Darned Kids @#&$!

[1bush2hog]

The game camera is a good idea. Why don't you also enlist and pay the tenants kids in "helping" you fix the broken shutter and locks and then also in helping you to keep your barn secure (keep an eye out, call you etc.) Of course asking the parents for their approval first would be a good idea.

We used to have some rowdy teens in our neighborhood, racing up and down the street, playing loud music, etc. All the neighbors gave them a hard time. We needed to have a fence in the common area repainted so we approached the teens to see if they wanted to earn some extra money. Guess what - they did a great job painting the fence and the rowdy behavior subsuided also.

Ownership is a good gift to give.

 

[jinman]

I got whooped with the "gord stick". For me it was a willow switch ... that I was required to cut off the tree ...and it better be big enough the first time! That was the tough part -- fetching my own punishment.

My mom would send me out to get a chinaberry switch. I thought I would be smart and get a little one that would break. It did...and I was back pickin' a bigger one to get switched where the first licks were still stinging. To this day, I'll cut down every chinaberry tree I find on my property.

 

[pennwalk]

I called the police yesterday. We talked about the situation and The Officer came out and met me at the barn. We walked all around. The Officer said he was looking for signs of drugs or alcohol. Since he found no evidence of either he thought it was most likely kids. He suggested I enlist the neighbors to keep an eye on the place and call him if they saw anything. Now there is a report and the Police are aware that there is a problem. So I screwed everything back down. Longer screws! I discovered that they had found my crow bar which they used to pry the locks off 2 doors. I did find where they stashed the crow bar and got it back. I was only able to talk to 1 neighbor so far but she was very nice. One thing the Officer said was that as kids grow up these kinds of problems will stop. I guess they move on to other crimes About the game camera It would be so nice to have pictures but the Officer said that kids will often try to smash surveillance equipment or steal it altogether. I'm working on it... I sure hope they don't burn the barn down.

Chris

 

[scott_vt]

My mom would send me out to get a chinaberry switch. I thought I would be smart and get a little one that would break. It did...and I was back pickin' a bigger one to get switched where the first licks were still stinging. To this day, I'll cut down every chinaberry tree I find on my property.

Mornin Jim,
Thanks for a good chuckle this mornin

 

[rox]

I think you did the right thing. They have moved on from recreating in a building that was easy to get into, to destrying proeprty. nce tehre is drestuction, it's no kiddie play time any more. When I was growing up dow the gravel road form us was an abandoned sanitorium. Really a nut house, padded cells and everything. It had cottages etc. Anyway it was closed down and there was a caretaker who lived ont he grounds. we kdis begged him to show us inside and saw where he reached up over the dorsill and pulled out the key. of course we snuck in there a few times ourselves using the key and putting it back. But we never destroyed anything, in my mind that is the difference. If you destroy your own property, bottle bombs etc. that is one thing, but when you go on another person's property and destry anything, tha is plain olf fashioned vandalism and it's not kids stuff then. IMHO