Tell It Like It Is

Don't ask me if you do not REALLY want to know because I am not one of those people who tell you what you WANT to hear, I tell you how it really is. And I am not known for sugar coating it either. Unless it's a kid asking me the question. In which case I tone it down but I do not fib. Nor am I afraid to say, "I don't know."

I'm also one of those who will, instead of talking behind someone's back, just go to their face and say it. If I don't say anything, it is safe to assume that I am done with that person. Completely.

If you follow me on Facebook, you know that a group of 5 college age-ish girls moved into the house across the street. Our lovely neighbor had to leave her house and move in with her son and his family due to ill health. That was bad enough. But then her stupid son rented out our lovely friend's house to this group.

I know about college aged kids. I was one and I raised four daughters, all of whom were college students. I used to feed college students on Wednesday nights when Birdie and DoodleBug were still in college. My most wonderful friend in the world teaches college English and my aunt taught at Virginia Tech and UGA for YEARS.

I know about college aged students.

We live in a nice, quiet, family neighborhood. We moved here 27 years ago for that very reason. And because of the school district. We have lovely neighbors except for the drunks on one side but even they are better than this group of intrusive girls.

They have intruded on our quiet and our parking. Little things? Probably. But there's a principle involved here. And, if you know me, you know I can't let that go.

I just can't.

In our neighborhood, we are courteous. We do not park in front of our neighbor's houses and we try to be considerate in every way possible. We have short driveways and most of the houses are no more than 1600 square feet. If you have multiple drivers with their own cars, you have to use the street in front of your house. Any time we do have people parked in front of our homes, they are either family, visitors of ours or our neighbors but they do NOT park ON our property.

Let me also mention that, if cars are parked on both sides of the street, emergency vehicles are going to play heck getting to the end of the cul-de-sac.

Until 5 girls move in across the street and decide that they can park wherever and whenever they choose with no regards for anyone or anything. And, legally, they can park on the street in front of our houses. But we don't like it and it doesn't make for a positive beginning.

Friday was the straw that broke the camel's back when one of their friends parked in front of my house IN my yard. Well, just her driver's side tires, but still. That. Was. IT.

So I confronted said girls when they approached the car.

I told them that this is a family neighborhood and that most of us have multiple drivers who should be able to park in front of their own property. I told them that parking IN my yard means I can have their car towed and that I will do that if they park IN my yard again. I also told them that it would not be an issue had they bothered to ask first and that I found the fact that they had not asked first rude and disrespectful. I told them that I teach little kids all day and that I didn't want to have to come home and deal with them here. I told them that they would be hearing from our civic association about our neighborhood rules. They were, to be honest, very sweet and responded with a lot of 'yes ma'ams' and then promised it would not happen again.

Let's hope it doesn't. Cause if it does, they may very come out and find that the air in their tires is, mysteriously, MIA.

Someone thanked me privately but publicly suggested we give them a chance since they are so young and associated with a church group. I nearly blew a gasket.

Really? Excuse rude/inconsiderate behavior because someone is young? Is that like saying, "Oh well, boys will be boys," when they rape a girl? Yeah, I'm not buying that crap. And you won't find me making allowances for rude behavior based on one's religion either.

I'm pretty sure these girls had parents while growing up. Either the lessons were ignored or they were not taught. Regardless, common sense should have kicked in at some point.

We have a lovely civic association who visited the girls over the weekend with our by-laws and who told them how to be courteous in the neighborhood. How sad that they had to be told. That they weren't taught while growing up.

Anyway, so far they have kept their tries out of my yard. And please know. they have one of the very few properties in our neighborhood with a driveway large enough for four cars. Five if one is in the garage. So it's not like they don't have somewhere to park.

Downtown Charleston is different. Nearly everyone parks on the street down there. College students are mixed in neighborhoods with retired folks, young families and young adults. It works down there. People are not only used to it, it's expected. And accepted.

We aren't downtown Charleston. We are across the bridge. For a reason.

Ok, y'all go ahead and weigh in.