Crescent City Cat-Daddy: Florida tag conspicuously absent.

Florida my ass. We need an HOA tag.

"I think people forgot what it was like to be a kid and want to go outside and play,"

Maybe you shouldn't have bought a townhouse in a cramped complex with a no room for kids to play outside.

Normally, I'm the first to rail on HOAs, but if there's no space for them to play safely outside, they shouldn't be outside. Kids are stupid and have no perception of cars, come out from between parked cars, etc. (that being said, yes, there are plenty of idiot drivers, especially in FL).

The HOA board said the proposed rule....is all about safety.

Later....

The proposal states that "minor children will be under the direct control of a responsible adult at all times," and it would also ban the game of tag, skateboarding, Big Wheels, loud or obnoxious toys on "common property."

It's good to know the kids will be safe from obnoxious toys.

Why don't we have a "lawyer" tag yet?

Complicit: dj_bigbird: Normally, I'm the first to rail on HOAs, but if there's no space for them to play safely outside, they shouldn't be outside. Kids are stupid and have no perception of cars, come out from between parked cars, etc. (that being said, yes, there are plenty of idiot drivers, especially in FL).

Yep. I'm not a fan of HOAs, and their motives may be less than pure, but they're still in the right here. Having a kid doesn't give you license to do whatever you want. You should have moved somewhere more kid-friendly.

FTA: They came in and rented (a home) in a community that does not have a playground and is not conducive to children.

It sounds to me like they're rental homes. In which case I question why they just didn't lease to people with kids in the first place.

dj_bigbird: "Normally, I'm the first to rail on HOAs, but if there's no space for them to play safely outside, they shouldn't be outside. Kids are stupid and have no perception of cars, come out from between parked cars, etc. (that being said, yes, there are plenty of idiot drivers, especially in FL).

Screw that. Growing up we spent all day playing street hockey. You know. Hockey. In the street. With Cars. Did I mention that it got dark at about 5pm? And we wore dark jackets? and that the roads were covered in snow and ice?

This is bullshiat. Kids should not only play, they should be free to explore their environment. Free range parenting.

Hobodeluxe: and we rode bicycles without helmets and pads jumping ramps in the street like Evel Knievel. We went swimming in the creek w/o a lifeguard and had a rope swing we'd dive off of. Hell when I was a small kid we didn't even have seatbelts in some cars and no seatbelt laws.

I'm the father of two teenage daughters, and it floors me when, on a beautiful day, they'll be inside complaining of being bored. We live 5 minutes from 3 parks, all with sport facilities, 2 blocks from a shopping centre, a 10 minute bike ride to both a river park and a reservoir, and 1/2 block from a bus stop that will take you anywhere in the city they'd want to go.

And they're bored and looking to me for ideas to entertain themselves. I know I'm getting old because I shake my head in bemusement at this, which is one of the first signs of early onset crochety old fark syndrome.

Diogenes: It sounds to me like they're rental homes. In which case I question why they just didn't lease to people with kids in the first place.

Because, for some stupid reason, that is illegal.

They can ban dogs and cats (the latter being far less noisy/bothersome than kids) but cannot outright say they do not want kids on rental properties.

The parents should be smart enough to realize a place is not kid-friendly, and not be angry when it does not offer them the same quality that a house with a large yard would have. Take the kids to a park or something.

I'm thankful every day that I will never live in an apartment building again. Too many idiots.

Sudo_Make_Me_A_Sandwich: Here's an image of the neighborhood. It's a short road with cul-de-sac and plenty of green space in front of the road. If you can't avoid children in this neighborhood, you shouldn't be driving.

It's probably more about things like yelling/shrieking, the annoying noises that things like a Big Wheel make when scraping on the ground, etc. Just because the parents don't mind, the other people living there don't want to hear all the noise that kids make when playing outside *their* windows. They also have a right to quality of life, too. To actually hear their televisions, to be able to read in peace. The guy who works nights that needs to sleep during the day should be able to. Take the kids to the park and let them get it out there.

Take that, kids! Stay off ALL our lawns!

/damn, that's cold

unyon: Screw that. Growing up we spent all day playing street hockey. You know. Hockey. In the street. With Cars. Did I mention that it got dark at about 5pm? And we wore dark jackets? and that the roads were covered in snow and ice

Jesus, this. We played softball. 1 tree was first base, across the street another third, and second was smack dab in the middle of the street.

We'd just all yell "CAR!" and move to the side, car passes, we resume play.

In the winter, we found hiding spots and threw snowballs at cars... I could see someone being pissed at that activity.

serpent_sky: The parents should be smart enough to realize a place is not kid-friendly

How is a place not kid-friendly? When I was a kid we made our own fun activities up. We rarely went to the playgound or whatever. Played "war" in the streets, explored fields, went and bought candy from the store, or hung out on the driveway doing whatever.

muck4doo: It sounds to me like they're rental homes. In which case I question why they just didn't lease to people with kids in the first place.

That's illegal

Is it? I thought there were plenty of "55 and older" communities out there. How do they get away with it?

This is horseshiat. I grew up playing kickball in the street, tackle football in the yard... Let the kids have some fun.

Also, the top marginal federal income tax bracket was 70%. Bring that back.

Plus Republicans hadn't completely lost their marbles. The private sector was still reasonably unionized. Media hadn't been concentrated in the hands of a few massive corporations. We were the greatest creditor nation in the world. There was still a thriving middle class.

Damn, things have gotten really farked up since then.

This is only step one of the master plan, it's goal is to make children fat because they can't leave the house.
Step two is to fine the parents of fat children for allowing the kids to become neighborhood blemishes.

If the kids are making too much noise outside your home, you should be able to hit them with a tennis ball.