Thursday, July 10, 2008

If you build it, they will complain

Some teenagers in Greenwich, Connecticut, got together and built a wiffleball field in a town-owned vacant lot. They spent three weeks clearing brush and poison ivy, built a replica of the Green Monster with plywood discarded by a neighborhood gas station, and hung up an American flag. Naturally, the neighbors have called in lawyers to force them to tear it down.

Jeff Currivan, 17, said, “They think we're a cult. People think we should be home playing ‘Grand Theft Auto.’ ” One of the complaining neighbors, on the other hand, said, “If I come home at 6 at night after working all day, I want peace and quiet. I can’t have that. I have dozens of people behind my house playing Wiffle ball. If their parents think this is so great, let them play at their house.”

It does sound as if most of the town is on the kids' side. However, Readers, be glad that you grew up in the country, and not in an affluent suburb where kids are frowned upon for taking some initiative, building something, and playing outside.


4 comments:

Mom said...

Jeepers, Caleb. I posted my post and then saw yours. Do you think we might be related or something?

Caleb said...

Wow. That's weird, Mom.

Luke Murphy said...

There are few things more amusing than watching people fight over public property. What did all those stupid neighbors think anyway? That the empty lot would just stay empty forever?

Greenwich ought to handle this in the same way that settling the American West was handled in the 1800s with the Homestead Act. The kids took un-used land and made it into something valuable. For that reason, they ought to own the land now.

Spongy Penguin said...

"However, Readers, be glad that you grew up in the country, and not in an affluent suburb where kids are frowned upon for taking some initiative, building something, and playing outside."

*cough*
Well, some of us...

I actually read that article. It seemed more amusing than the one about wiretapping.