My neighbor might be crazy, what should I do?

Question

To start off when ever I play basketball he always stares at me and even sometimes threatens that if he could he would hit us with a pole (old btw). Also during Halloween he yelled at the trick or treaters but I hate to say later came and apolized (but how does that justifiy anything?). And just a couple seconds ago my bro and his friends were playing laser tag outside and he comes sticking his little bald head and starts threathening them in Japanese. I think my neighbor is crazy what should I do? Please none of that advice of try to make friends with him because hes like 5 times my age.

Answer 1

I think your neighor is probably bored and tired of life, has nothing else to occupy himself with. By behaving in this way he is drawing attention to himself and this gives him something to think about. Maybe try a few nice practical jokes, like teddy bears sitting on his wall or peering through his window. So to give him something else to think about.

Answer 2

Ignore him...That's all you can do. He is probably in his own world half the time any way. I have a neighbor that myself and the whole block has come to accept him as being genuinely nuts. He will for no apparent reason come out in his front yard and just start  yelling violently at the air not aiming it at any one in particular, just start yelling. We just ignore him, even the dogs on the block pay him no attention. He's never hurt any one and probably never will.

Answer 3

You're probably making a lot of noise, and there's also a good chance that he is frightened of you and your friends.  You may not want to make friends with him, but it is your responsibility to assure him that you mean him no harm and that you have respect for him and his advanced age.  Tell him that you understand about the noise and you'll try to be quieter, but that it's tough: he will likely understand that, having been a boy himself once.  

If you can do that, you'll defuse a situation that could grow a great deal worse with time.  Otherwise, he could begin to take measures that will simply cause more trouble, and neither you nor he needs that.  The problem is that as we get older, we start to get weaker and less able to take care of ourselves, and it scares the h**l out of us.  It'll happen to you.  And so it's important that active boys reassure their older neighbors that they mean no harm.  

Make very certain that your friends and you are all on the same wavelength.  The man's property lines are to be respected, and he is to be spoken to with respect.  It'll do you all a lot of good.