Getting along with your neighbors is a big part of living peacefully. Just as a good neighbor can improve your day-to-day, a bad one can make it a nightmare. And don’t even get us started about entitled drivers with poor parking skills...
Reddit user u/GrumpyBachelorSF went viral after sharing how they handled their neighbor maliciously blocking their driveway. Scroll down for the full story, as well as a reminder that you should park carefully and never let your fines snowball.
Bored Panda got in touch with the author of the viral story, redditor u/GrumpyBachelorSF. They were kind enough to answer our questions. Scroll down for our interview with the OP.
It can be incredibly frustrating when someone's poor parking skills affect you and your family
Image credits: ifer endahl / unsplash (not the actual photo)
One person went viral after sharing how they handled a neighbor who blocked their driveway
Image credits: RossHelen / envato (not the actual photo)
The author later shared some additional information in an update
Image credits: GrumpyBachelorSF
People who park poorly is a very common and relatable problem
Image credits: Michael Fousert / unsplash (not the actual photo)
The author of the post opened up to Bored Panda that this was actually their very first time posting on the r/pettyrevenge subreddit.
"I didn't know what to expect as a response. I was stuck if it was actually considered petty revenge or not, but I'm glad it caught a lot of attention," u/GrumpyBachelorSF told us.
In their opinion, the story possibly got so many people reading and talking because it's a very relatable topic. "We've experienced times when people park poorly, and what happens when people mess around and find out," they said.
We were very curious to get the OP's take on why their neighbor didn't immediately move their car after getting the first ticket.
"I feel they were not paying attention to their vehicle," the redditor said. "They parked in a space too small for even a compact car to fit, so I don't know why they thought partially blocking my family's driveway was a good idea."
Meanwhile, u/GrumpyBachelorSF shared a few thoughts on how people can get to know their neighbors a tad better.
"One way I've seen some portions of my neighborhood get together is through block parties, where we'd pay the city to close the street for the day and have a BBQ, play games and music, and just have fun," they told Bored Panda about the awesome idea.
"It was a great way to meet some of my neighbors that I may just walk by on occasion."
These days, a sizeable number of people have no idea who their neighbors even are
Image credits: Tom Rumble/ unsplash (not the actual photo)
It’s hard to get along with our neighbors if we don’t know who they are and they have no clue who we are. Broadly speaking, the more we get to know the people who live around us and the more quality time we spend with them, the more we take their thoughts and feelings into consideration.
Or, to put it even more simply: we tend to be nicer to people we’re friendly with. For instance, we’d do our best not to block their driveways. And, if we accidentally do so, we’d rush to correct that mistake as soon as possible.
On the flip side, if we don’t know our neighbors beyond the fact that they sometimes inconvenience us, we might have little to no tolerance for their shenanigans. To us, they simply become people who make our lives more difficult, so there’s less anxiety about getting the authorities involved.
According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, most people have no clue who they live next to. Most Americans (57%) know only some of their neighbors. Meanwhile, barely 26% know most of them.
Older people are also more likely to know their neighbors than younger folks. Moreover, married adults also tend to have a more active neighborly social life than their divorced or unmarried counterparts.
The study also found that adults who know at least some of their neighbors are more likely to have face-to-face conversations with them rather than call, email, or text them.
Meanwhile, 58% of respondents who know some of their neighbors shared that they never meet them for get-togethers. 28% noted that they attend get-togethers less than once a month. While 14% are very social and meet their neighbors once a month or even more often. It’s usually more well-off Americans who attend these neighborhood gatherings.
It also probably does not come as a surprise that Americans who live in rural areas know their neighbors better than folks who live in urban areas. However, interestingly enough, rural Americans don’t necessarily interact with their neighbors more often!
Good communication is the foundation for solving neighborhood disputes
Image credits: Greta Hoffman / pexels (not the actual photo)
If you find that one of your neighbors has blocked your driveway, the best thing to do is to not assume that they did so on purpose. Sometimes, people aren’t aware of their mistakes until they’re brought to their attention. However, some individuals really do believe they’re entitled to park however they like.
Your first step would be to get in touch with your neighbor about the issue ASAP. If you have their phone number, send them a quick text or give them a call. If you don’t, head on over to their home and see if anyone’s in.
Explain what happened in a friendly but firm manner. Most likely, your neighbor will be more than happy to correct their mistake. If they’re reluctant or overly defensive, you may need to explain how their parking ‘skills’ are affecting you.
Alternatively, you can remind them that what they’re doing might be illegal and that you will be contacting the authorities if they don’t move their car. Ultimatums aren’t the best way to deepen relationships, but at the same time, your neighbors may need a reminder that their actions have consequences.
Ideally, you want to stand your ground and enforce your boundaries without seeming overly standoffish. Leave some room for an apology from them and a change in their behavior.
However, if they’re less than willing to comply with your friendly request, you should not feel guilty about getting the authorities involved. Make sure to document all the evidence so things don’t devolve into a “we said/they said” situation.
If the bad parking problem is a chronic one, you may want to get in touch with the organization administering your neighborhood or even seek legal help... It’s probably better to do the former before doing the latter, though. You want to exhaust all possible avenues before hiring a lawyer.
What did you think of the way the OP handled the situation, dear Pandas? What would you have done if you were in their shoes? How often have you had to deal with people with bad parking skills? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
The author clarified a few things in the comments
Meanwhile, here's what some other folks had to say after reading the story
A few readers were raring to share their own experiences with entitled drivers
