Punk kids

[looney2ns]

I've been in business for over 25 yrs. We deal with lots of familys and kids. I've watched the steady steep decline of parenting skills over those 25 yrs.

When I first started, when I caught a teenage kid acting up I'd call the parents. Well it didn't take me long to figure out that wasn't going to gain me anything. You usually found out quickly why the kid acts the way he does when the parent arrived. Had to start calling the cops instead. This was in a relatively well to do area.

I caught a 14yr old boy red handed holding a lit bic lighter to some curtains in a room with about 100 other kids. Drug him out by his shirt collar, called dad. Dad arrived and preceded to call me every name in the book for accusing his little angel of such a deed. His son would never do anything like that.

 

[SmileDocHill]

Wow, just WOW!

A LOT of really out of touch people here.

Harmless prank? Yeah today, what about tomorrow when they turn to Breaking and entering; car theft; arson; whatever?

Who is posting on behalf of the kids actions being a harmless prank?

Too damn many trophies handed out to the losers so they wouldn't feel bad! Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

4 kids turning on water faucets, yeah no real harm, no real foul. Over-reaction by the OP? What if it had been 4 kids about to break a window and crawl in the house to commit further crimes? It's just a window. Over-reaction? At what point are we as a society going to draw the line and quit coddling the little cretins? I'm climbing down off my soapbox before I really get wound up, wouldn't want to offend somebodies little darling who would never do anything wrong!

Please apply appropriate sarcasm marker to last several words in case you need it.

Complaining about the guy with the AK trying to raise other people's kids is not the same as defending the kids. They are both wrong. The kids need delt with by the parents, if that doesn't seem to be happening then you have to consider what to do next.
The guy with the AK wasn't responding to kids, he was responding to the water somehow being turned on outside his house. Only in hindsight do we know they were kids. Are we to assume that the information we are lacking includes he kind of already knew it was kids in the neighborhood? If he already pretty much thought it was kids then using a gun to intimidate is an immature and wrong choice. Having a gun on his person is always wise as self defense but that is different. Brandishing an unloaded AK is not a defensive act it is intimidation.
If he was investigating the source of the water being turned on then you have to guess, like him, the possible reasons: homeless guy washing? Guy with a vendetta or home invaders setting a trap to get you outside? Punk kids causing problems? I can't think of a situation where having an unloaded rifle serves any purpose other than to intimidate.
I agree with all the statements that the erosion of parenting skills is a huge problem. I can, however, only affect change to myself and I'm responsible for MY actions. It is our job to defend yourself, loved ones, and property not to try and convert a punk into a decent kid with one great act of grandeur. You are not going to fix years of poor parenting this way.

 

[femurphy77]

Complaining about the guy with the AK trying to raise other people's kids is not the same as defending the kids. They are both wrong. The kids need delt with by the parents, if that doesn't seem to be happening then you have to consider what to do next.
The guy with the AK wasn't responding to kids, he was responding to the water somehow being turned on outside his house. Only in hindsight do we know they were kids. Are we to assume that the information we are lacking includes he kind of already knew it was kids in the neighborhood? If he already pretty much thought it was kids then using a gun to intimidate is an immature and wrong choice. Having a gun on his person is always wise as self defense but that is different. Brandishing an unloaded AK is not a defensive act it is intimidation.
If he was investigating the source of the water being turned on then you have to guess, like him, the possible reasons: homeless guy washing? Guy with a vendetta or home invaders setting a trap to get you outside? Punk kids causing problems? I can't think of a situation where having an unloaded rifle serves any purpose other than to intimidate.
I agree with all the statements that the erosion of parenting skills is a huge problem. I can, however, only affect change to myself and I'm responsible for MY actions. It is our job to defend yourself, loved ones, and property not to try and convert a punk into a decent kid with one great act of grandeur. You are not going to fix years of poor parenting this way.

We agree. I'll edit and clarify that responding with an unloaded weapon was a foolish act on o.p.s part. This threat was a known value and he chose to brandish to elicit a response, had the threat been unknown, I'm guessing he would have probably been loaded for bear. Just opinon.

