Poll: was i out of line?

[spartandude]

Because of how you reacted, which was way out of line, they're going to jump the fence in the future so they don't have to deal with you to get their ball back.

that actually might happen now i think about it, oh well ive got good surprise waiting for them if they try that....

not its cauing any harm or pain but it will definately teach them not to do it

I think you severely underestimate the resilience of kids. They'll find a way in and out.

possibly, but with a pain on the fence which will utterly wreck they're cloths (really just rubs of on fabrics and creats stains which are near impossible to get rid of) i think il be alright

not to mention me and their father are getting along pretty well so he will know when theyve been in and out, not to mention if it keeps happening i will call the police, although considering the local police are useless i doubt that will do anything

 

[White Lightning]

No. They obviously knew they did something wrong when they broke your window and fence and tried to avoid the consquences. They should have knocked on your door and told you. About the mom? Honestly you shouldn't care what she thinks because most parents think their kids are perfect little angels despite all the shit they do.

 

[Lionsfan]

No I don't think so. If the kids came up to you and then you twisted their ears then it would be wrong, but since they A: Broke a Window (which they knew was wrong) and then B: tried to sneak in to get the ball without ever telling you about the ball, you weren't out of line

 

[SSoSFAGTiaCaGwaP]

You were way out of line. It's not okay for an adult to manhandle and deliberately hurt someone who is half their size. If you believed that they were going to run away you could have held them by the arms, although simply asking them to come with you would have probably been the most effective method.

I think it's unfair to paint her as someone who refuses to discipline her children. You didn't exactly give her a chance. I'm willing to bet she would have happily compensated you and suitably punished them if she didn't happen to see you manhandling her children first. You don't wrench someone's ears just because they did something to upset you. She was being a good mother by defending her children from a stranger who was hurting them. The way you acted was juvenile and uncalled for, even if you were understandably annoyed. You were compensated in the end so you don't really have much to complain about.

This person has the right idea. It is wrong to physically punish another person's child.

 

[Nouw]

You shouldn't have twisted their ears not only because it reduces the chances of you not being paid for the damage done but also because it's unnecessary. Sure playing football is probably going to hurt more but using violence in a situation like this isn't okay.

snipped for twisty ears. kinda sounds like a snack doesn't it?

It puts the pain in 'painfully pulling someone.'

 

[Catfood220]

snip

You probably could have achieved the same result by grabbing the children by their clothing and dragging them to their parents and you have less chance of being accused of assaulting a child.

Also, you should have just let the women shout herself out at you before responding in your normal speaking voice. Not only do you look more dignified, but it makes her look stupid because she has no where to go because she has started out by yelling at you and you have remained cool in the situation.

And yes, you should have told her to dicipline her children, I wish more parents would.

 

[FalloutJack]

-Snip-

No, you're fine. I'll give you an example why.

My neighbors had, in the past, a problem of people who get rather stuck up here - a steep hill with a 90-degree turn leading to a dead end - driving over a short wall and breaking said wall while doing damage to said yard. Tired of fixing that shit up, my neighbors put in SPIKES on that wall, which may or may not have claimed tires in all the time of their installation. I wasn't really paying attention. Nobody local and no authority calls them out on this. It's their property line. The only people who CAN try to object are the ones damaging property and - in the process - flattening their tires. Compared to that, a mere ear-pinching is nothing.

 

[lunavixen]

the only thing i feel was out of line was you twisting their ears, you'd have been better off grabbing them by the elbows or upper arms, yes, the mother overreacted as the kids were trespassing and caused additional damage to your property

 

[Lt._nefarious]

I think it is perfectly fair for you to have dragged them out of your house by the ear. If they just broke your window then fair enough but no they broke your fence and were trespassing on your property so you were well within your rights. Also I don't think ear twisting is really punishment in the same way as hitting or... Well just hitting really...

Spoiler

'nuf said.

 

[FamoFunk]

Physically disciplining them was out of line, yes. I'd be mad if you did it to my kid.

But marching them over to their parents and expecting money for damages and maybe giving them a word yourself is perfectly acceptable in my eyes.

 

[Raven's Nest]

I don't see any harm in what you did. Kids aren't made of glass and often require a smack at that age. Its how we've disciplined children for the last 10,000 years and most social animals use a form of physical punishment to discipline members of the group.

A mere twist of the ear is going to do absolutely no harm in the long run and the children would have learned their lesson instantly and without the need for continued punishment. "nipping a behaviour in the bud" as it's known in the animal training world.

Now it might be wrong in the pc bubble wrap law book but you're all good in my book. Next time give 'em a clip round the ear!*

*actual don't do this...

 

[MammothBlade]

Awww the poor dears, you hurt their ears you did. I mean it's not as if they damaged your property or anything...

I would have beaten them to death, congrats for showing the restraint you did.

 

[Yopaz]

I'd say yes, but I'd say the mother overreacted a little too. It is possible to be civil and not punish them and actually get the parents to compensate for the damages the kids caused. Now you're unlikely to get anything.

 

[dfphetteplace]

I would have been pissed too, but I don't think you should have twisted their ears. I'm a dad, and if you had done that to my son, even if he was in the wrong, I would be pissed at you. It isn't your place to be involved in their punishment. I don't blame you for being pissed, but they are just kids, and kids make a lot of mistakes, I know we all did. If you knew who they were, you can approach theirs parents and talk it out.

 

[Xannidel]

I am unsure about the twisting of the ears. I would probably never do something like that if it were my yard and garden and what not but I think the mom was overacting because their children not only broke a greenhouse window but decided to trespass instead of asking for the ball and then talking to their parents about that. At least the father was a little more understanding about the issue.
Next time I recommend you ask for the number to contact their mother or father to explain the situation better.

 

[Zing]

The minute you manhandled someone elses kids you were out of line. Yeah, they sounded like little shits, and it sucks they broke your shit, but you go to the parents, you don't touch the kids. Especially since it sounds like you would have been compensated if you went straight to them.

edit: wow the poll is surprising. Do you people seriously think its okay to go punishing other peoples kids? I really hope none of you do that to the wrong persons children..

 

[lordbuxton]

Are you guys serious? I would of throttled the kid at the very least.

 

[Delsana]

It is thus illegal for anyone other than the parents to physically harm in any capacity a child. If they scream when you try to touch them.. you're considered a pedophile.

And then there was fudge.

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Oh, and back way back when, every kid broke the window of someone's house playing baseball... and they tried to sneak off and get the ball and run away. This isn't a new thing. I sense HYPOCRISY here.