Have you ever caught 'em

[wreckersteve]

Dont get me wrong. I would condone such behaivor from my son. I also no that some kids are mischevious.(sp?) So if said kids decide to do some bad, I would perfer that they do something like TP'ing. Kids want to rebel at some point. Some will speed, talk back or date someone there parents would not like. Some kids fight, skip school, steal or spray paint garages. So with that being said if I catch a kid TP'ing my yard, I will call the kids parents and let them deal with it. If i catch them doing something else I would more that likely call the police.

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by ljowdy

First of all, when I went to high school, it was only 10, 11th and 12th grade.... I'll help with the math, it was 3 years. To answer your question, no, it wasn't boring as I found a bunch of other things to do and had a great deal of fun... Toilet papering a home or putting dog poop in a burning bag wasn't my idea of fun.

You stated that there are much worse things kids are doing today so, does that make it OK to vandalise or trash someone's property? I think not. If kids were brought up with values then they wouldn't stoop to such idiotic and moronic ventures.

Check your state penal codes on littering... You'll see that it's against the law to leave litter on public or private property. It's a misdemeanor in most states. In California, it's Penal code section 374.4

The idea I had whe I was in High School was to NOT get in trouble.

In my opinion, your line of reasoning is just as above, you're rationalizing why it's OK to deface, damage or litter.

In closing, I'll take the advice that you have in your signature block and not argue with you, I don't want to get dragged down.

We must have lived in different worlds. I agreed with your theory just don't agree that it is punishable by death. We most likely would have moved in different circles when in HS. I have few reservations about my behavior over the course of my life, TPing a house is not one of them. This is a silly discussion so I'll let you have the upper hand.

Happy Mother's Day!

[Seahawk]

Sophomore in HS at Newbury Park HS in SoCal.

I'm riding with the starting fullback on the varsity football team, another sophomore I've known since the 3rd grade. He will go on to be the All CIF 4A player of the year, twice. He remains the best football player I have ever known.

The other guy is driving, yet another sophomore. He and I are JV starters. I play QB and defensive back, he is a great receiver. He has also been a friend since the 3rd grade.

We are supposed to go to a dance at NPHS, but we are listless...we decide to go egging. We are not on a mission, there is no destination in mind, we have no directed malice, just our collective ignorance.

On a quiet street we launch...I'm riding shotgun so I just open the door, step out and let fly over the car. I will go on to pitch in college...glass breaks.

Marc, the fullback, is riding behind the driver since I'm tall and the driver, while as fast as we are stupid, is not. He can run and he can hide.

Marc steps out facing the house and lets a fusillade go.

Giggling, we decide to go to the dance and be all we can be. We have no idea that the people whose house we just egged, people we didn't know, are about to become central in all our lives.

At the dance I am talking with a girl I really want to know better when I see Marc's Dad steaming directly for me. I am nearest the entrance to the dance in the gym so I'm first. He stops, says to me that he'll meet me at his car as soon as he finds Marc and Ted...go now.

Marc is a special athlete, nearly the perfect combination of speed, heft and desire...he got most of it from his father. I know his father well and so does my father. As much I as would have liked to run, it would be futile. I know his car and I go find it. It is probably 10:30.

It doesn't take long. Marc and Ted are being escorted out of the gym by the big man, like a B-52 flying wing on a pair of F-16's. A very angry B-52.

We get in. He tells us we're headed to my parents house so I can go get my father. This probably won't end well, but how did he know, what does he know?

My home is way off the beaten path, a small ranch three miles off paved road...Marc's Dad is angry enough at us Tim and I (blessedly in the back seat) wonder if we'll make it through the dark drive to my house.

Apparently, the peoples house we egged were awake and looked out the window just in time to read the back of the football jersey Marc was wearing. Yup, name and number. Marc's last name, and the fact that he has a NPHS varsity jersey on took our victims about one 411 call to solve their problem. It isn't quite apparent to us if Marc's Dad is more upset at us for egging the house or the fact that we failed to noodle through egging a house with a neon sign on the back of his son: Catch me.

This happened in 1974 so there was no forewarning my parents. They are asleep when I get home.

The house is dark, I walk to my parents room with a sense of dread that is hard to describe. Marc's father car idles in our driveway.

"Dad, I'm in trouble."

My Dad has heard the approach of the car (he is a former Army Ranger) and is awake: "What kind of trouble?"

I gave him the Readers Digest version and he says, "Please ask Marc's Dad to come and meet me in the kitchen. You get back in the car."

They meet.

They decide that the two father's will drive together and we will follow in Marcs dads car. Ted drives since he is the only one with a license...that and we're headed to his house.

It is getting late. I found out later that they called Ted's Dad while we waited. They also called the folks house we egged. Both were waiting.

