You’ve probably seen it yourself; a parent trying to herd their kids in public and expecting onlookers to give them a break just because they decided to get pregnant. It happens on planes, in malls, and, sometimes, even in parking lots.
One mom decided her neighbor’s parking spot suited her better since she has kids and all the stuff that comes with them. But when her neighbor politely told her she had another thing coming, she started flinging insults. Now the neighbor is wondering if defending her spot makes her a jerk or justified.
Entitled people are pretty much the worst, especially if you’re unlucky enough to have one for a neighbor
Image credits: user17581499 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One person with an assigned parking spot was approached by their new neighbor asking them to switch spots with her because she has kids
Image credits: faststocklv / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When the person told her they weren’t interested in switching spots, the neighbor tried forcing the issue with the landlord
Image credits: Samuel Peter / Pexels (not the actual photo)
When she had no luck going down that road, she decided she’d just park in her neighbor’s spot in any case
Image credits: Potential_Bad6489
With the new neighbor already pushing boundaries, the person turned to netizens to ask if not switching spots is a jerk move
Life in an apartment complex is usually pretty predictable, especially when parking spots are clearly assigned. Each unit gets one numbered space, no drama attached. The original poster (OP) lives alone in unit twelve, happily using spot twelve, but then a new neighbor moved in and decided that simple rules were suddenly up for debate.
That neighbor, Kelly, lives in unit eighteen with a husband and three very young kids. Her parking spot is slightly further from the entrance, maybe an extra forty feet. So, she asked OP to trade spots, insisting it’s too hard hauling kid gear the extra distance, but seemed genuinely stunned when her request was promptly denied.
Kelly argued that having three kids somehow made her more deserving, then complained to the landlord. When that failed, she came back calling OP selfish. The situation escalated when she parked in OP’s spot anyway, claiming it was temporary, despite her car being there for three whole hours.
Now OP is stuck between guilt and principle. Their sister says giving in would be kind, while a friend warned it’ll only invite more entitlement. Dirty looks have replaced neighborly hellos, all over a parking spot. Now OP’s left wondering to an online community if refusing really is selfish, or just basic boundary-setting.
Image credits: Budgeron Bach / Pexels (not the actual photo)
To be honest, why should her neighbor having kids be OP's problem? It’s not like they forced her to get pregnant three times. This looks like a classic example of a parent thinking they deserve special treatment just because they decided to have offspring. And that's entitlement at its finest.
Experts at BetterHelp say people can develop an entitled vibe for a bunch of reasons. Some believe that when kids are given everything they want without learning how to earn them, they expect the same when they’re adults. Then there are disorders, such as narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) or antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), that may lead to an inflated sense of entitlement.
The pros from VeryWellMind say entitled folk always feel they deserve more than what they have. Regardless of their circumstances, they're convinced they deserve more and expect to get more than others without putting in any effort. When someone doesn't give in to their demands, they’ll kick up a fuss until things go their way. Sounds a lot like OP’s neighbor, doesn’t it?
So, how do you deal with an entitled person without losing your mind? The savvy psychologist from Quick and Dirty Tips suggests leaving the person’s expectation lying there with no pressure to fulfill it, treating everyone equally, since unfair treatment is a trigger for entitled people, and feeling a little compassion, since they’re obviously miserable.
We’d say OP had every right to refuse the parking spot switch. Who knows what their entitled neighbor will ask for next, if they give in? Can anyone say last-minute babysitting?
What’s your take? Is OP being mean by denying their neighbor their spot, or is the pushy Karen due for a reality check? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
In the comments, readers urged the person not to enable the entitled behavior at any cost, since that’s what her pushy neighbor was counting on
