Are Ralph and I making a mountain out of a molehill?
The problem is a guy who visits a girl next door, who is home from college for the summer. He's her boyfriend, I guess.
For some reason he drives down the street, automatically pulls into our driveway and then pulls up in front of her house.
And for some reason this has started to get to me and Ralph. We have never met this young man, but his behavior has gotten under our collective skin.
We don't live on a dead-end, and there is no reason why he cannot take an alternate route so he would be able to pull up in front of the neighbor's house - without needing to turn around in our driveway.
What tore it for Ralph is when this young man's friend, who was driving a commercial truck, turned around here the other day right before he did. It's like the guy had told his friend what to do before they came down the street.
Last weekend Ralph started parking his tan barn, I mean full-size Ford Club Wagon, at the very end of our short driveway to make it difficult to turn around in.
But this guy found a way. Since my car wasn't parked at the end of the driveway he had just enough room to pull in and back out and then pull in front of the neighbor's house.
Kid Two said we should get some traffic cones and line them up at the end of the driveway.
We have never turned around in our neighbor's driveway, nor have our guests.
This probably sounds petty. We are otherwise easy-going folks. We play well with others. We get along with our neighbors. We wave and smile.
But his driving habits irk us.
Update - At 5:05 p.m. I was standing at the stove making dinner (a rarity) and out of the corner of my eye I saw a red car pulling into the driveway! It was him! Ralph isn't home so with no van blocking him he had all kinds of room to turn around.
14 comments:
well honestly that would irk me too so if you are petty i am too! ha ha
smiles, bee
oh and honey? i gave you an award today!
smiles, bee
Ooh! I'll be right over.
You are not being petty. I would be just as unhappy if my neighbors used our driveway as a turning point! I do like the cones across the driveway idea...or maybe you could place police tape across the driveway entrance...of course, that might get your neighbors talking!!! :~)
Thanks Bee and Joan for your moral support.
sounds like this guy isn't too bright. I like the cones idea but too bad there isn't a way for you to install those blades which come up when one backs up and slashes the tires. Now that would make for a show!!!
Moosie: I agree. Ralph and I are convinced he isn't too bright.
I would run right out there and say, "Um, excuse me, could you please stop using our driveway to turn around? There is a cul-de-sac right there and our driveway is private. Frankly, your driving habits are just rude." As sweetly as you can.
Or, take the passive agressive approach and leave a note on his windshield to the effect of "Our driveway is not a roadway! Stay off."
Or, keep yourself out of it and send Kid 1 over to complain to the daughter about the annoying driver who keeps turning around in your driveway and almost hit her Papa.
Sarah: I need you around here!
You are right. We should use the wheelchair issue.
It would bug me too. Maybe you can send a 'bill' over to your neighbor, in an envelope, to give to her boyfriend. On the bill it could state that it is for 'wear and tear' on your driveway, and that if he stops using your driveway as a turn around, you will wave the fee...otherwise, he has 30 days to pay up. Just a thought.
We live on a corner and have a curved driveway that goes from one street to the other. I can't tell you how many people walk through our driveway instead of just walking on the sidewalk, it drives me crazy.
We like to stand in the front picture window with our hands on the glass making horrified expressions at the intruders but they don't always look.
Lynn: I could if I wanted to start a feud. ;-)
Sari: That must be annoying as all get out. Maybe we should both invest in some bright orange traffic cones.
Hmmmm.
If it were my house, I'd probably say 'who cares' -- and my wife would say 'that's easy for you to say, you're never here' -- and she'd jump every time a car pulled in the driveway.
I know this last part is true because I've seen it.
But I'd just be grateful he's not pulling up on the lawn....
Curmudgeon, sir: I guess we should be grateful he is not driving on our lawn!!
But like your wife I kinda jump when I'm at the table and someone pulls into the driveway which is not far from the window.
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