How BumperBuddy works
A friendly sticker goes on the golf cart, car, side-by-side or jet ski your kid drives. When a neighbor sees great driving — or something worth a heads up — they leave a short note, and it goes privately to the parents. That is the whole idea. Here is the rest of it, plainly.
The sticker
Every sticker carries a Buddy Code — big pictures, like a smiley face, a star, and a sun, that belong to one vehicle only. Families pick their own 3 from hundreds, and can add a few letters to the sticker if they like. Next to it is a small square code you can scan with a phone camera. Either way gets a neighbor to the same short form.
The sticker shows no address and no phone number. It says less than a license plate. The pictures are the part neighbors remember.
What happens, step by step
A neighbor sees something
They find the 3 pictures they saw
They pick what kind of note it is
The note goes privately to the parents
Praise comes first
Most notes are good ones, and that is by design. Neighbors love catching a kid doing it right, and a good note can make a kid's whole week. Good options lead every screen and every email.
“Slowed way down for the dog walkers near the pond. Didn't have to be asked.”
“Two extra kids hanging off the back seat coming down Azalea Drive. Nobody hurt, but worth a talk.”
What the parents get
An email, right away
Every note arrives in the parents' inbox, so nothing is missed.
A private page
Every note is kept on the parents' own BumperBuddy page, newest first, praise and heads-ups together.
A way to sort it out
If a note doesn't add up, the parents can mark it as a false report. It stays on record, just dimmed.
What it costs
Sticker $19.99, shipped. Notes are free during the pilot — no card needed for those. We want to make sure it earns its place in the neighborhood first.
The sticker is laminated weatherproof vinyl, a bumper strip (11 by 3 inches) or a plate (7½ by 3¾ inches), printed with your family's code and mailed to you (ordering by mail opens soon). More than one: 2 for $27.99 · 3 for $34.99 · 4 for $41.99 · 5 for $47.99, any mix of sizes and designs. Or print it at home for free, any time. You can see the pricing any time.
Common questions
Is this surveillance?
No. There is no live tracking, no map, no feed. It is a one-way, private note from a neighbor to a family — the same as if they walked over and told you in the driveway, only kinder to say and easier to hear. Nobody is following where your kid goes.
Can other people see the notes?
Never. A note about your driver goes to you and only you. There is no public page, no comments, no way for one neighbor to see another neighbor's note. That one rule is why BumperBuddy is not a neighborhood forum.
Does a neighbor need an app or an account to leave a note?
No. They read the address off the sticker or scan the code, tap the pictures, and they're done. It is built to be easy for anyone, including folks who don't love their phone.
Can we pick our own code?
Yes. Pick 3 pictures — a smiley face, a turtle, a rocket, whatever your driver likes. Hit Random, type what you'd like to see, or browse the themes. You can add up to 4 letters to the sticker too; don't use your child's name — initials or a fun word work great. Each code belongs to one sticker only.
What if someone makes something up?
To leave a note, a person has to enter the code on the sticker, in the right order. Only someone who actually stood near it knows them, so a story from a stranger who never saw the vehicle can't clear that bar. And if a note still doesn't add up, the parents can mark it as a false report in one tap.
Ready to try it?
Notes are free during the Hattiesburg pilot. Add your vehicle, print the sticker at home, and you're all set.
Get your sticker