There were only a few things I'd change in our new house. 1) I wanted but still didn't get enough outlets underneath the TV sets in the house and we still need power strips. 2) Our master bath vanity is too high. I wanted it lower, but somehow, it didn't happen...dropped the ball somewhere along the line. 3) We told the security guy that our walls were being spray foamed, but he didn't pull the wires out far enough and they got foamed into the walls, so now we have battery sensors that need replacing every so often... a PITA 4) I had the house audio use 2 zone and should've added a 3rd for the bedroom area as I like to listen to the same music all over the house when I'm cleaning. 5) The electrician screwed up the gas fireplace. I wanted it hard wired, not remote, but he hooked up the switch to the blower, not the on/off. By the time we found out, it was embedded in all the woodwork on the FP surround and couldn't be altered. 6) I would've put in more expensive windows than we did.

We have a temporary order for protection from harrassment good until we go to court. If I get an order in court it will be good for one year. I plan to bring it to school Monday and ask them to outline how they will enforce it for the remainder of the school year which is only a week but still. This summer my daughter won't have any contact with them as they run the streets and she volunteers as boy scout camp and babysits. DH will be on the field trip so I'm not worried about her being safe, I'm disappointed that we have to babysit thie girls behavior because her parents haven't done their job. The school called Friday night and said the reason these girls did this was because DD and her friend hugged a boy before a game that one of these girls likes and that started it all. I told the VP- that's not the reason, that's their excuse! and I'm not dismissing this incident for any reason based on the previous threats and the constant harrassment. The couselor told me she had "been successful" having this girl see the other persons point of view and apologize many time before as she realizes she has a bad temper..to which I replied..we'll you weren't too successful because she's still at it... I'm so mad about this whole thing- I'm seething. I've always told our kids to tell the teacher and now I find out the teachers can't, won't, don't do anything. Who wants to be the mom that has to go threaten the school to keep their kids safe? or spend all day in court waiting for an order? If DD was a problem child I would understand that they are doing the best they can with her but she isn't even doing anything and despite how many times these girls have been spoken to- they don't stop! It's complete foolishness.

I'm just wondering if the responses by everyone would be the same if it was a well-dressed female who came running up, maybe even in your own neighborhood. And it shows how important looks are these days. No matter what, the gut feeling should not be quickly dismissed. If you're uncomfortable in a situation, get out of there. Period. Even if the person was being chased by a gang and/or had been mugged already, it's your comfort that's most important. I think I would have asked him WHAT DO YOU WANT? at least a couple times to see if there was a reason. If there was such a situation (that he was in trouble) you could always go ahead, call the police and report it. I'm certain your car isn't totally soundproofed so you wouldn't need to open the window to ask or to listen unless you have a hearing issue unstated. I imagine there's even the remote possibility he was mute too but I'd still ask. I think I would be watching the news to see if there was anything (a body found or whatever) or follow up with the police since I'm a curious person and like to know what, if anything, happened, and I definitely would have called the police about the incident, probably while driving away, for personal safety if nothing else. Probably had them on the phone while I was asking what they wanted. If you're scared it doesn't matter if it's warranted or not, you should still get out of there. And maybe reconsider putting yourself in that situation again. There's depressed areas like that all over but that is irrelevant anyway. This incident could just as easily have happened in Beverly Hills so tying it to the depressed area isn't pragmatic. This type of thing CAN and DOES happen anywhere. Sometimes it's innocent, sometimes not. There's people I don't think should be driving alone in certain areas. I'm real uncomfortable with my sister driving alone a lot of the time but you can't even suggest that these days or you're branded "sexist". With the background I have in law enforcement and crime prevention, I tend to ask "what if" often. What if you had a car breakdown at that moment? Couple flat tires, even one? Some people are known to block roads, flatten tires and the like. People are lulled into a false sense of security these days thinking their cars cannot fail them. There's also the well-known planned "accident" (in any area, not just depressed) that happens in all areas. I know people are going to talk about their God-given right to go where they want and when they want, but, what if??? I remember my aunt relating a situation in Houston where people would lie down in the street to get people to stop. The police told my aunt if she's confronted with this situation and couldn't get around the person, don't stop. Drive over the person if you need to in order to get away. I found that interesting. Glad you're safe.

Whatever cynic. It's not what they said. As offensive (to use your word) as they are, UNDOUBTEDLY, they would've said something overt, not hinted. It couldn't possibly have been them, it has to be me? Even though they complain that P is putting her bike on the front of the bus (which there is rack for and she does everyday), or that man who chews tobacco is on the bus, not that he's chewing or smells like cigarettes, he is just ON the bus, or... one time, someone stumbled and they ran into the more unhappy of the two and to this day she complains every day, I'm not exaggerating, that the woman "tore" her shirt off. Every day we need to hear about it? They're unhappy. All day every day. I'm sorely tempted to record them and have you hear it. I cannot tell you how light the mood on the bus was yesterday with everyone smiling and chit-chatting. Oh, to be like that every day.