous. So i have to play with the wire and screws to switch it off and on again, its really not practical for me to do that everyday.

    My real question is if Gardai can do anything about this, even if i have video of children doing these things. I should be talking to parents first but the last convo that happened between me and her dad was a disaster, he didnt care one bit what his daughter was upto, which was really sad. That has really made me lose hope with talkin to these parents. Can I not involve any authority for this, This is now practically borderline harrassment from these kids. They say from a distance we are just having fun with middle fingers.


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    #45
    Magnifiqalex
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭Magnifiqalex


    Okay i didnt see the other pages, seems like many of you have done this.

    In my situation it starts from 4 pm to 8 pm, there is one minimum ring in 10 minutes gap, there might be more but atleast one happens for sure.
    This goes on for 4 hours. I dont possibly see myself having patience with it specially on my workdays, I have other issues in my life as well :( .

    I have seen prank videos of ring and dash onlines as well, they are fun, do it twice, thrice maybe 10 times. but this is not fun, this is bullying, they don't stop.


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    #46
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,232 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    ...Ghost... wrote: »
    Why hold back? Show us some gold. :D
    Post video of a neighbour’s child on the web?

    Ah....... no.


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    #47
    mrsgiller
    Registered Users Posts: 42 ✭mrsgiller


    HBC08 wrote: »
    Why did you bother moving the doorbell rather than just removing it.
    You might as well have put it under the kitchen sink.

    Only gets locked in the evenings or if the kids are doing nicknacks


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    #48
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,747 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    Ignore, ignore, ignore.
    Once it ceases to be fun they'll move on to something else.
    I never answer the door unless I expect someone, filters out a whole load of unwanted callers.


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    #49
    Magnifiqalex
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭Magnifiqalex


    So Garda is no help or no other authority that can intervene?

    I do not answer the door but the ringing is what's the problem while my meeting calls are going on which is why it is unbearable.


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    #50
    hayoc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 199 ✭✭hayoc


    Disconnect your doorbell. Or install one that can be switched off easily.

    I never have mine on. I have no interest in being disturbed by people unless I am expecting. These days a friend will call on the mobile and if Im expecting a delivery or a takeaway I just switch it on til the delivery happens.


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    #51
    hayoc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 199 ✭✭hayoc


    Magnifiqalex wrote: »
    For the changing of ringbells, i checked that too, they are mostly sold with tranformer bells form and not really the other kind similar to Canada where i stayed previous. So i have to play with the wire and screws to switch it off and on again, its really not practical for me to do that everyday.

    I used a wifi doorbell in my last place. One end of it sticks outside the front door, the other bit plugs into the wall. No wires, no screws. You could adjust the volume, switch it off, change the ringtone etc...

    Think I paid less than 20 quid for it and I lived in that place 3 years and never had to replace the outer battery once.

    I only got it because I got a porch installed and I didnt want the cost of moving the existing doorbell outside it.


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    #52
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,747 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    Magnifiqalex wrote: »
    So Garda is no help or no other authority that can intervene?

    I do not answer the door but the ringing is what's the problem while my meeting calls are going on which is why it is unbearable.

    They're kids, not murderers.
    Just disconnect the bell.


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    #53
    Magnifiqalex
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭Magnifiqalex


    whisky_galore wrote: »
    They're kids, not murderers.
    Just disconnect the bell.

    Sorry, but kids need to have boundaries as well. I said i have the patience but not for a continuous belling sessions. Garda is not only for murderers, Maybe when some kids start throwing **** on your window or door maybe you will understand the irony in your statement about kids.


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    #54
    Rubberchikken
    Registered Users Posts: 5,083 ✭✭✭Rubberchikken


    I'd be ashamed if I had my child complained to be about this stupid irritating behaviour.

    The parent you spoke to was a complete waste of space and I can see their ill-behaved kid annoying others as it gets older.

    It's all well and good posters saying ignore it but when it happens to you then see how you'd actually feel.

    I didn't find the 'i did it myself' post funny either.

    Kids that age know what they're doing is crap and if they had coo on and decent parents they'd have much better things to do.


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    #55
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,056 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    I get how people feel. The question is, do they want to vent their feelings, or do they want to change the kids' behaviour? Because the course of action you should follow differs depending on what goal you want to acheive. Giving vent to your feelings is likely to reinforce the annoying behaviour, so you have to make a choice here.


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    #56
    Rubberchikken
    Registered Users Posts: 5,083 ✭✭✭Rubberchikken


    Being treated like this is frustrating. I was a kid:) I didn't behave like that. None of my siblings did.
    None of the kids we hung around with did. Treating your neighbours like crap wasn't done.
    It's probably why I have a very low tolerance towards that type of thing.

    Yes, kids will be kids. But not everyone of them behaves like that. I'm convinced it goes back to the parents and how they were raised and how they'd like their kids to behave.


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    #57
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,056 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    All valid points. But they don't solve the OP's problem, or point to a solution.


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    #58
    Hoboo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,518 ✭✭✭Hoboo


    Peregrinus wrote: »
    All valid points. But they don't solve the OP's problem, or point to a solution.

    Last post page 1.


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    #59
    sasta le
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭sasta le


    This is a brand new house?Must suck have little ***** starting already


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    #60
    An Ri rua
    Registered Users Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭An Ri rua


    Op, most definitely get the ability to switch off your doorbell.

    For easy recon on your home, use Alfred on iOS or Android. I've used it for years and twice had kids messing and invading my space in an invasive way. I simply told them they'd been spotted doing etc etc and I know it's only a bit of fun but such a one told me they were at it.
    Killed 2 birds with one stone. They switched attention to a curtain twitcher extraordinaire.

    Access it from your desktop as you work. Knowledge is power. 99% of what you see won't be actionable. But you'll know what's what and you'll know which exact kids are the culprits.
    Ps don't tell neighbours you're running cameras, especially where kids are involved. Even on your own property, apparently they feel their little demigods have more rights than you. They don't of course, but people are binary, especially thick people.

    Most definitely you are being harassed. But you've amplified their attention by reacting. It's understandable but it's also fuelled it. So now you have to disconnect the bell and take a few deep breaths. Try basic stuff first before resorting to the Gardaí. That's a hammer to crack a nut. No matter how wound up you are.


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    #61
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,056 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    Hoboo wrote: »
    Last post page 1.
    No idea what post you're looking at. Pagination differs for different readers using different devices with different settings. You can identify a post by the number on the top right of each post (and, for the honours students, you can use it to create a link to the post).


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