>:( We've recently put up some new fence panels in our back garden but haven't gotten around to the two main big ones across the very back. A couple of nights ago we heard a really loud banging and cracking sound out the back. My husband went out to have a look and some idiot had snapped some fence strips down from the top to the middle on both our fences and next doors (bearing in mind that the people living in the house next door to us are Downs Syndrome) Yesterday we came home from work and the whole (and I mean the WHOLE) back fence has been pulled from it's fixtures and is now basically only upright because of the concrete posts holding it in place. We had to pull it in and tie it to the tree at the bottom of the garden (at 8pm last night!) This morning my husband came up to tell me that it has been dislodged again and two whole slats have been pulled and broken away - leaving a gap big enough for someone to slide into. I'm REALLY angry.
Luckily I have the day off work today and a mighty big shovel. I will be leaving the back door unlocked (not open because I don't want them guessing anyone is indoors hehe) for quick access and if I see anyone touching our fence they will have a hefty shovel print in their forehead and maybe a few dented (or missing) fingers!!!! >:(
Quote from: Yellow Petals on November 16, 2006, 09:32:04
>:( My husband went out to have a look and some idiot had snapped some fence strips down from the top to the middle on both our fences and next doors (bearing in mind that the people living in the house next door to us are Downs Syndrome)
may I ask what does the rather offensive reference to people who have down syndrome mean >:(
I think what yellow petals meant was that she felt sympathy for the folks next door with downs syndrome, who maybe would find it harder to deal with situations like this. Well thats what I took it to mean. I have posted back and fore with petals and I don't think for one minute she would be offensive to anyone
Quote from: calendula on November 16, 2006, 09:42:14
Quote from: Yellow Petals on November 16, 2006, 09:32:04
>:( My husband went out to have a look and some idiot had snapped some fence strips down from the top to the middle on both our fences and next doors (bearing in mind that the people living in the house next door to us are Downs Syndrome)
may I ask what does the rather offensive reference to people who have down syndrome mean >:(
Tsk that's just a silly reply to make. If you had read it properly, it means that the people next door are DS and will be frightened out of their wits and not able to go and do anything about it like we are! I get on very well with my neighbours, I spend quite a lot of time laughing and joking with them and their social workers (infact I am waiting for their social workers now so I can pop my head out and make them aware of the situation)
::) Sigh
Edit: Thank you, Shirlton it is indeed what I meant. :)
I understood it to be a caring comment from YP
- in respect that life is already more difficult/stressful for a family with a disabled child- without the extra work/stress of feeling vunerable to thugs.
I know there are different levels of disability-( I have worked with disabled people all my life).
YP - get your camera/phone handy and try and take a quiet photos of the thugs if they return- good luck.
no, the point being these people were being referred to as Down Syndrome - they are people first and not to be isolated by a named condition
my son has so called down syndrome and more than capable of looking after himself - don't tar people with the same brush or a name - please :)
Calendula It seems to me that you are the one making these folks stand out as being different. Until you made the accusation I had n't even thought of them as being disabled. This board is a nice place to come and chat please don't turn it into somewhere we don't want to come anymore
actually you are doing it again by referring to them as disabled - if you want to be collectively descriptive then the usual one is "people with special needs and abilities" and this just about encompasses us all
it does need to be said because poeple don't think about it enough
last comment, and I am only making a stand in the 'shed' as this is what it is for - there is absolutely no need to infer that I am making it a place where peope don't want to be, that is really unfair and suppressive
Quote from: calendula on November 16, 2006, 10:09:08
actually you are doing it again by referring to them as disabled - if you want to be collectively descriptive then the usual one is "people with special needs and abilities" and this just about encompasses us all
it does need to be said because poeple don't think about it enough
last comment, and I am only making a stand in the 'shed' as this is what it is for - there is absolutely no need to infer that I am making it a place where peope don't want to be, that is really unfair and suppressive
I appreciate your comments but the people living next door to me do have DS. You don't know me and you don't know them so you can't really judge otherwise.
