Depending on where you live, you might be best friends with your neighbors, or you might not know any of their names. Growing up, my parents knew just about every couple that lived on our street. But today, I don’t think I would even recognize any of my current neighbors if I saw them out on the street. Living next to strangers is definitely better than living next to obnoxious jerks, though!
One woman, who has become fed up with living next to a rude man, recently decided that enough is enough. Below, you’ll find the full story that she posted on the Petty Revenge subreddit detailing how she got back at her inconsiderate neighbor.
Living next to an obnoxious neighbor can be a nightmare
Image credits: guyswhoshoot / envato (not the actual photo)
That’s why this woman finally decided that it was time to take action against the annoying man next door
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Anthony / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: MYSTlC-DARKFlRE
"When he finally was gone, the birds were chirping, and clouds were extra puffy"
To learn more about this situation, we reached out to the woman who shared this story, Reddit user MYSTlC-DARKFlRE, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. As far as what inspired the OP to tell this story, she says, "I was bored, and this has annoyed me for a while. I told people in chats about the same thing, and they thought it was funny. So I decided to tell the same story on r/pettyrevenge."
The author also shared that she's lived next to this neighbor for two years, and his yelling has always bothered her, as she thought he was abusive. "He only raised his voice and had not done anything physical," she noted. "Lots of it was more high-pitched complaining."
We also asked if there had been any conflicts between the two neighbors in the past. "I saved his life when he mowed his lawn on a hot day," MYSTlC-DARKFlRE shared. "He passed out, and I dunked towels in my pool and covered him in them. Ants were biting him too. Then an ambulance came and took him. I had to feed his dogs while he was in the hospital. He never said thank you."
The OP also noted that these same dogs later killed her cat. "He threw the cat in his bin and didn't let me know, so I was looking for my cat for 2 days," she shared.
But thankfully, there shouldn't be any more issues between these two in the future. "He has just moved out," the author says. "Last weekend he was packing up and going. Also sweating and throwing things when doing this. When he finally was gone, the birds were chirping, and clouds were extra puffy."
The majority of Americans know at least some of their neighbors
What kind of neighborhood do you live in, pandas? Do you bake brownies every time a moving van shows up on your block and peer out the window trying to get a glimpse of the new family? Or do you ignore everyone who lives nearby and not even notice when someone has moved in or out of your building?
According to the Pew Research Center, about 57% of Americans only know some of their neighbors, while a little over a quarter say that they know most of the residents nearby. Older Americans are also more likely to be friendly with their neighbors.
34% of those over the age of 65 say they know most of them, and nearly a quarter of those between the ages of 18-29 don’t know any of their neighbors. But even today, with all of the technology we have at our fingertips, conversations between neighbors are more likely to happen in person than over text or email.
And despite the fact that we hear about nightmare neighbors on the internet all the time, the truth is that most Americans actually don’t have a problem with the people who live nearby.
In fact, two thirds of those who know some of their neighbors say they would be comfortable leaving them with a set of keys in case of an emergency. PR Newswire also reports that a whopping 86% of Americans say they actually like their neighbors.
A quarter of residents have considered moving due to disputes with neighbors
When it comes to the people who aren’t fans of their fellow residents, however, the biggest complaints reported were being too noisy, not respecting boundaries and being nosy. Gen Z adults are also about twice as likely to report not liking their neighbors than Boomers are.
And in the United States, Southern hospitality reigns true, as people in the South and West are more likely to say that they're “very friendly” with neighbors than those in the Midwest and Northeast.
Other common issues that residents have with their neighbors are unruly pets, having unattractive homes, parking in inappropriate places, making messes in the neighborhood, leaving kids unsupervised, and suspected criminal behavior.
These problems don’t typically escalate very far, but a quarter of Americans admit that they’ve considered moving due to a neighbor’s behavior. And 10% report that they actually have moved because of issues in the neighborhood.
It’s best to stay cool, calm and collected when trying to resolve issues with neighbors
If you have an issue with a neighbor, approaching the topic can certainly be uncomfortable. On the one hand, you’d like to know that you always have a parking spot available when you get home from work. But on the other hand, bringing up the problem might cause more tension and awkwardness in the neighborhood.
When dealing with neighbor disputes, Huffpost recommends not reacting immediately in the moment you become frustrated. It’s best to cool down, reflect and give yourself time to consider what the best resolution will be. And try not to get other neighbors involved in the issue. Neighborhood gossip can spread like wildfire, and before you know it, residents might be taking sides. (And you could end up being an outcast in your own neighborhood.)
Consider writing a polite and well thought out note to your neighbor about the problem, so you don’t have to worry about what might come out of your mouth in the heat of the moment. This also allows you to avoid catching your neighbor off guard with a face-to-face confrontation. Finally, try to work together to solve the issue. You both deserve to feel at home in your neighborhood, after all.
And if your neighbor is extremely reluctant to change their ways, well, you can always keep a bag of bird seed on hand. Just in case! We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Then, you can check out another Bored Panda piece discussing neighborhood drama right here!
Later, the woman responded to several comments and shared additional details on the situation
Readers applauded the neighbor for her clever revenge and provided even more suggestions for the future
