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Did you hear about the neighborhood trying to ban sidewalk chalk?


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Wow, that's ridiculous.

 

ETA: Is she coloring the public areas or is she coloring on her own driveway/sidewalk right in front of her house? I could see how they wouldn't want her coloring in the public areas but if it's on her own property (or her house anyway) then BFD

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It almost looks like she is coloring on the sidewalk in the courtyard that is in front of her home (all of the houses face this courtyard).

 

Mom said they bought in that neighborhood because it was family friend. Complaining about a three year old drawing chalk flowers is certainly not family friendly. Sounds like they don't want to see or hear kids or anything kids might do.

 

Personally, I wouldn't want the complainers as neighbors.

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:iagree: Why can't she draw on her own sidewalk or patio? Why is she drawing on the sidewalks at the community clubhouse?

 

In the video it looks like it IS the sidewalk in front of her house...the houses share a common path. I know of other neighborhoods like that, and all the paths are "communal" as the houses are set up in clusters, rather than the normal straight line.

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It's a shame, but I'm not surprised. I have lived in communities/neighborhoods/HOAs with people who would insist on such a rule.

 

One busybody in my current neighborhood (hopefully for just a couple more weeks before we move) tried to get all swingsets, trampolines, children's outside play toys, basketball hoops, etc. banned (this included items contained behind privacy fences as well). It didn't pass. She was trying to drive out anyone with children because she wanted it to be an adult-only neighborhood. Well, it wasn't set up that way initially. Some people rather make things change to suit them than to originally buy in an area set up that way.

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It makes their sidewalks not look nice so they want to stop kids, particularly a three year old, from coloring on the sidewalks with chalk.

 

Article

 

Just when I think things can't get any more ridiculous...

 

What a bunch of rot. I'd venture to guess they could use their time more productively!

I walk in the mornings and enjoy coming upon various pieces of art on the sidewalk. :001_smile:

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Our last apartment this was a rule as well.

 

I remember taking a snapshot of the offending art actually. We received a warning not to do it anymore.

 

Reason?

 

It doesn't "look" appealing when new people tour the community. Basically, that's the equivalent of ghetto.

 

Ya, this was the day.

 

chalk.jpg

Edited by one*mom
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Our last apartment this was a rule as well.

 

I remember taking a snapshot of the offending art actually. We received a warning not to do it anymore.

 

Reason?

 

It doesn't "look" appealing when new people tour the community. Basically, that's the equivalent of ghetto.

 

Doesn't the chalk wash off with a hose or in rain? "Drawings" could be hosed off in the evening...or whenever.

 

I would rather encourage any kid to engage in this kind of harmless fun than other, more destructive activities. Is everything offensive now?

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We live in a neighborhood like this and we all have acre lots with no community property. There are some older couples that are constantly harassing the couples with young children. I even had someone from the city come to my door and apologize for bothering me, but _____ was apparently an issue with my neighbor. He admitted that I wasn't doing anything wrong and he thought the lady was totally wrong for calling about it constantly, but that she had called so much he finally agreed to at least tell me that there was a complaint. I won't be changing _______ since it is none of her business, doesn't affect her property, doesn't cause noise, odor, an eyesore, isn't against our very strict HOA policies, or bother anyone else. Of course, this is the same lady that stopped my son when he was mowing our property and demanded that he do it a different way.

 

I can't wait to get OUT of a neighborhood and into the country.

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Clearly there are people with way too much time on their hands. Once they have sidewalk chalk banned, they will find something else that bugs them and needs "to go." That kind of behavior really drives me nuts. People need to relax! :chillpill:

 

Our neighbor across the street likes to call the HOA on every little thing. He used to come to ask us to follow up with complaint calls to get something banned. For example, "Doesn't it bother you when so and so doesn't pick up their papers? Shouldn't we all call the HOA and get something done?" He no longer asks after I replied, "No. I am way to busy to worry about something like that. I'm surprised something so trivial would bother you so. Hmm."

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one more reason why I will NEVER move to a neighborhood with an HOA

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

There's no way in heck I'd ever go back to a HOA!!! It's not that I don't agree with them on some issues - I'm not a huge fan of junk strewn all over yards, extra cars in driveways, etc. It's just that I'd rather live next to those people than the kind of jerks who want to ban sidewalk chalk.

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l like living with an HOA. However, I have never lived anyplace with an HOA so out of control. We do have one busybody neighbor who appointed himself the parking enforcer. I think he knows everyone dislikes him and he stopped about 3 years ago.

 

Side walk chalk, the ultimate sign a neighborhood has gone to ****.

 

Some people want to have power and wield it.

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l like living with an HOA. However, I have never lived anyplace with an HOA so out of control. We do have one busybody neighbor who appointed himself the parking enforcer. I think he knows everyone dislikes him and he stopped about 3 years ago.

 

Side walk chalk, the ultimate sign a neighborhood has gone to ****.

 

Some people want to have power and wield it.

agree.

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My kids LOVE sidewalk chalk. I *did* wonder if we might get in trouble though. I don't allow the kids to go outside the sidewalk in line with the lawn we mow. I figure that our neighbors shouldn't have it down THEIR sidewalks. And a lot of times they do it at the top of the driveway or the back porch which I just don't worry about. But I definitely do worry about it. The chances it'll all run off with the sprinkler isn't very good and it doesn't rain much here.

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Yes, it's a much better sign of a vibrant and happy neighbourhood when the sidewalks are empty of kids, their paraphernalia, and pedestrians in general. When there is no one around, that makes the neighbourhood really safe from strangers who might have nefarious purposes.:glare:

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Until last year, we lived right downtown in Baltimore in a neighborhood with very few children. Once I was walking down the block with my toddler, who had a stick of sidewalk chalk in her fist, and a couple of ladies stopped us:

 

"Oh, YOU'RE the one who's been drawing all down the block with chalk!"

 

I started to apologize, but they went on to say how much they loved seeing signs of a small child in the neighborhood. Seeing her chalk scribbles cheered them up as they went to and from work every day.

 

Obviously they had the wrong attitude. :001_huh:

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It almost looks like she is coloring on the sidewalk in the courtyard that is in front of her home (all of the houses face this courtyard).

 

Mom said they bought in that neighborhood because it was family friend. Complaining about a three year old drawing chalk flowers is certainly not family friendly. Sounds like they don't want to see or hear kids or anything kids might do.

 

Personally, I wouldn't want the complainers as neighbors.

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

:blink:

 

Oh wait, that's right. Kids should be inside playing Wii. Not outside being creative. Silly me.

 

(Thankful to live in the country, where all the rules are Mom-made!)

 

I'm thankful too! That would drive me bonkers!

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This is ridiculous but doesn't surprise me much. I've heard of neighborhoods where they don't want trees because of the mess the leaves make...

 

I also remember when I worked in an after-school day care my senior year of college. We let the kids use sidewalk chalk on the school sidewalks and the principal was very upset--apparently we were encouraging graffiti. Aren't there enough real problems in the world for people to get upset about? Now we have to go banning sidewalk chalk? :confused:

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l like living with an HOA. However, I have never lived anyplace with an HOA so out of control. We do have one busybody neighbor who appointed himself the parking enforcer. I think he knows everyone dislikes him and he stopped about 3 years ago.

 

Side walk chalk, the ultimate sign a neighborhood has gone to ****.

 

Some people want to have power and wield it.

 

:iagree:I LOVE living in HOA neighborhoods. We don't consider neighborhoods without an HOA. I've never seen anything like chalk restrictions in any that we've lived in.

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