Battle of the fence-Don't mess with a Crazy American with too much time on their hands

We moved here in the summer of 2013.  I found out on the first day of school it was customary for the neighborhood kids to park their bikes on the fence between the school and my house-on my side.  At first I thought that maybe the kids on the play yard were bothering the bikes, but the teachers whistle whenever the kids get too close to the fence.  Then I thought maybe it was the kid who walked on the bike rack every day rain or shine, but he graduated last year and still they parked their bikes.   It annoyed me that I couldn't weed eat or mow during the day, but I put up with it.  I mean, who doesn't want to encourage kids to bike to school?

Then last year the city finally realized we'd never have mail service on our street (we have to go to the post office to get mail in our box) and finished the sidewalk. I'd been told the reason it stopped mysteriously 6 yards before the hole in the fence to the schoolyard was that a post box was supposed to go in so our boxes would be at the end of the street. The problem with that is now there's about 1 foot between the sidewalk and the fence, which meant to stay off the sidewalk, the kids now had to parallel park their bikes. Last June when about 20 were locked to the fence and about 15 deep into the yard I'd had enough. Then when some kids decided to lock bikes together and stretch them across the sidewalk so MY precious snowflakes had to go around them, I'd had enough.  Then when the same hoodlums stacked their bikes, threatening to crash down on someone's head, I'd had enough.

Right after Labor day I posted this sign and e-mailed the principal asking her to support me in getting the bikes back on the school side of the fence.

 

Most of the kids the first day read the sign and parked on the other side. Some even, miraculously, used the small bike rack on the school side.  One kid's mom showed him the sign.  He waited until she drove away and started to park on my side of the fence.  I had a friend staying with me who was out while I'd run back in for something while this was happening and she gladly did my "get the hell of my lawn" speech for me.

 

Friday came.  The kids who had been stacking and stretching bikes parked on my side of the fence.  I went out an handed out chocolates as a thank you to all the kids who had moved to the other side of the fence, then talked to the boy.  He had a nice bike and expressed concern that the smaller rack might damage his tires.  He was respectful and got his chocolate and has been parking on the other side since.  I e-mailed the principal and got a response back within the hour that she'd ask the caretaker about getting another big rack over there since the small rack obviously wasn't enough for the number of bikes there.  My children also said there's been an announcement each morning to not park there.

 

Monday morning, a kid parked on the street sign for the dead end.  On this side of the fence.  I stalked followed him up and explained to him how I planned on mowing the lawn and his bike was where I needed to mow.  At first he tried to ignore me. I mentioned I'd spoken with the principal and that we were getting another large bike rack.  He snottily told me he liked the lower ones (um, Thank you would have been more appropriate, bucko). I said, "great, once the bigger one is over there, the lower one will have plenty of space for you to park."  At 3:20pm I was at that fence weed wacking. He quickly removed his bike and I thought that was the end of it.

 

Ah, the snotty young man is made of sterner stuff than I imagined.  Tuesday he was parked in the same spot.  I went to the local greenhouse where all plants were 5 cents and bought 50 cents worth and planted around the base of the sign.  I was giddy for Wednesday morning, when I planned to be out there with my hose and coffee watering my fresh planting when the young man arrived.

 

A little sadly, Wednesday morning has turned out to be a little drizzly and few kids have ridden their bikes.  Also, in a sad turn of events, my hose is not nearly long enough and I had to attach a cut off one I use for my rain barrel to get all the way out there.  I had really looked forward to using my sprayer attachment.  Ah, well. Tomorrow at least I'll be out there with coffee and  my bright yellow hose.  Let this lesson be out there to the 10 year olds who think they can park on my lawn-I'm a crazy American with too much time on her hands.   I will not back down from a fight.  So your move, little man.  Your move.

 

ETA:  Today, success!  I walked past the last hold out-who was parked with 4 other bikes all in a nice, neat row on the bike rack, on the school side of  the fence!