Got a serial gum spitter any advice?

dimammx

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
140
Reaction score
80
So I been finding gum balls on my driveway, i counted 20 of different freshness. Thanks to @EMPIRETECANDY cams was able to narrow it down to a neighbor 2 houses down the street.
I don't know if it is hate towards us or he just randomly decides to spit here. I want him to stop, but don't want to make it worse.
What is a good approach to take?

Talk to him, send a letter with intent to sue, talk to neighbor watch, call police?

Any thoughts?
Thanks.
 

cyberwolf_uk

Getting comfortable
Joined
Sep 27, 2014
Messages
606
Reaction score
705
Strange to just target your driveway, unless you have checked others as it could be they are just cunts and spit the gum anyway and everywhere... They don't sound like people who will listen to your polite words as they sound like scum!
You could try some sort of signage along the lines of "Due to dogs shitting on my lawn drive, cameras have been installed" hopefully they may think twice. Unless they know you have cameras and don't give a fuck!
In that case get a big dog and just walk around by his house daily :p
 

dimammx

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
140
Reaction score
80
Yea Cameras are pretty visible, actually I though he might be retaliating against my cameras this way, but he does have one installed on his garage too so.....
I will walking around to check other peoples driveways. I know my direct neighbor has 2 spits on his.
 

garycrist

Known around here
Joined
Sep 25, 2021
Messages
2,275
Reaction score
6,700
Location
Texas
If you have a CLEAR SHOT of the perp, send him a video and tell
him you will publish here and everywhere on the net. next time.

This will either stop him or escalate to a place no one wants to be.
 

Timokreon

Getting comfortable
Joined
Feb 25, 2022
Messages
595
Reaction score
1,065
Location
Chicago
Adult or kid? Either way I'd just go speak to the adult of the house and just lay it out that you've been noticing gum on your driveway, stepped in it, etc.. and was wondering if you saw anyone/knew who was doing it?
By asking the question, rather than just tell them you know they did it, a reasonable person is going to show signs of guilt and will stop.

If the person isn't reasonable after asking the question, then I would just come out and say, hey I found out where the gum is coming from, I would appreciate it if you would stop.

I don't like escalating with neighbors, it usually doesn't end well for either party. The casual, would you happen to know if/when/where, etc.. 99 out of 100 times the person knows you know and will stop.
 

dimammx

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
140
Reaction score
80
Yes Ii know exactly who he is. My concern, I don't want to escalate the issue t0o much, so trying to figure less direct or confrontational approach .
@Timokreon
Adult about 70-80 years old
 

fenderman

Staff member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
36,897
Reaction score
21,250
Yes that is my concern, I don't want to escalate the issue to much, so trying to figure less direct or confrontational approach .
@Timokreon
Adult about 70-80 years old
I would approach him tell him you have the video and ask him not to do it again.... At this point I don't think he would knowing that he's on camera...
About 8 years ago a friend of mine kept getting flat tires because there were nails and screws at the base of his driveway... We installed a camera and found one of the neighbors, an old lady, was walking by and secretly emptying her pockets filled with nails and screws....
They confronted her and she stopped..
 
Last edited:

Timokreon

Getting comfortable
Joined
Feb 25, 2022
Messages
595
Reaction score
1,065
Location
Chicago
Yes Ii know exactly who he is. My concern, I don't want to escalate the issue t0o much, so trying to figure less direct or confrontational approach .
@Timokreon
Adult about 70-80 years old
At that age, there is the possibility of him not knowing he's actually doing it, or that he's doing it on purpose but doesn't really know why he's doing it on purpose. Dementia, Alzheimers, etc...

They're brutal diseases, and unfortunately something I've witness personally... Many times the person doesn't even know they're doing something or why they're doing it.

If you've never spoken to him before? Then I would just go speak to him and casually ask him if he's been getting gum thrown onto his driveway, as others in the neighborhood have been reporting it.
If he still has all his faculties, he'll most likely stop. If he doesn't stop, then he may not know he's doing it, etc.. at that point... :sigh:
 

TonyR

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
16,451
Reaction score
38,164
Location
Alabama
One of my several mantras is "start with a tack hammer before pulling out the sledge hammer."

IOW, the first time ask him to stop, tell him you've seen him doing it but don't mention the video.
If he does it again (2nd time), tell him you have video and you will report it if he does not stop and HAVE A WITNESS WITH YOU.
If he does it again (3rd time) talk with local LEO about what you can file, tell them you have video and you have asked him to stop TWICE and be insistent that you want to pursue charges (vandalism, harassment, littering, I don't know...I'm not a lawyer).
 

CaptainCrunch

Getting comfortable
Joined
Feb 13, 2023
Messages
228
Reaction score
378
Location
Texas
We have kids who like to ride golf carts around the neighborhood. Most of them do so with reasonable caution so it hasn't been a bit deal yet. It's a small neighborhood and we have a facebook group. Someone posted something about a golf cart driving around at a high rate of speed. I found the golf cart on video and saw it make a u turn by driving through my yard. I made a post and posted a picture of the golf cart but cropped out the occupants. I asked that if anyone recognized the golf cart, would they please have the owners ask the kids to not drive through the yard. And that if the owners had any questions they were welcome to contact me directly and I would be happy to provide them an uncropped image so they could see who was driving. I added that I hoped this could be resolved within the neighborhood. That golf cart has not been an issue since.
 

dimammx

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
140
Reaction score
80
Thank you all for the advices and sharing personal experiances. Talking is a bit hard since English is my 2nd language.
I think I will either talk to him (maybe write a letter just generally mentioning someone throwing gum on my driveway) or talk to our Neighborhood Watch lady who actually lives across the street from him. I do know her a little and talked to her few times before. He seems physically fit and consciously choses to throw the gum on my driveway (not 5 feet before not 5 feet after). He thrown 3 gums in the last 24 hours alone.
 

TonyR

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
16,451
Reaction score
38,164
Location
Alabama
Thank you all for the advices and sharing personal experiances. Talking is a bit hard since English is my 2nd language.
I think I will either talk to him (maybe write a letter just generally mentioning someone throwing gum on my driveway) or talk to our Neighborhood Watch lady who actually lives across the street from him. I do know her a little and talked to her few times before. He seems physically fit and consciously choses to throw the gum on my driveway (not 5 feet before not 5 feet after). He thrown 3 gums in the last 24 hours alone.
If diplomacy doesn't work, consider collecting a weeks worth then deliver them to his front porch in a plastic bag with a note saying "Returning these gum wads that you must have accidentally dropped, no thanks necessary. Have a good day!" :cool:
</end sarcasm>
 

Timokreon

Getting comfortable
Joined
Feb 25, 2022
Messages
595
Reaction score
1,065
Location
Chicago
Thank you all for the advices and sharing personal experiances. Talking is a bit hard since English is my 2nd language.
I think I will either talk to him (maybe write a letter just generally mentioning someone throwing gum on my driveway) or talk to our Neighborhood Watch lady who actually lives across the street from him. I do know her a little and talked to her few times before. He seems physically fit and consciously choses to throw the gum on my driveway (not 5 feet before not 5 feet after). He thrown 3 gums in the last 24 hours alone.
Sounds like he has a problem with you, in that case screw him and the gloves come off.
Take a picture of him throwing the gum, print it out, give 1 to the Neighborhood Watch lady, explain what's going on. Maybe she would talk to him about it?

I do like the idea of collecting the gum and giving it back to him in a bag... lol.. perhaps a picture of him throwing the gum onto your property attached to the outside of the bag.
 
Top