Neighbour Filming Children??

[DBug]

I'm just curious as to what you all would have done in this situation ...

Our bus stop is at a corner. There is a house there, and the kids usually play on the front lawn while waiting for the bus. My kids don't (I don't let them), but almost all of the others do. I understand from the rumour mill that the owners of the house have made a few complaints to the school about kids on the lawn, strollers blocking their driveway, etc. The sidewalk where we wait is short and very rarely plowed by the town or shovelled by the owner (both of which are required, but that's another post ...), so we do sometimes wait on the sidewalk that crosses their driveway, but everyone always moves out of the way if there is a car coming in or going out (which doesn't happen very often).

Anyway, this morning, I watched the owner of the house sitting in his van the entire time we were there waiting for the bus, holding his cell phone so that the camera could very well have been filming the kids on his front lawn. My kids would have been out of the line of sight for most of it, but it makes me really mad to think that he may actually have been recording everything . I'm sure that if he was, it wouldn't have been for anything more than showing to the school to get them to change the bus stop, but it still makes me really mad that anyone would surreptitiously film kids without their parents' permission. I asked a few of the other moms if they had noticed him, but they hadn't. They did suggest we knock on his window and ask if he was actually filming the kids. I was angry at the possibility and I said I might flip on him if he was. They weren't terribly concerned about it, so they didn't do anything either .

I ended up emailing the principle to tell her what I saw and what I thought he was doing, and then requested that our stop be moved to a playground close by, so that we would be on public property. I haven't heard back yet though.

So what would you have done? Would you have confronted him? Or am I just worked up over nothing :confused: ?

[JenNJ]

The sidewalk is public property. Since the kids are out in public, he has the legal right to record them. There is nothing that can be done. Anyone can film, photograph, or record any other person when they are in public.

[DaycareMama]

I would have been very angry. Although as much as I would of wanted to confront him myself I wouldn't have if I had ANY children with me.

Im sure legally if own his own property he wasn't doing anything wrong. But I would stay on the school and bus garage to change the stop. If both the home owner and yourself are complaing maybe it will happen faster

[Ariana]

I ended up emailing the principle to tell her what I saw and what I thought he was doing, and then requested that our stop be moved to a playground close by, so that we would be on public property. I haven't heard back yet though.

This is exactly what I would have done.

[laundrymom]

I would have called police. Right then and there. He could be a pedifile. I would call if it happens again. 911. I'm at the bus stop and there is a man parked out here using a cell to take pics of the kids. I am certain none are his children. They do not take things like this lightly.

[Sunshine44]

I would do nothing. I doubt he would be filming and if he is, it is because of the kids on his driveway. I'd probably do the same thing to show the school board what is going on. IF you have the kids out in public, someone can film them without you knowing...I mean, I sure wouldn't go ask for your permission, especially if the kids were in the wrong (on his lawn and such). I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. Take the kids to the stop...make them behave and move on with life. If the guy complains enough and the stop is moved, good for you both.

[littlemissmuffet]

I don't care what rumors you heard or what rights someone has to do with their camera in public, etc - I would have called the police immediately. Even if there is "nothing" they can do, they would at least have the report on file. What if he is a pedophile? I don't take strange men videotaping or photographing children very lightly, regardless of what one might THINK they are doing.

[JenNJ]

I think the reaction to this is over the top. He has a legitimate complaint about people (doesn't matter if it is children or adults) hanging on his property. That lawn, that driveway, that grass belongs to him! He OWNS that land. No one has any right to be on it without his permission. The children and adults are trespassing. That is illegal. Where are the parents/caregivers of the children who are trespassing?

He has tried to go through the proper channels with no resolution. Now he is collecting physical evidence of this crime. Which is LEGAL. As long as he isn't taping people in bathrooms/locker rooms/bedrooms or on private property, he is well within his rights.

If you don't want him to go to these lengths, try and talk to everyone at the bus stop to stay off his property!

[Meeko]

I'm willing to bet, the poor guy is sick and tired of his driveway and lawn being used as a wild playground.