 

[JoshuaW]

^this.
I'm wondering what the age of these "kids" were. I bet they were pre-teens because teens typically wouldn't go home and tell mommy and daddy.
Your friend is messed up. If someone did that to my kid I'd take my Louisville Slugger upside his head.

I wouldnt be so sure about that. A lot of "kids" have it engraved into them that you never call 911 unless it is an emergency, but they have no idea what constitutes an emergency, nor are they aware of the non-emergency number. So, they go home and tell their parents that they were harmlessly playing a game of hopscotch on the sidewalk in front of their house and a mean man came out and pointed an "assault rifle" at them. When their parents call the police, that is when their story changes.

 

[cityartisan]

So a buddy just told me a funny story. Several nights he heard water running when he went to sleep. So he went outside to see what was up and his outside faucet was on. So he decided to sit outside one night and clean his AK. Low and behold he heard some kids on his property so went areound the corner and they were turning on his faucet. He quickly said hi and racked the rifle. They took off running. The cops arrived shortly thereafter basically asking what happened and they were informed. I geuss the kids parents called the cops saying their kids were threatened. The cops knew what really happened and nothing of course was done to my friend as his only ammo for that gun was still in a sealed can. Hopefully the cops went to the parents and informed them what the kids were up to. The parents were shocked someone in the neighborhood had a gun. When there are as many guns and gunowners in our country how is anyone in a 300 house addition surprised that there is a gun owner. I would be surprised if only one person had a gun.

Doesn't sound like a very smart move on his(your buddy's) part. Unless you left something out of the story,the sound racking a gun to most people is synonymous with the intent to use it. Why couldn't he have simply introduced himself, and said something to the tune of "hi there fellas, in case you didn't realize, my water is private property. If you would like some, i would be happy to sell it to you at a fair price. If you are really need of my water for whatever reason and have a financial hardship, we can set up an installment payment plan. Also, you need to come here during the day and not at this time of night. Until then, please keep away from my property, you are trespassing and are breaking the law." Then again, he didn't describe these "kids", how old, or what they looked, sounded, or smelled like so i would have to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was all an innocent fun kind of thing that just needed to be straitened out. In other words, don't use unnecessary means of firearm threats. The repercussions of these stupid actions affect all gun owners, not just him.

 

[repeter1977]

I am so glad that my father raised me to respect other people's property. As my brother, Actaeon277 said, our father would have told us what we did wrong, and why we were getting punished. First time wouldnt be TOO bad depending on the "crime" but if you didn't learn the first time, you were sure to learn it the second time. And our neighbors knew they could go to our parents and something would happen. It would not be our parents taking our side either.
Was the way the OP handled this a little over the top, didnt used to be. I know a couple farmer's fields that we avoided playing in, cause he didn't mind shooting off a shotgun. Course, I guess everyone being all touchy feely that we should all go over and hold each other, sing Kumbaiya, have some milk and cookies, and then of course it wont happen again. Crime has been on the rise because people let things go, or oh, its not that bad, so just like kids, they push the limits to see what they are. If they dont know then they will keep pushing. People let more and more slide, then wonder why the heck bad things happen. Its cause and effect.

 

[hopper68]

To the OP, obviously you heard your buddy wrong. Let me put the story in the order I would tell it.
1. Heard water running one night, went out and found ouside spigot on.
2. Relaxing outside a couple days later (weather was great) doing regular maintenance - cleaning gun.
3. Heard water running again went to investigate -rifle still in hand.
4. Worried it might be felon, racked the gun going around corner.
5. Seen it was kids and said hi, keeping gun pointed in safe direction.
6. Kids embarssed so they runaway.
7. Greatful it was kids when realize gun was not loaded.
8. Explained all to officer.

 

[paddling_man]

Intimidation.

It is used wordlessly in many forms: politically, by crowds/mobs, by physical size, by appearance. With firearms it is codified, not so with many other forms.

Equally effective might have been being-interrupted-while-showering and investigating the loss of water pressure and intruders n-a-k-e-d. Few things are more disturbing than a hairy, grown man running at you in the dark.


