The Saga of the Little Hoodlums

'Twas a peaceful night last night as we lay in bed. A crisp breeze was blowing through the open windows and we had some good chats as we wound down and then drifted off into a dreamy sleep....

....then at about 11pm we were startled awake by loud yelling, whistling back and forth and some fabulously colorful language. It turned out to be a small group of little hoodlum teenagers trapsing down our street. (Oh if only they were as dedicated to homework as they are to figuring how many expletives they can string together in one phrase!)

This was annoying to say the least, but we figured they'd walk by and we'd be back to sleep soon. And then...out of no where...there was a LOUD BANG like the sound of someone striking a metal object. I thought they were vandalizing the mailbox on our house. I bolted up in bed and ran to the window and yelled, "HEY!!!". The girls screeched, the boys swore and they bolted off.

Satisfied that I had scared the snot out of them and made them pee in their pants a little, I was glad they were the kind of kids that ran off scared, instead of the kind that stayed there beneath out window and yelled back...or worse. I figured that was the end of that.

NOPE. They stuck around, wandering around further down the street and continued their highly intellectual conversations. I had had enough. I wanted to call the police, but Jason did instead. They said they would, "Send a car by in a while." Gee thanks.

The evening culminated like this...By now it was 11:30 and we heard them walking back up the street. We over heard their conversations daring each other to "hit the stop sign again!" (That was the loud banging noise.) That solidified in my mind that these kids are idiot punks who have absolutely no respect for anyone...including themselves. Jason waited by the window (and saw a car coming up the street)....some little thug banged the sign again....Jason HOLLARED at them...they freaked and ran....

...and that car coming up the street just happened to be the police (oh sweet satisfaction!). He saw everything, pulled over and wrangled the little hoodlums. While they hadn't really done anything illegal, he couldn't arrest them, but I think he scared 'em a little. He took their names and addresses and asked a lot of questions. They were being punks and at one point he hollared at them at the top of his lungs, "I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT AND IF YOU'RE GONNA GET MOUTHY WITH ME WE'LL HANDLE THIS ANOTHER WAY!" After that they were all, "Yes sir," and went on their way. I don't understand why he didn't load them in his car and deliver them home to their parents, but we didn't hear another peep out of them.

And now for my soap box. WHERE ARE THESE KIDS PARENTS!?!? WHY ARE THEY WANDERING THE STREETS AT 11:30 ON A SCHOOL NIGHT CAUSING TROUBLE!?!? It all starts with the parents. Poor parenting is why we have so many little hoodlums. C'mon people...do your job as a parent!!! It's not easy. It takes a lot of work. YOU signed up for it! And now I'm done.