He is also probably worried that some out of control kid is going to be hurt on his property and instead of telling the child "That's what's you get when you misbehave"..... the parents will sue for medical damages, pain and suffering and future lost wages because "darling Suzie was going to be a super model and now that scrape on her chin has put an end to her career" .....and put him in the poor house for the rest of his life.

If he was taking photos or filming, it's not to be a pervert, but to show the city and the school district that local kids AND their parents have no respect for his property.

I feel sorry for the guy. And the last thing he needs is people accusing him of being a pervert.

[permanentvacation]

Outside, anyone can record anyone. It's outside in a public area. It would be weird for some random person to record other people's kids in general and I might call the police - even though since it's outside in public, I know the cops really can't do anything- but they might get the guy to leave the area. However, in this case, you seem to know that the man is the homeowner of the property that the kids are on and it makes logical sense that he is tired of the kids/parents being on his grass and blocking his driveway. You made it sound like it is obviously the homeowner trying to take a video to prove his case to try to have the bus stop moved. Therefore, I wouldn't worry about the video. I would, however, make sure that my kids and I were not on his property or blocking his driveway or doing anything illegal while he is video taping. If there is any damage to his property, he could also use the video to prove damage done by the kids/parents to use in court against them indivudally.

[youretooloud]

The school needs to move the bus stop. He shouldn't have to deal with kids on his yard just for the sake of the bus stop. I'd video tape it too.

[sharlan]

I can understand where this man is coming from. Parents are allowing their kids to play on HIS property, block HIS driveway, etc. He's probably tired of the destruction being done to HIS property. I am guessing that he was filming the kids on his property to prove to the school what is going on.

According to you, he's already complained to the school with no action being taken. What do you think he should do?

We had a neighbor who's kids routinely rode their bikes through another lady's drive and yard. After she asked, then told them to stop, one of the boys broke two of her sprinklers. The next day she was waiting for him and grabbed him by the arm. Of course he rode home to tell his parents how this lady attacked him for no reason. I told his mom what I had seen her boys do repeatedly. The dad came home from work, in an outrage. I told him what I saw. He didn't care, this lady had no right to touch his child. He went over and confronted her. She gave him pics of his little angels. He ended up coming home and getting the boys and taking them back. He made them apologize and repair the damage they had caused.

[countrymom]

I would have called police. Right then and there. He could be a pedifile. I would call if it happens again. 911. I'm at the bus stop and there is a man parked out here using a cell to take pics of the kids. I am certain none are his children. They do not take things like this lightly.

thats what I would have done too. Also, if there was an issue, why didn't the owners call the school or the bus complany and complain. Why didn't they take the measures, I'm just curious as to what they were going to do with the footage, who were they going to complain too.

Now on a side note, I have to understand to what he is saying. The bus stop is in front of my house, couple years ago, there was a mom who started picking and dropping off her kid everyday, then suddenly she would start to bring people with her (they were lowlifes as we live in a small town so everyone knows everyone) and I started to get nervous, but the last straw was when she brought another guy and he started bringing his rotweiller to the bus stop with a muzzle (they are banned here) I had to confront her about it and the blocking of my driveway.

then last year I was putting a girl on another bus, but the kids who waited there were always running around the guys driveway and car, their mom didn't care that they were scratching his car, till he confronted her one day. I've never seen them play around his car again.

and parents shouldn't let kids be running all over someones property thats rude and inconsiderate.

[DBug]

I totally agree with everyone who said that he shouldn't have to deal with kids all over his lawn. The parents of most of the kids who are on the lawn are standing right there watching them. I don't let my kids on the lawn (whether it's snow-covered or not) and yes, the other kids have made fun of them for it. In fact, I've started being alot less quiet about it too when I have had to remind my kids, in the hopes that the other parents would get the idea. The home owners themselves have never said anything directly to any of the parents or the kids, so far as I know.

However, it really does make me mad that he's potentially filming my own kids and my daycare kids though, whether they're doing what they should be or not. I would much rather he write down descriptions of kids and/or parents, and give that to the school.

But, the whole thing does make me think that maybe I should start lobbying for changing the location, rather than just requesting it ....

[Sunshine44]

In this day and age, with cell phones and technology there is really nothing you can do.