I can tell you folks now that following our father's, separate in another car, was perhaps the most exquisite form of punishment: Our imaginations ran wild: what are they thinking?

Meeting the folks we egged was predictably awful. The wife looked me in the running lights and asked, "Why?

Here is what I learned and why I bothered to recount this tale: All of us were held accountable, no excuses. We paid for all the damages. Not only were our parents involved they were embarrassed for us. There was zero deflection or presumption of innocence when none was warranted.

The fathers in this little passion play, all three are still alive and well, taught their sons the most essential lesson that is sorely missing today: Be a man.

[wcc]

Seahawk - That's my only complaint with what has happened to me. THE PARENTS! They DID NOT make the kids clean up the mess THEY made and they NEVER made them apologize for what THEIR kids did. The parents only apologized for their kids but never made them do it for themselves. But when your kid is walked home at 2am after being caught red handed they are off 'scott free'. What kind of people will these kids turn out to be? Who knows, but right now they aren't held accountable for what they did and they know mommy and daddy won't hold them accountable for their actions. You, on the other hand, WAS held accountable and was expected to make things right. This is how I'm raising my kids to be but again it's unfortunate that we're a dying breed...

[Seahawk]

wcc: Keep the press on, my friend.

The other thing I learned that night (believe me I did) was that being a good parent is looking your young squires in the baby blues and letting them know in no uncertain terms who runs the show.

Marc, Ted and myself still keep in touch after all these years. I'm thinking we could take the old F'ers

Originally Posted by wcc

This is how I'm raising my kids to be but again it's unfortunate that we're a dying breed...

[wreckersteve]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

wcc:
Marc, Ted and myself still keep in touch after all these years. I'm thinking we could take the old F'ers

I doubt it. The dad can always take the son. It is simple. Dad knows his son. He knows what he is thinking. The son will stand and think" I bet I can take him". Dad is standing there knowing that his son thinks he can take him. That is when dad levels him. You will never take your dad. He is always 1 step ahead.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by ljowdy

I guess those of you that feel it's harmless have absolutely no respect for the property of others...
It's a shame you think that way as you've rationalized away the fact that you're hurting someone else, possibly breaking the law depending on your local laws, possibly costing someone else time and money all by saying it's harmless.

I'd suggest you grow up and not pass this trait along to your children.

I'd suggest you lighten up and not raise any ramrod straight hardasses.

Me personally i never TP'ed anything, but i did bang a lot of neighbors daughters.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Sophomore in HS at Newbury Park HS in SoCal.

I'm riding with the starting fullback on the varsity football team, another sophomore I've known since the 3rd grade. He will go on to be the All CIF 4A player of the year, twice. He remains the best football player I have ever known..

When i went out as a freshman for my HS football team as a halfback, the starter was a kid named Blair Thomas.

I saw no point, so did not pursue it.

Blair would later go on to become Penn State's all time leading rusher and the #2 pick overall in the NFL drack....several picks ahead of Emmit Smith.

[Rot 911]

I guess I am starting my daughter off right. When she gets in trouble at school, I make her write an apology letter to the teacher. In my opinion, you create the problem, you apologize for it.

[the]

Originally Posted by 911Rob

Cops brought home one of my kids once; egged a house and got caught. Neighbor took down their license plate.

You seem like a good guy and a good parent, so they must have learned that lack of respect and behavior at private school.

[wcc]

Well it's been a few days now so I guess their parents aren't going to set him straight. BTW the kids are in 3rd grade, not HS that did the ding dong ditch thing at 2am. Too young if you ask me. Oh well, next time he comes around the first thing I'm going to ask him is if he has an apology for me.

[p911dad]

Bill, just remember you and yours can't always guard your property. I, of course, learned this the hard way, like all my lessons. Certain kids are like little domestic terrorists and won't give up, especially if you antagonize them. So my lesson was some kids crossing our yard way out in the back along the creek. I told them politely to stop it, and ended up with maple saplings we planted broken off at the base of the trunk. Hmm. (as I recall, it was two twin brothers, dang, I am getting all ticked off again!!) Escalating the deal with the parents worked for a while, then a few months later it started again, with some more minor damage. The good news, they eventually grow up and move away. Outrage does not work, you can't touch them(or go to jail), so enjoy the fact that the more toilet paper wasted will cause more folks to work making more and thus you can help pull the country out of recession! Win Win! Glenn

[TerryH]

Third grade? That makes about 8-9 years old? Who lets little kids out at that hour? No curfew laws? Child welfare probably should get involved if the parents aren't.

The only way I got out like that was through my bedroom window. When I got caught once.... out of about 10 times, I was on restriction for 2 weeks. But even then I was about 13-15 years old.

[911Rob]

Originally Posted by the

You seem like a good guy and a good parent, so they must have learned that lack of respect and behavior at private school.

fruit never falls far from the tree; they say?
good jab there the