Today I was getting dressed to head into my new/old work to get the room set-up for Open House next week.
And while I was getting dressed I had the TV tuned in to the Today Show (I don't even know why I torture myself with it anymore).
And when I happened to turn it on, the segment that was on was about Tips To Avoid Nasty Neighbors or some such nonsense when you are in the market of buying a new home.
Some of the "tips" made sense. Most of them seemed utterly ridiculous. And some tips were missed all together.
Some of the no-no's were:
-don't buy a house that is on a garbage route (um, hello. aren't we all on a garbage route?)
-don't buy a house that is next door to a Halfway House (this bothered me)
-don't buy a house near a 4 way stop/intersection
-don't buy a house near a bus stop
Some of the one's I think were missed were:
-don't buy a house near train tracks
-don't buy a house near a nuclear power plant
-don't buy a house near an airport
-don't buy a house on an ambulance route
-don't buy a house near a highway/freeway/or road
-don't buy a house near a foghorn
-don't buy a house near a firestation
***note*** some of these are my being irritated and sarcastic
But what really bothered me was that the woman who was being interviewed made the suggestion that you go and ride by the house you are looking at during rush hour so that you can see who the screaming moms are. And you can see which houses use a basketball hoop, a skateboard ramp, and/or trampoline.
What is the deal? Why are you targeting "screaming moms" and kids?
Look, I understand kids are noisy.
And so are their parents.
I understand people wanting a peaceful place to live.
And if you can believe this or not, people with kids even want a peaceful place to live.
Is it seriously offensive to hear kids at play?
Is that really such an awful sound?
Are we becoming so serious and uptight of a society that we can handle hearing a lawn mower symphony at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning, but can't handle the giggles of kids who are bouncing on a trampoline?
I would certainly rather hear the sounds of police and ambulance sirens than hear kids playing basketball.
Woudln't you? (again, with the sarcasm)
Like I said, I totally understand kids can be a royal pain in the ass.
They make noise.
Is that such a news flash?
But I almost feel that people with kids are being lumped into the not in my backyard, not in my neighborhood pot.
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8 ripples in the pond:
Wow, that is harsh. Drive by and see who the screaming moms are? At what constitutes a "nasty neighbor?" The Today Show has definitely lost their way, lately.
That explains why the house directly behind us (our yards abutt each other) has been on the market for, oh - like 7 months!
Sorry dude, I can't keep my kids inside like caged animals all day.
But for the record, being on an ambulance route isn't a bad thing, especially if you have kids!
Julie riffed on this today too: http://theartfulflower.blogspot.com/2007/08/who-are-people-in-your-neighborhood.html
I think there are a lot of people who want to marginalize kids. I've always thought that kids were a draw - adding a vibrancy and a sense of community.
I agree Magpie. And thank you for the link to Julie's post. I like her take on the segment and how she tackled the boundaries aspect of that segment.
That's so crazy! I think kids playing outside and giggling is a good thing...too many stay inside too often nowadays!
totally agree- I'd be worried if there were no kids. What a crappy segment.
I'm holding up my hand, it's just easier that way for people to see that I'm the screaming mom. Oh yeah, and I'm the one with the grown son who has a noisy muffler, I just heard him pull up. Does it get any better? They just keep coming back home.
We never took into consideration kids or moms--actually we always looked for kids and moms, so we'd feel more welcome!
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