Give me some perspective here . . .

A few minutes ago I'm talking to my neighbor in the front yard when I hear a couple of poorly running V8s attempting to accelerate. Two truck loads of teenage knuckleheads are having a drag race down the inlet road to our subdivision, covering the entire available roadway. Fortunately, there wasn't any incoming traffic or it would have been an ugly, three car head on crash. The corner coming in is blind, and we (the corner house) have lost our mailbox several to incoming traffic because people enter the neighborhood WAAAY too fast. It had some ugly potential. But fortune favors the stupid I guess.

But that wasn't enough for our fearless knuckleheads. Oh no. I hear "Line 'em up boys!" from the feeder road next to the neighborhood. Sure enough, we're gonna do this again, and we do. Again, despite the fact that we're covering both lanes of a residential feeder and running our 7 cylinder drag race (slowly) to much higher speeds, our fearless knuckleheads somehow manage not to kill themselves and/or anyone else.

I'm pissed. Initially, I made the decision not to call the authorities, electing to speak to the parents instead, because that's what I would want another neighbor to do if it were my child. Except they are nowhere to be found. House is locked up, paper is still in the driveway. Porch lights on at 5:00 p.m. I could still call the police, swear out a complaint, make it stick and probably cost at least the one knucklehead I know his driver's license. I've had issues with the kid in the past bullying some of the younger kids in the neighborhood, so he's already not getting a Christmas card from me.

So, is this a "it's kids being kids, let it go" moment or something worth getting worked up over? Just looking for a 2nd or 3rd option.

I would without hesitation have called the cops. Don't know if that is what you wanted to here but that is exactly what I would have done if I was in your shoes.

Now that it is a few hours later I would let it slide.

Maybe locate the parents and talk to them. I'm going with boys will be boys, personally. Option #4, talk them into taking it to the track. Offer autox advice.

mndsm wrote: Maybe locate the parents and talk to them. I'm going with boys will be boys, personally. Option #4, talk them into taking it to the track. Offer autox advice.

Still planning to "chat" with the parents, but in prior incidents, they seems to have little actual control over the situation. Parents are split and the kids play one against the other. I thought about the whole "take it to the track" angle, and may take it after I've had a bit more time to calm down.

Two passes is asking for it, call the cops.

Call the cops and the cops will just give them a chat. Unless a cop witnesses the act they usually dont ticket, even if you have video. Try the parent angle, it worked to get me to quit doing dumb things in town as a teen.

Get hold of the kid and tell him his engine is running rough and needs a good cleaning. Tell him the best method is pull the spark plugs dump a teaspoon of sand in the cylinder, re-install plugs and start er up.

The parents need to know whether they want to hear it or not, bet it won't be the first time. Not to get jumpin' ugly on 'em, be subtle but get the point across.

Too late for a police response but they need to know also. I'd stop in the station and relay their past events. BTDT. Once they know who the bad actors are they could step up patrols if they don't know 'em already... which they probably do. My city PD likes to hear this kinda stuff including suspicious activity. There's usually one bad egg (like the bully) that instigates E36 M3 like this. They'll watch that guy.

If those kids raced in the wilderness let 'em knock themselves out. Racing in a residential area makes it a public safety concern.

I got small kids that play outside my house. I'd be in the Phone to the cops faster than you could say "boogity boogity boggity, let's go racing boys".

Do you own anything fast enough to take on the winner of the second round?

Call the cops FIRST.

Then, let the parents know you had to call the cops.

Why would you make the choice to not call the police? Do you expect a more positive result if you enable them?

Call the cops.

One of the neighbor kids did that about a decade ago. My other crazy neighbor lady walked out into the middle of the road and stopped them and gave them a solid public dressing down about driving like that in a neighborhood with kids. He apologized. Never did it again. Not sure it always works like that but it did kind of make up for the time she was dragged away in cuffs after shooting a handgun through her mom's travel trailer while her mom was inside.

I vote cops. These kids have already proven themselves to be E36 M3 heads with bullying (as someone who was bullied this is a big issue for me) that any other bad (read illegal) behavior will go straight to the 5-0

You could always donate some time to help them with their next oil change, by kindly draining their oil for them...While they're asleep, so as to not interfere with their schedule...But maybe you end up forgetting to remind them to refill it...Hypothetically speaking, of course.

There's always the other phone call to the police that says "I saw them meeting another truck over there late in the evening. I don't know what was exchanged, but it looked suspicious..."
By the time a bully grows up to drag racing age, there's usually one or two smells a dog will find intriguing on their vehicle...

So here's an update: The Mrs. and I were taking a walk and I found Jr. out in the front yard by himself. Much to her chagrin, I walked up to him and had a little conversation. I explained to him that the particular corner they chose to have their race on was dangerous enough to begin with, mentioning the above repeated mailbox losses. I explained to him that I'd worked as a prosecutor on a manslaughter case resulting from very similar circumstances and that BOTH drivers in the race ended up getting charged (this is a true story, BTW), and how much I'd hate to see a young person such as himself with get a dead body pinned on him. I told him we were all young and stupid once, but when we involve vehicles, the stakes go up and I just couldn't allow that to happen in my neighborhood. I also suggested the "grudge night" at the local drag strip was a much better venue and they might find they enjoy the company. Actually seemed rather well received.

Having directly had that conversation, I'm done talking with him or his parents. The next call, if there is one, will be a 911 call.

Sounds like you handled it about as well as you could have. Hopefully you made an impact and will see him at the track.

I know there's lots of "zero tolerance" around today, but a serious talk and some perspective from people who are no longer 16 and have learned better can occasionally really help a young person that doesn't yet know better.

Nice work.

Call the cops.

I was a street racing punk until I did an overnighter for it... after that. I wasn't.

I'd have called the cops immediately. I don't think my confrontations with people like that would go well. Afraid of losing my temper when something that dangerous/obnoxious/etc. is going on.

Hope you don't have to deal with it again in the future. I hope nobody does actually - I hope its not a case of "my neighbor is a jerk about this, lets drag race and endanger residents in a different neighborhood".

Yep. Report it. Not cool in a residential area.

It's like nobody has watched "Back to the Future". Marty McFly learned not to drag race and avoided a terrible future, your neighborhood ner do well should take a lesson there.

I'm a fan of chatting with the person in question over calling the cops. Police interaction tends to make thing adversarial and escalates bad blood. Actually treating them like humans and having a conversation let's them know that there is a better way.

call the cops all day.

We race in mexico if the track is closed. Its a mile long straight section of road in BFE. go out around 11pm and no one gets hurt if anything happens. Cops will show up every so often, but usually to tell us to chill out till cars pass.

We live on a long straight street on the downhill side of a blind hill, and get plain old speeders all the time. That's scary enough with the kids around, so if I saw people racing I'd 100% go directly to the cops.

That said, you were nice enough to have a conversation with the kid "man-to-man," so I would consider him fully on notice. The next time he does something like this there's no question that an immediate call the police is in order. If nothing else, you did him a great kindness in attempting to teach a lesson in "adulting" and the concept of consequences.

Cops vs pissed kids egging your house, blowing up your mail box, etc.