BajaNomad

Street People

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 04:35 PM

We have anywhere from nine to 15 kids that hang out on the curb across the street from our house. Their ages range from 9 to 20 or so years. These kids hang out until two to three a.m. sometimes! Mostly they are loud and boisterous and leave a mess behind. Day before yesterday we awoke to blood on our driveway and smeared on our front wall. I must admit that the blood was easier to clean than the crayola they write with and the crayola is preferable to black paint they have used! Any suggestions as to how we can handle this?

Pops - 1-4-2009 at 04:36 PM

AK-47???

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 04:38 PM

Hmmm.... that would just mean more blood to clean up!
Quote:
Originally posted by Pops
AK-47???

Pops - 1-4-2009 at 04:42 PM

How about a VERY LARGE DOG that sneak out on occasion?

Lindalou - 1-4-2009 at 04:43 PM

You should only have to clean it up a couple times though and you said it was easier then the other stuff they were using!

Depends...

Dave - 1-4-2009 at 04:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by lingililingili
Any suggestions as to how we can handle this?


Start by telling us about the neighborhood where you live.

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 04:46 PM

I did say that, didn't I?


Quote:
Originally posted by RichnLinda
You should only have to clean it up a couple times though and you said it was easier then the other stuff they were using!

Russ - 1-4-2009 at 04:57 PM

Pay a cop to drive by often. Or have him and his buddies come by for coffee and donuts on a regular basis. Or burritos and beer for off duty cops. Take some photos of the group and document their vandalism. Pay some one to clean up their mess on a daily basis while they're there. You've definitely have a touchy problem. I don't suppose talking to them would work but maybe something low impact to start with. Good Luck!

Lindalou - 1-4-2009 at 05:15 PM

I know I was a little flippant there, but I defiantly feel for you. Sounds like a scary situation to me.

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 05:18 PM

Dave

Our neighborhood is mostly made up of Mexicans, it is not a gated community. I do have an American neighbor who is not full time and a Canadian neighbor who does live full time down the street. The neighbors to my right are a very nice Mexican family whose house is surrounded by their relative's homes. They have been here a very long time. I have spoken to them about the problem as they are also a target but they just kind of throw their hands and shrug their shoulders. Their answer to the problem was to line the front of their home with their dog's poop so the kids would be discourgaged from hanging out there. It worked! However, I don't have a dog and and their's does not poop enough for the both of us!

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 05:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Russ
Pay a cop to drive by often. Or have him and his buddies come by for coffee and donuts on a regular basis. Or burritos and beer for off duty cops. Take some photos of the group and document their vandalism. Pay some one to clean up their mess on a daily basis while they're there. You've definitely have a touchy problem. I don't suppose talking to them would work but maybe something low impact to start with. Good Luck!


I have the time to clean the mess, I just have other things I would rather do with my time. Do other folks pay cops for problems such as these? Is not paying cops for this kind of thing just feeding another problem? I'm so frustrated!

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 05:25 PM

RichnLinda


No problem

Russ - 1-4-2009 at 05:55 PM

I understand your concern about paying a cop to do what might be perceived as their job. But if it got to the point of hiring some one to help with your troubles it'd still cost and Maybe a good cop could be persuasive. Another benefit maybe you'll be on a first name relation with and cop for any future problems. Always nice to have a friend in law enforcement.

DENNIS - 1-4-2009 at 06:03 PM

Call Gnukid. He'll know what to do.

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 06:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Call Gnukid. He'll know what to do.


I should do that, Gnukid is a friend of ours.

oladulce - 1-4-2009 at 06:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by lingililingili
... Do other folks pay cops for problems such as these?


Our property is a mile outside of town on a wide open stretch of coast and we (and a few of our neighbors) pay the two town cops a little fee to include our area in their drive-by patrols. It helps us and it helps them. I don't know how you would go about an arrangment in a larger city.

Your situation sounds very frustrating.

This loitering deterrent is an interesting concept, but not cheap.
http://www.the-mosquito.com/

Buena Suerte.

fletchgd - 1-4-2009 at 06:40 PM

A local 7-11 cured their problem with kids hanging out in their parking lot by installing a couple of big stereo speakers and playing Long Haired Music, very loud.

Gary

vandenberg - 1-4-2009 at 06:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fletchgd
A local 7-11 cured their problem with kids hanging out in their parking lot by installing a couple of big stereo speakers and playing Long Haired Music, very loud.

