Would this bother you?

[nicolewi]

Middle schoolers from the next subdivision over are driving golf carts/ATVs down our street. It is a quiet subdivision street with 25 MPH limit without a ton of cars, but people who are driving down the road often speed. We are not in a golf cart community in the least so this is unusual. They are the only ones who do this. I know who some of the kids are and I am NOT planning to say anything unless it gets clearly worse, but it's bugging me.

They used to do it occasionally and it felt off but wasn't enough to be an issue. But now in summer, they are getting faster/more frequent/more kids. They are zooming down the road on these golf carts, sometimes playing loud music, nobody with helmets or seatbelts, often in swim suits (if they fall out, they will be all scraped up). These are kids going into 6th and 8th grades; none have a driver's license. Girls and boys. I know some of the parents so I figure they are making at least a 1.5 mile down and 1.5 mile back trip. I'm sure the parents are aware that they are driving around.

Our house is at the end of the road, where it connects to a busier/higher speed limit road. There is a little median zone dividing the lanes in front of our house. The kids keep coming down the street, going around the median, and back up the other way. Today I saw the 6th grade boys with one climbing from the front seat over a bar into a back seating zone while the golf cart was in fast motion driving around the median. 

It's 
1. annoying, 
2. unsafe and
3. in front of my house is the highest risk location and I don't want to see an accident either with kids falling out on the curve or getting hit by a car. 

So unless it gets clearly worse I'm still just minding my own business but I am not sure if it's typical to be bothered, or if I am, like, shaking my cane at the world. I'm not super breezy about safety stuff in general so maybe it's just me? Would this bother you?? To be clear I'm still not saying anything, and I'm sure it would not be well received if I did, but it's bothering me that the parents are letting this go on totally unsupervised. 

[scm1011]

I would not mind your own business. Middle schoolers?! That’s a disaster waiting to happen. I’d report it to your 311 equivalent.

[waverly]

In my understanding it’s illegal because they are supposed to have a drivers license. It is an accident waiting to happen.

[ssmjlm]

Call the non-emergency police line.

That is dangerous.

[tiki]

Apparently golf cart laws vary and some places do allow kids as young as 12 to drive one? (though from the sounds of this likely only with a parent present, which it sounds like is not the case here)
www.progressive.com/answers/golf-cart-driving-requirements/

FWIW I'd probably look the other way if it was all 8th graders and up, but bringing 11 year olds with them is a hard pass for me. 

[stemmie]

It would bother me. I don't want to see kids get injured.

Golf carts laws are all over the damned place.

www.golfcartgarage.com/blog/how-old-to-legally-drive-golf-cart-50-state-list/

[penguingrrl]

I can’t imagine that’s legal. I would absolutely not stay out of it, that’s dangerous to the kids and to anyone else on the road. I can’t imagine letting anyone drive a golf cart on public roads before they have a license.

[redpenmama]

We have a similar issue in our neighborhood, and it's worrisome (not to mention illegal here). There are tons of posts on our HOA Facebook page complaining about it. My H saw two packed golf carts racing each other one evening. I would've reported it but someone else already did.

I'd report it if I were you.

[heygrey]

I would figure out the local laws for unregistered vehicles/unlicensed drivers on public roads and start there. I would call the non-emergency police line if it's illegal. This isn't a mind your own business situation, but it's also not something I would take up parent to parent unless I knew them really well.

I grew up in the country where ripping around on ATVs was common even at a young age. I also attended the funeral of a classmate who died in an ATV accident. Vehicle safety isn't something I take lightly. These kids are going to hurt themselves or get hit by another vehicle. No one needs that trauma.

[macmars45]

I'd call the non emergency number.

[brooklyn]

That would totally bother me and I’d probably call the non-emergency line or the kids parents.

Semi related - my grandmother and uncle live in two separate properties across town from each other in a small town in WI so I always think about them with your WI stories.

My grandmother has a John Deere Gator that she uses to drive around her 200 acre property. We used it one summer to drive a bunch of us over to my uncles (less than a mile away) for dinner. Driving very slowly, and we still got pulled over by police. This city kid had no idea they weren’t street legal. We ended up getting a $300 fine and a cart full of crying kids lol. Didn’t make that mistake again!

[Deleted]

I would definitely be concerned, more than annoyed.

If you know the parents, I’d try to get in touch with them. They may not realize that the kids are driving the golf carts, and even if they do know that the kids re using them they may not know that they’re operating them so recklessly. If you’re able, maybe try to take a video so you can show the parents exactly what is happening.

I would do everything I could to notify the parents before I’d call a non-emergency number.

[dcn]

Yes it would bother me and I would report it.

[erbear]

That's not safe and is a problem. I wouldn't be minding my business here.

[osulori]

I have a kid in that age range (going into 6th) and I could absolutely see some of his classmates in our neighborhood pulling stuff like this. I would start with finding out the golf cart laws for your area. If age wise they're legally allowed to drive the carts I'd say something to the parents first along the lines of "I understand this isn't illegal but I'm really concerned someone is going to get seriously hurt. Here's a quick video of what I'm talking about." If they are legally too young to be driving golf carts period or old enough but only with an adult that's clearly not present I'd call the non emergency police number.

[meanie]

I would take a video and send it to the local PD, that sounds super dangerous. Clutching my pearls at middle school kids driving anything, omg.

[nicolewi]

It's illegal for sure without a driver's license. I didn't double check the rest of the golf cart rules for my state.

I haven't seen them do it now since the day I posted! Maybe someone else finally called? I will see if it happens again.

[ellipses84]

It would bother me but I wouldn’t know what to do about it if the parents already know because I don’t think much would change their mind. It’s definitely not safe.

We have an issue with kids on e-bikes in our neighborhood not wearing helmets and riding too fast while popping wheelies on 35-45 mph roads. Parents have been communicating about it and letting the school know. Some people post a description in our neighborhood fb groups, saying please talk to your kids with e-bikes and make sure they wear their helmets, it’s a school rule and a law. You can post in fb groups anonymously.

TW: I would share a personal story that one of DS’ friends / classmates died in an ATV accident with proper safety gear on at that age. None of us want to attend another middle schooler’s funeral, which I think is why there’s been solidarity about e-bike safety. DH was also hit by a car backing out while in a golf cart going low speeds, but it pinned his leg between metal and he had pretty significant damage that took a long time to heal. Golf carts also tip really easily, going too fast around a turn or on a hill.