Oh, and if poor, bleeding heart, I-don't-know-where-my-teens-are parent wants to come have words after that with a baseball bat? Apply that danged AK to them then.

 

[Fedempl]

The AK47 may have been over top, however, I would have up my handgun pointed at the gound, but ready to go. You never know what is around the corner in the dark and you do have the right to protect yourself and your property. Ask any LEO that responds to a possible intruder call late at night, most will tell you that not only do they have the flashlights out, they more than likely have the guns out and ready to go. May have been just kids, but kids also shoot and kill people, I for one will not be victim to kids that may be carrying daddys gun just to look tough to the other kids, poor parenting or not. JMO

 

[TailBlazer]

I'm glad to see I'm not alone here. Someone messing around outside your house can become serious quickly. They may have been just kids, but just when hearing a noise I would want to be armed just in case. Things happen quickly, and people are crazy. Young and old alike. I do agree that the age does have a lot to do with if he was out of line or not.

 

[Kutnupe14]

The AK47 may have been over top, however, I would have up my handgun pointed at the gound, but ready to go. You never know what is around the corner in the dark and you do have the right to protect yourself and your property. Ask any LEO that responds to a possible intruder call late at night, most will tell you that not only do they have the flashlights out, they more than likely have the guns out and ready to go. May have been just kids, but kids also shoot and kill people, I for one will not be victim to kids that may be carrying daddys gun just to look tough to the other kids, poor parenting or not. JMO

This would be a good enough response to avoid legal problems. I have no issue with the OP's friend carrying a weapon of anytype when he's investigating a "bump in the night" outside of his home. My issue is racking the slide once he found out it was two kids that were simply running his water. The implication would be obvious (empty weapon or not), and IMO, falls outside the reasonable standar

 

[TopDog]

I started a long post. Suffice to say, this is a very different world than the one I grew up in. All things change true enough. Unfortunately they dont always change for the better.

 

[Hookeye]

I don't like AK's, therefore the guy was in the wrong

 

[femurphy77]

I don't like AK's, therefore the guy was in the wrong

Snob!

 

[Mad Anthony Wayne]

Interesting thread with a lot of emotions and a lot of

I am a father of 4, my kids range in age from 19-7. All my children are respectful...I DO NOT let my children run the streets PERIOD! Nothing good can or will come from it. Other people don't teach their children morality and these heathens will negatively influence your child....trust me. I didn't let my oldest leave the home out of my supervision until he was well in to his 16th year, AND I knew beyond a doubt how level headed he was/is. A lot of parents think that's cruel and their kids need to go "have fun". I don't agree with that approach. I try a novel idea that's called "BEING INVOLVED WITH YOUR CHILDREN"! Do activities with them, even if it's playing the Xbox for several hours. Your children won't feel the need to leave and "have fun" if you are a tight knit family that has fun together....and if your children are under driving age and you're letting them run the streets after dark...you're a POS that's going to be releasing monsters in to the world when they're 18...and when your little rats commit a Columbine (or similiar) type situation, they should give YOU the death penalty.

Sorry for the rant. I'm a father and this issue is a pet peev of mine.

 

[yaquindn]

a few blanks would have been funny in that situation! you could of sent them a change of pants!

 

[actaeon277]

a few blanks would have been funny in that situation! you could of sent them a change of pants!

Funny, except
Carrying on your property is legal.
Discharging isn't.

 

[edsinger]

Back in the day an old man shot rock salt at a group of us kids. I did not go home and tell as my ass beating would have been far worse than the rock salt had it hit my fast running arse in the first place. We NEVER went back to that land that was marked NO TRESPASSING!

AGE 9

I have spanked my kids in public before, small town and such. Believe me they turned out fine, respectful and such.

me on the other hand........I am now that ol crazy man on the hill we were all scared of as kids.

 

[Ted]

The recurrent theme that keeps resonating in my mind, is such scenes in the film, "Secondhand Lions."

 

[Ted]

Funny, except
Carrying on your property is legal.
Discharging isn't.

Should have had some firecrackers. LOL