I'm not here to have any unpleasant discussions. I am cross enough about my garden and would hate to say something OTT and offend ANYBODY so I shall refrain from taking any further part :)
will you let us know what happens about the fence though, with pictures of the idiots, preferably :)
Quote from: calendula on November 16, 2006, 09:57:43
don't tar people with the same brush or a name - please :)
I think a reality check is needed here. Everyone IS labelled and sorted for various reasons and there is no escaping the fact. DS, aspergers, attention deficiency, diabetic, etc etc. The list is endless, and as has been pointed out, we are all included somewhere.
I read YP's original post, and did not see any problem with it, in fact I was just about to reply with sympathetic comments when the furore started. I rarely use this forum now, due to the interminable castigation that goes on by holier than thou people. No doubt there will be some people who will have a party at my reduced activity. I hope Dan takes an interest in this thread, if I am considered to be outspoken and chastised, then so be it.
YP, hope things resolve themselves satisfactorily, and your neighbours get their fence sorted without excessive upset.
I think we're all clear that YP was discussing sensitivities not disabilities - further discussion should go to a different thread, because we're hanging on waiting for the denouement of the Fence breaker saga.
What bloody awful vanadalism YP! What the hell is going on!!?? Have you called the police to make them aware of the damage to your fence? Surely they could send a Panda (do they still have panda's?) just up and down your street a few times over the next few days to warn off any thugs? Our local bobby for our village does that sort of thing on occassion. It is outrageous YP and I would be devastated, angry, and a little frightened!
LOL! Barnowl.
Just five minutes ago, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pair of hands appear on the top of my fence, so I jumped (literally, lol) into my shoes and shot down the garden - grabbing shovel en route - only to find it was next door's social worker looking to see what had happened. We gave each other a fright! I explained the situation to her and later today she's going to call somebody in to do it. I expressed our wish to share the same workman and half the costs so let's see what happens.
Other than that, no gory details I'm afraid, hahahaha!
Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on November 16, 2006, 12:40:32
What bloody awful vanadalism YP! What the hell is going on!!?? Have you called the police to make them aware of the damage to your fence? Surely they could send a Panda (do they still have panda's?) just up and down your street a few times over the next few days to warn off any thugs? Our local bobby for our village does that sort of thing on occassion. It is outrageous YP and I would be devastated, angry, and a little frightened!
EJ you are quite right, it's just not on really but I am afraid to say that we live in what's classed as a 'new town' in Essex and the police wouldn't even bat an eyelid at this. Infact, they'd probably turn up and say, 'Is that all? You're lucky!" LOL! If things get any worse, then we probably will phone them though.
Thanks to all for the positive comments :)
Hey Sam I know you are really angry and quite rightly so over the vandalism BUT I just fell about laughing over the.....saw a pair of hands appear on the top of the fence ;D Made my day, and it is such miserable weather here today!!
When young Lorna lived round the corner she came home to find a lout (sorry mean teenager) kicking hell out of her fence. When she asked what the hell he was doing he said his football was in her back garden!!! Now bearing in mind she is 5ft nothing and he had four friends standing grinning at her she got him by the scruff of the neck and made him replace (as best he could) the slats that he had broken. When she told me I was really worried, but that's my girl, people just don't mess with her.
Hope you catch them.
Lorna
Hehehe, Lorna, glad it made you chuckle. Have to try and laugh at these things else doolalleyness would set in.
I can imagine the social worker is giving my neighbours a quiet pep talk right now.
"Although she seems nice, I think it best you all keep your distance from the shovel wielding lady from next door in future, ok?" ;D
wow, I would have loved to see the social workers face, you creeping up with a determined look on your face and a firm grip on the shovel, ;D ;D
No-one messes with the Daughter of Rosebud, eh, YP?
;D ;D ;D
How right you are Lish, i have taught them well!!!!!.
As for Calendula, you do not know my daughter so i would thank you not to make remarks or comments like you have, she is a very caring person and yes her neighbours have got Downs Syndrome, i am disabled and i do not mind who says i am because they are telling the truth. We can all be labled but it does not mean as much to us as it seems to mean to you. Sammy send for Betty, Hahahahaha!!!!.
