We live in a small town in Georgia and the kids behind us cut through our yard to get to the corner store.
At first I didn’t care. Then they started leaving the side gate open. I have two dogs. One is old and slow, the other one sees freedom and loses all religion.
I asked them nice three times. I asked their mama once. She said kids forget things and I should put a spring on the gate.
Why am I renovating my gate because her children cannot use the road?
I put a lock on it yesterday. Now she says I am being “unneighborly” and making the kids walk an extra six minutes.
They will survive. Probably. But now the whole thing has turned into a block issue and I truly do not have the energy for a fence summit.
Tell her the shortcut is closed because the gate was not being respected. Calm voice. No fence summit.
Six extra minutes is not the Oregon Trail.
Could you put a self closing hinge on it? Not because she is right, just because neighborhood wars are exhausting.
My husky would be in Tennessee before those children hit the corner store.
I do think kids walking through yards used to be normal, but leaving a gate open after being asked repeatedly changes it.
Her answer was YOU should modify YOUR gate so HER kids can trespass easier. Absolutely not.
Georgia mom here. Lock stays. Dogs getting loose is not a minor inconvenience.