He has this little riding tractor that he uses to mow lawn, picks up leaves, and plow snow on sidewalks. Last year, he plowed our sidewalks every time it snowed in November and December. It was so nice of him. We sent him a Christmas card thanking him for helping us out. We signed it with "your neighbors at "our address"". After we sent him the card, he stopped plowing our sidewalk. No big deal, we can shovel ourselves, but it was strange that he stopped as soon as we thanked him.
This year, he has been going around picking up leaves with his tractor. He's done a couple houses on our street, but skips over ours. Like I said, no big deal, we'll rake our own. It just seems strange that he's skipping right over our house. We raked 2 weeks ago, but then a few days later we had a huge wind storm that dropped a ton more leaves. I'm on a modified bedrest, and H has been busy... so the leaves have piled up a bit. Yesterday, I got home from work and noticed that our neighbor had done the yard across the street from us. I glanced at our yard, and there is a strip going through our whole yard where he drove over and picked up the leaves. Just one wavy strip, down the middle of our yard.
Now, I'm annoyed. It's not like he did the edge of my lawn or anything... he went down the fucking middle of my yard, weaving in and out. H is pissed. He thinks that it was a deliberate thing to make us rake our leaves, because now our yard looks stupid. He was already planning on raking this weekend, but he's pissed that this guy is 'forcing' him. I don't know if it was deliberate, but I just don't understand the whole point. We try to be friendly, we keep our yard and house well kept, we don't play loud music. We don't do anything that would warrant him being pissed off at us. The whole thing is perplexing.
ETA: A gift card was included with the thank you card. So it's not like he is fishing for 'tips' and we were being cheap to him.
Probably everyone else sent him a card with a little "something" in it. We shovel our driveway but there is a neighbor who always plows out our mailbox and I run over with a $20 to say thanks as soon as I can and he never forgets us. I notice he stopped doing one of the other neighbors a year ago but plows the house next to it.
I'm sure it's not deliberately to make your lawn look bad, he's probably used to people tipping him.
Probably everyone else sent him a card with a little "something" in it. We shovel our driveway but there is a neighbor who always plows out our mailbox and I run over with a $20 to say thanks as soon as I can and he never forgets us. I notice he stopped doing one of the other neighbors a year ago but plows the house next to it.
I'm sure it's not deliberately to make your lawn look bad, he's probably used to people tipping him.
We included a gift card with the card. I actually even posted here asking what would be appropriate to send to him along with the card.
We would definitely keep tipping him... if he actually did something. Maybe we offended him with the gift card? I don't know. I suppose I should have done cash.
Who'd be mad about getting a gift card? Okay, admittedly I wouldn't be thrilled to get a Wal-Mart gift card because I refuse to shop there but I'd just trade it on one of the gc exchange websites.
In any case, he's rude. If he has a set.price in mind he should come out and say it. All this passive aggressive b.s. is just that - b.s.
Probably everyone else sent him a card with a little "something" in it. We shovel our driveway but there is a neighbor who always plows out our mailbox and I run over with a $20 to say thanks as soon as I can and he never forgets us. I notice he stopped doing one of the other neighbors a year ago but plows the house next to it.
I'm sure it's not deliberately to make your lawn look bad, he's probably used to people tipping him.
We included a gift card with the card. I actually even posted here asking what would be appropriate to send to him along with the card.
We would definitely keep tipping him... if he actually did something. Maybe we offended him with the gift card? I don't know. I suppose I should have done cash.
Wtf? Listen you did everything you could be expected to do. This is his issue. Try and ignore it and him and proceed as usual.
For the record, I'm not mad that this guy is skipping over our house. He obviously has the right to pick and choose who he wants to help out. I just think it's strange that we say thanks, and that's when he decides to start skipping us.
We have no problem raking our own leaves or shoveling our sidewalk. We do have a problem with the neighbor driving through the middle of our yard picking up one wavy line of leaves and then leaving the rest.
I'd say something about driving through the middle of your yard. Just a simple "we'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mow down the middle of our yard" and see if it will morph into more and you can figure out why he stopped helping you out.
Does your modified bed rest allow you to walk over and have a conversation?
If so, I'd just knock on his door and ask about the random wavy line. If he's trying to make a point, it's being lost.
I'd also make a point of being very dramatic with pregnancy-related back stretches and belly rubs. Because nobody can be more passive-aggressive than a pregnant lady - and this guy deserves a double-dose.
did you mail the card to him? I can see if he's an older gentleman that he would have liked the attention of you coming over and saying thanks/chatting with him. I don't know why this makes you angry though. Have you done anything nice for him? Maybe your neighbors bring him cookies or go chat with him. It sounds like you and your H avoid him. While its nice that you try to keep your yard looking good--some people see being "neighborly" as more than that.
did you mail the card to him? I can see if he's an older gentleman that he would have liked the attention of you coming over and saying thanks/chatting with him. I don't know why this makes you angry though. Have you done anything nice for him? Maybe your neighbors bring him cookies or go chat with him. It sounds like you and your H avoid him. While its nice that you try to keep your yard looking good--some people see being "neighborly" as more than that.