Gary


May not be that bad an idea Ana.
Bombard them with some Bach, doesn't even have to be loud. Keep speakers out of their reach though.:biggrin:

bajabif - 1-4-2009 at 06:56 PM

Maybe you should just invite the 4 starred know it all nomads to the area. They can go and share all their opinions to these kids. After a couple of days, you will start to see the kids dead on the street from boredom.

[Edited on 1-5-2009 by bajabif]

shari - 1-4-2009 at 06:59 PM

We had a problem with kids drinking in front of the beach house and simply asked the police to somehow deal with it and they started just hasseling them and asking them to move on which they did...they just found another place to hang out after that where the cops wouldnt bother them.

Here we have a 10:00 curfew for kids under 18 which keeps things very quiet. Sometimes the police even give the kids a ride home. Ask the police about a curfew. It really helps to be nice to your local police...give them fish, nice treats once in awhile too.

I was gonna suggest a baseball bat but...

Dave - 1-4-2009 at 07:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fletchgd
A local 7-11 cured their problem with kids hanging out in their parking lot by installing a couple of big stereo speakers and playing Long Haired Music, very loud.

Gary


Lawrence Welk would probably be a better solution. He scares the S$%! out of anyone under 60. ;D

Bruce R Leech - 1-4-2009 at 07:46 PM

have you tried putting a can out there for them to put their trash in. and taking out some snacks and sodas. you will get allot further with being nice and making them your friends then they will treat you with respect.:yes:

or call the police and pee them off and see what happens:no:

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 08:03 PM

fletchgd: BMG has threatened using the music idea but we don't want to offend our neightbors.

Bruce R Leech: We do have a trash container out on our sidewalk. Sometimes they make it in and sometimes they don't. The snack idea could work.

soulpatch: Jury still out on paying cops.

Paulina - 1-4-2009 at 08:06 PM

I had the same problem when I lived in L.A. I put my sprinklers on timers and used very stinky fertilizer on the parkway. They moved across the street. My neighbor asked what kind of fertilizer I used and he got them to move on as well.

I also called the LA Police and got a very flippant answer. The officer had the gall to tell me that I must be racist because I was white and the kids were Mexican.

That makes me wonder what would happen if any of the kids in your front yard were related to the policia?

It's worth a try though, I guess.

Good luck.

P<*)))>{

Bruce R Leech - 1-4-2009 at 08:10 PM

don't forget you live in Mexico and Mexicanos are very social people, don't expect them to live by your rules. it is not uncommon for kids of all ages to gather on a street corner and visit until late at night. on our block I visit with the sometimes and even make the some hot dogs and hot chocolate. my kids hangout with them some times. we never have any trouble with the kids. it kind of sounds to me like you need to move to a gated Gringo community and give the locals a break.:(

Maria - 1-4-2009 at 08:15 PM

Spread some fertilizer out by the street. Or get a skunk. Make it an undesirable place to hang out.

Bruce R Leech - 1-4-2009 at 08:17 PM

call the cops and you might as well start packing.:light:

BigWooo - 1-4-2009 at 08:25 PM

I heard a similar story some years back where the person in your situation used some sort of fly attractant. Apparently it's a liquid that horse owners use to attract flies to an area away from the stables. A few drops a day might make that corner pretty unpopular. I have no idea what it's called though, maybe a Veterinarian in Baja would know what it is?

longlegsinlapaz - 1-4-2009 at 08:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
don't forget you live in Mexico and Mexicanos are very social people, don't expect them to live by your rules. it is not uncommon for kids of all ages to gather on a street corner and visit until late at night. on our block I visit with the sometimes and even make the some hot dogs and hot chocolate. my kids hangout with them some times. we never have any trouble with the kids. it kind of sounds to me like you need to move to a gated Gringo community and give the locals a break.:(
You're ASSUMING that these folks are gringos; why would you feel having your sleep disrupted, your property vandalized, your streets trashed & your guest's cars written on ;) is something that's limited to being considered a nuisance just by gringos.:?:

