It’s appalling, honestly, how some people act like they are the only humans in the world – and that goes double when they’re on property that’s not even theirs.
OP lives in a cul-de-sac and is pretty used to people using his driveway to turn around. He doesn’t see is as a big deal.
We don’t own a car and live at the end of a cul-de-sac. I have people use my driveway all the time to turn around.
It’s not a huge deal to me, a little annoying when they compact the snow and it’s harder to shovel but whatever.
At least he didn’t until a van that picked up his neighbor’s son kept parking there and honking early in the morning after OP worked the night shift.
One of my neighbours had a ride service come pick up their child every day.
The van would park in my spot and begin honking at like 8am (I worked nights at the time). half the time he’d be half parked on my grass.
He talked to the neighbor about it, and when that didn’t work, he talked to the guy face-to-face.
I told my neighbour that i don’t overly mind my spot being used but not if he’s going to honk like that every morning and especially not if he’s going to drive over what little lawn i have every time. She spoke with him, he ignored it.
I spoke with him and got “what’s your problem man, it’s not like you’re using it.” to which i repeated that i don’t mind him using it if he stays off my grass and doesn’t honk every morning.
That didn’t work either, and neither did putting a recycling bin at the end of the driveway to try to stop him. And all OP asked was that he stop honking and stay off the grass.
Apparently suggesting he wait till the kid notices he’s there or, god forbid, he have to drag his ass out of the car to knock on a door was just ridiculous and inhumane of me.
So i left a recycle bin at the foot of my driveway. He just ran over it.
OP even called the guy’s boss, which really made him mad, but did not inspire him to change.
I called the dispatch for the ride service and was told they are sub contractors and technically self employed but they will pass along the message.
I wake up the next day to pounding on my door. Dude is ANGRY!
him – “How dare you call my boss you stupid piece of garbage! what is wrong with you?
me – “Well it’s quite simple, you were told not to use my driveway if you were going drive on my lawn and wake me up every morning. Now get off my doorstep”
Him – “I’ll sue you if i lose my job because of you”
me – “You’ve been warned. Don’t trespass on my driveway or property again! “
The big guns came out the night before it was supposed to be very cold and snowy. OP filled a trash bin with water and set it at the end of the driveway. The next morning, the guy rammed it.
Dude storms off in a huff spouting obscenities etc. So this happened on a Thursday, the kids have a PD day the next day and it’s supposed to be one of those delightful Canadian weekends where it drops to like -40 Celsius.For my american friends, -40 is where Celsius and Fahrenheit meet up so it’s freaking cold lol.
So that night, i grabbed one of my more beat up plastic garbage bins, made sure to plug all the holes with a generous amount of duct tape, stuck a sign on it that read “private property, driveway not for public use” and proceeded to fill it to the brim with water.
Now, before anyone thinks i’m a jerk willing to potentially endanger the other kids in the car, i’d like to point out that my neighbour’s kid is the first to be picked up so it’s just him in the car.
Queue Monday morning. He sees the garbage can, backs up a bit more and defiantly charges the garbage can as if to teach me a lesson and proceeds to cause some pretty serious damage to the front end of his car.
The police were called but were obviously on OP’s side.
Dude gets out fuming, calls the cops and comes pounding on my door screaming about how i’m going to buy him a new car and that i’m about to be arrested.
Cop – “so let me make sure i understand this situation. He asked you not to park here if you couldn’t refrain from honking, then warned you not to park here and put up a barrier. Now you expect him to be charged and pay for damages you caused yourself to your vehicle in an attempt to destroy his own personal property?”
I will never forget the look on his face when The officer said “yeah that’s not how this works” and turned to me and asking if i wanted to pursue charges for him damaging my personal property.
Problem resolved.
I just gave him the most self-satisfied grin i could muster and said “nah i think we’re good”.
I then went back inside to enjoy a morning coffee while watching him from my kitchen window as he paced back and forth in the cold waiting for a tow truck and having to call the company he worked for to explain why they needed to send out another driver to complete his route.
I can’t wait to read Reddit’s response to this!
Karma comes for everyone eventually.
Sometimes you’ve just got to outsmart them.
Kids really need something better to do with their time.
Some people would have taken things even further.
Of course, it helps that this happened in Canada.
In the US, you’d have to be worried about lethal retribution.