I walked the card over, knocked on his door, and saw him looking through the curtains to see who was knocking. He never answered, so I left it in his mailbox. At the time, I didn't think twice about him not answering the door. I hate answering for someone I don't know, too. I've never actually talked to him, none of our neighbors have. This guy is extremely closed off. No one in the neighborhood goes to 'chat' with him. I honestly would not be surprised if we were the only house on the block that acknowledged his help.
I'll say it again, I'm not angry. I'm just confused.
did you mail the card to him? I can see if he's an older gentleman that he would have liked the attention of you coming over and saying thanks/chatting with him. I don't know why this makes you angry though. Have you done anything nice for him? Maybe your neighbors bring him cookies or go chat with him. It sounds like you and your H avoid him. While its nice that you try to keep your yard looking good--some people see being "neighborly" as more than that.
I walked the card over, knocked on his door, and saw him looking through the curtains to see who was knocking. He never answered, so I left it in his mailbox. At the time, I didn't think twice about him not answering the door. I hate answering for someone I don't know, too. I've never actually talked to him, none of our neighbors have. This guy is extremely closed off. No one in the neighborhood goes to 'chat' with him. I honestly would not be surprised if we were the only house on the block that acknowledged his help.
I'll say it again, I'm not angry. I'm just confused.
OMG. He sounds... interesting. And oddly enough, maybe he wanted to be "anonymous" and took some weird offense to you being nice.
I don't know what to tell you. I'd just ignore him as best I can. I know that path down the middle of your lawn is annoying, but unless it happens again, I'd just ignore it.
If he got pissed off at you being NICE, I'd hate to think what he might do if you leave an annoyed note saying "don't do that again". KWIM?
did you mail the card to him? I can see if he's an older gentleman that he would have liked the attention of you coming over and saying thanks/chatting with him. I don't know why this makes you angry though. Have you done anything nice for him? Maybe your neighbors bring him cookies or go chat with him. It sounds like you and your H avoid him. While its nice that you try to keep your yard looking good--some people see being "neighborly" as more than that.
I walked the card over, knocked on his door, and saw him looking through the curtains to see who was knocking. He never answered, so I left it in his mailbox. At the time, I didn't think twice about him not answering the door. I hate answering for someone I don't know, too. I've never actually talked to him, none of our neighbors have. This guy is extremely closed off. No one in the neighborhood goes to 'chat' with him. I honestly would not be surprised if we were the only house on the block that acknowledged his help.
I'll say it again, I'm not angry. I'm just confused.
Thats a little odd. I don't know how to put this without sounding offensive but I would just chaulk it up to him being a little "off" and give him the benefit of the doubt that he's not doing anything purposely to slight you.
Post by hungrycaterpillar on Oct 31, 2014 9:22:54 GMT -5
I would just ignore it. I see how its irritating but the guy sounds a little off to me. I'd leave it alone in fear that he'd do something worse than passive aggressively pick up the lawn in a weird way. But then, I'm paranoid.
Have you talked to any of your other neighbors about him/what he is like? Have they ever expressed any gratitude towards him? This would pretty interesting to me and I'd have a hard time not asking him directly.
Thats a little odd. I don't know how to put this without sounding offensive but I would just chaulk it up to him being a little "off" and give him the benefit of the doubt that he's not doing anything purposely to slight you.
I'd politely ask him what the deal is. Was he somehow offended by the gift card? Try to clear the air with him because something doesn't sound right. Maybe someone talked smack about you guys to him, not that anyone would have a reason but you know how some people are.
What a weirdo. I would be tempted to go over and ask him what his problem is as long as you don't think he'll go crazy or something. The picking up a line of leaves is so passive aggressive and annoying.
Post by coribelle26 on Oct 31, 2014 9:41:18 GMT -5
I think it's really weird and it sounds like you guys have done nothing to provoke him. Sometimes neighbors are just crazy, we definitely have a few. I would probably just ask him directly to please not drive across your lawn.
I definitely would not offer to pay him regularly to mow or plow for you. I wouldn't want to enter into a business arrangement with someone who's demonstrated weirdo behavior.
I really, really don't think you should engage this asshole. I'd leave it alone and hire someone else to do it as a silent "fuck you".
This is where I'm at. There's something really "off" about this guy. I wouldn't want him doing anything else for me. Hire someone to take care of the leaves and snow plowing.
Our neighbor two houses down used to always tell high over to us and chat occassionally. He seems like a nice outgoing guy.
Last winter he came over with his snowblower while DH was shoveling and did the whole driveway for him. So nice! So the next day I baked some cookies and DH brought them over. His wife said it wasn't necessary but seemed nice enough from what DH said.
After that, he doesn't say hello anymore. So weird.