As you do, I'm out minding my own business, spreading mulch on some undisclosed day last week, with a front window or two cracked a bit so the dogs can see me, and so I can hear the music while I'm working outside. I've already lost the battle against the mosquitos, and am fully kitted up in jeans and a t shirt, sprayed with repellent (although in my case that would probably require going sans deoderant), hair back, sneaks on, gloves on, and am covered in red bark dust from head to toe.

I'm happily jamming to Channel 22 on Sirius Radio (Mr. Manners surely thinks I listen to this station too much; his favorite complaint is that they play the same stuff all the time; I translate this into "you play this station too much" :-)) and weeding the front flower bed prior to mulching when I hear a car in the cul de sac. I think nothing of it. It's early evening - time for folks to be coming home. I still think nothing of it when I hear it idling - it could be my neighbors, it could be a delivery guy....I don't start to get alarmed at cars unless the dogs bark, generally, and since they bark at everyone....

Some friend on the teenager boys who live across the cul de sac was sitting in his burned out Shitvrolet something, red, staring at my ass! Five feet off the edge of my property!

My first thought was, literally: you asshat! You did not just roll up here to pick up your friend and stop to stare at my ass.

Then when I stood up, and stared in the direction of his car, he peeled off (busted) around the cul de sac, flew up the driveway, and yelled "yo, man, open the damn garage door" and ran inside.

I couldn't tell you what he looked like. What can I say? Black people think we all look alike; this was just one of those black teenagers that hangs out across the street.

I was pissed, and unsettled. I packed it up and went inside, and stayed in the rest of the night. I've never felt unsafe in my neighborhood, much less my own front yard.

Now Eliza, you might say, it was just a teenager...your rights end when mine begin, remember?

So what to do: this is a single parent, three teenage (and boy are they large) boys. Mom is a nurse, and works irregular hours, and is not from the states originally (I've heard her speak, some accent but not heard enough to place it). Her youngest child was the one who ran from Zoe, my thirty pound dog. Mr. Manners talked to our neighbors and they have issues with them as well, with their speeding and other bad manners as friendly co residents of our subdivision.

Yesterday, I wrote the president of our (voluntary) HOA and asked for advice. She had not much to say, other than what we'd already thought of (talk to mom and go to the police).

Advice?