Pescador - 1-4-2009 at 08:29 PM

Well, Bruce has so many stars surel Bajabif will be impressed. Actually, he may be closer to the truth than some of the other ideas. First, there is the culural definition of a problem. This is pretty normal behavior for a lot of kids in communities in Baja and I suspect that the neighbors do not really notice it because they do not seem to hear the noise. When I asked my neighbors if they heard the music that was blaring over loudspeakers during a party the night before, they responded that YEAH, they thought that they heard something but the people sure must have been having a good time. When I talked to one of the policia that I give a lot of fish to about a really noisy dog that barked all night and kept us awake, his response was to turn up the radio so that you did not hear the dog.
On the other hand, I have talked to one of my policia friends about a couple of bad people in the community that seemed to hang out a lot in a vacant lot near our place and he took it upon himself to mention to them that it would be better for them if they hung out in another place. It seems that everyone came out OK on this one as it cost me an extra yellowtail, but the tweakers moved somewhere else since they were being observed.
So maybe a combination is called for here. Take them some snacks or whatever and make some kind of connection and then casually mention that sometimes it sure is hard to sleep when they carry on late. If you have trouble with the communication, Gnukid can surely translate, and if it doesn't get any better then you could start working on the policia angle.

bajabif - 1-4-2009 at 08:30 PM

actually, I wasn't Russ. I apologize. I didn't look to see who had how many stars when I posted.

[Edited on 1-5-2009 by bajabif]

lingililingili - 1-4-2009 at 08:32 PM

Bruce R Leech

I love Mexico and it's people. Do you allow your kids to stay out until 2:00 a.m. on every night of the week? Do you honestly feel the solution to our problem would be to "move" to a gated community? Like I said, I like the snack idea.

bajabif - 1-4-2009 at 08:43 PM

How about land mines? You can find them all over Laos and Cambodia

ckiefer - 1-4-2009 at 10:19 PM

I kinda like the idea of getting a dog. You'll get security and companionship. Otherwise, maybe a sensor light. Some kids that gather don't necessary like being in the lime light so to speak, unless of course they're trying out for American Idol.
Bajabif, you have quite a sense of humor....:tumble:

Mango - 1-5-2009 at 12:17 AM

If you bring them snacks.. they will probably never go away, just stay longer, and may even bring their friends.

It's really a cultural thing. Mexicans - not all; but, more than most gringos - tend to not think much about littering, playing loud music late into the night, and hanging out on the street, etc.. It's just how it is sometimes. I think the concept of noise pollution just does not exist south of the border.

Your going to have to get creative or learn to live with it.

Find something innocent but equally annoying. Make a habit of cleaning your fish across the street. Install a ultra-bright floodlight (Rock-proof), etc.. Nothing too extreme; but, just make it so that it is not desirable for them to stay around.

Also, it might be hard to find.. but there is deer replant for gardens that really smells awful. It is actually a strong synthetic urine smell. Spray some of that around or make you own awful smelling concoction of Onions/Chilies/Rotten Eggs, etc.. etc..

Liquid Fence

In college one of my roommates friends started blocking my car in my driveway all day long while he was in class. I tried to be nice so many times; but, that didn't work. I didn't want to have his car towed as I knew he had little money; but, I was furious that I was late to work because someone that didn't even live at my house or pay rent decided to use my driveway as his personal parking spot.

After about a week of rational behavior/requests with no response I got my message though with something a bit more human than dog feces on his windshield. He never ever blocked me in again.. ever.
:lol:

Good luck and be creative.

lingililingili - 1-5-2009 at 07:10 AM

Mango
I believe you are right! Creativity is the key! I'll be working on this. You know what? I think I can live with the noise they make, it's their lack of respect for my home that bothers me most. This will all get worked out, I appreciate everybody's help.

mikeintj - 1-5-2009 at 07:52 AM

A new thing that shopkeepers here in the UK have tried is a high pitched noise emitter that only young people can hear. People older than 20 (approx.) can't hear it because our hearing has deteriorated. Younger people hear this noise and move away from it because it's irritating. It may be called "the mosquito" or something. Have a google.

wilderone - 1-5-2009 at 10:31 AM

In Panama, people hire security people armed with automatic rifles. I stopped in front of a house once to check the map, and a guy came out immediately.

Best option:

Dave - 1-5-2009 at 11:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by lingililingili
Mango
I believe you are right! Creativity is the key! I'll be working on this. You know what? I think I can live with the noise they make, it's their lack of respect for my home that bothers me most. This will all get worked out, I appreciate everybody's help.




Find these kids parents.

Introduce yourself. Make friends. Be courteous and respectful. Explain the problem. You'll get some relief. Maybe not 100% but certainly with most of the younger kids. Unless they come from a totally disfunctional home most Mexican kids still respect/fear their parents.

lingililingili - 1-5-2009 at 12:49 PM

Dave
I do like your suggestion to speak to the parents.

Just spoke with my neighbor across the street and he said this last September all these kids were rounded up and taken somewhere by the police! But, they are baaaaaack! He is going to put up a very big and very bright light for tonight and we shall see if that helps.