well I know a great deal of people who it does matter to - that they are labelled by their appearance, lack of abilities etc
"my neighbours are down syndrome" could so easily have been "my neighbours have special needs and abilities" or better still "my neighbours are people"
how the clique gangs up is also symptomatic - aye that's the way of the world
I will leave you with your anger at the fence breakers and me - I don't need to be here at all
thank you for your time - happy gardening
it's a shame it's gone over from gardening to personalities, I like talking about gardening experiences, I'm what people called disabled, my oh has what people term mental health problems, what do we do, we laugh at them all, we're just people,
PLEASE, can we just get back to plants etc... :'(
Quote from: calendula on November 17, 2006, 09:31:26
well I know a great deal of people who it does matter to - that they are labelled by their appearance, lack of abilities etc
"my neighbours are down syndrome" could so easily have been "my neighbours have special needs and abilities" or better still "my neighbours are people"
how the clique gangs up is also symptomatic - aye that's the way of the world
I will leave you with your anger at the fence breakers and me - I don't need to be here at all
thank you for your time - happy gardening
I think it's a shame that you feel the way you do. Firstly, it's not a clique of people at all. The only person in all of the replies that I talk to regularly is Rosebud - because she's my mum! I think that everybody else who responded, was feeling pretty much the same as me and understood what I had tried to explain. It saddens me to think that you will depart the site over something like this. Life is about agreements and disagreements - online or off (we are still real people even sitting behind our screens!) I hope you will change your mind because as has been pointed out - this is a gardening forum - and this thread did start off about a part of my garden.
I did just have a bit of a soapbox on the barmy PC world of today but I deleted it for fear of naughties starting up again ;D
Good idea to lock this thread or should I wait until I can post pictures of hoodlums with shovel imprints on their foreheads?
please wait until you've got piccies, I'd like to see pictures of your footprints on their nether regions but again, that's probably not pc either ;)
Let us just leave this and forget all about the differences shall we after all its nearly Christmas :o :o, and then of course a new growing season. Happy Gardening all. ;D ;D
Quote from: Yellow Petals on November 17, 2006, 15:52:26
shovel
Now come on, not many people have a shovel, it is a builders tool. What gardeners have is a spade. So why don't you call your spade a spade ;D
TAXI, have you got room for my big stick driver?
YP, did you report it to the police? There may be nothing that they can do, prolly not in fact, but it will highlight that you have a problem, and that it may well be linked to other acts of mindless vandalism in your area. It may help you in future to get extra patrols in the future and I hesitate to say that your neighbours condition(?) should be taken into account as well as vulnerable adults. Hope that I haven't upset anyones sensibilites by saying that.
dig some deep holes near your fence and cover them with leaves. you can't be done for that surely....teach them a lesson. what a load of crap.
and i think this discussion about down syndrome is a waste of time. I don't think anyone meant any harm by anything that was said. So what if she assumed that people next door weren't capable of dealing with such issues as much as we can? surely it's better to think about your neighbours and consider them, rather than assume they can.
i understand calendula that having someone in the family with the condition must be something that you live with everyday and so you know a lot more about it....but that doesn't mean just because other people are sometimes politically uncorrect are ignorant.
i do appologise for the confusion of names in the original post.
The PC brigade are turning us into a joke nation >:(
Calendula
Its not at all what Sam was refering to....Think you,ve taken the Wrong Bull by the horns.
Thats your freedom of Choice...... its not what was intended I can asure you.
Incidentally
I am..... and work with Handicap people daily but here in Holland maybe we just have a different attitude and outlook
Sorry, but i'm going to have to say it... now I'm not the most tactfull of people, but... if they have Downs, they have Downs, it's as simple as an extra chromosome, that's that and that is life, if we were all the same it would be boring, so what's wrong with giving special people a special name?...
It sometimes seems to me that almost as soon as we learn to use an "acceptable" term in place of an "offensive" one, the new term is seen as "offensive".
Hope you manage to put a stop to the vandalism YP.Why not put up a notice saying beware of the spade woman lol
:) Y P I think we are all with you on this one and as Rosebud rightly said lets put this to bed, but I'm still imagining the social workers face sorry I find it so funny can't get it out of my head ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: cornykev on November 18, 2006, 16:16:35
I'm still imagining the social workers face sorry I find it so funny can't get it out of my head ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Nor me! Terrifying :o & hilarious ;D ;D ;D
No further incidents I'm glad to say. Fence still trying to hold it's own (even survived the strong winds yesterday) whilst we await an answer from next door's maintenance peeps.
Appreciate and agree with pretty much all the comments made in this thread, thanks to all :)