Stupid inconsiderate neighbors

[jpinard]

So our stupid neighbors (the same ones whose rotten son is always getting into trouble - waking us up late at night, stealing, bringing his druggie gangy friends around, having fights in his yard, and used our backyard as a getaway from the police), told my wife today that we have an ugly tree and they want us to chop it down. They have caused us a crapload of grief, including getting our car vandalized... and for us trying to be nice, patient, and understanding this is the thanks we get.

So at any rate, the father came over and in very broken English told my wife that the new tree we have growing might shed leaves and he doesn't want to rake anymore leaves than he already does. Doesn't matter that the leaves stay in our yard - it's the thought he might have a couple more that irks him. He asks her to chop it down, and when she says we're growing it for shade, he gets irritated and goes in the house.

10 minutes later his wife comes out and tells my wife, "That tree is really ugly. Why don't you chop it down?" My wife nicely tells her it's going to provide shade for our yard (which happens to be stifling hot), and what's more - we really like it. She then tells my wife ugly trees should be chopped down.

Our whole neighborhood is fed up with their son, since he causes so much trouble. It's a very peaceful neighborhood with lots of very little kids. Just two weeks ago he tried to light the elderly neighbors lawn on fire, took fireworks and tossed them at kids and cars, and then a mob of other kids came after him for stealing. A big profanity laced argument erupted that the whole neighborhood was witness to... and lasted for 2 hours. TWO HOURS!@ The police have been there no less than 15 times over the past two years, and he and his buddies use our 1/4 mile street as a dragstrip sometimes - yes even when the little ones on on their bikes. In fact - how nice, it's 11:30 pm right now and someone's too lazy to get out of their car - so they're honking.

So you'd think the utter embarrassment of all that's gone on would make them want to - oh I don't know - not be jerks?

You know what pisses me off? I was outside with my fucking Oxygen tank raking leaves and doing yardwork this past Spring. My neighbor across the street is 80 with emphysema and has Oxygen as well. I sure as hell wouldn't tell him to chop a shade tree down because I didn't want to rake a few extra leaves that may or may not even blow into my lawn.

Am I being unreasonably pissed about this?

[fire]

If the kid is a gangster, his parents know all about it. His behavior is a-ok to them. Expecting the parents to be outraged is like expecting rain to apologize for being wet.

If they're not all gangsters, maybe you should approach your neighbors with your problems instead of quietly making mental notes. They may be happy to help with damages.

I think it's reasonable they approached you about the tree. And it's probably unreasonable for you to be getting so wound up about it. But it's not just the tree that's bugging you, it's everything that you've put up with over time, and this is kind of like the last straw. It's too late to bring it up with them now, but for future stuff, you ought to try...

On the other hand, if they're all gangsters, they'll probably burn your lawn down.

[Enidigm]

Those sorts of arguments annoy me on a personal level because trees beautify a neighborhood and not wanting to do any raking at all seems just lazy.

It's also pretty bizarre that they're complaining about a tree you *planted*; what was it, btw?

Basically leaf litter can cross property lines without repercussions, but they are within their right to cut down any branches overhanging their property lines. However these neighbors seem rather aggressive (probably that's the element reflected by their son); all you can do is just escalate things really, though whether that makes things better or worse is uncertain.

It's important to remember that it's not illegal to be uncivil or rude, but it is illegal to make physical threats, so just wait for them to cross that line before acting. Hopefully the son is on his way out soon, and once he's gone perhaps the neighborhood can settle down again even if your neighbors aren't neighborly.

[ElGuapo]

Wow. If my neighbors treated my neighborhood like that there is no way that they'd ever come over and ask me to chop down a tree in my yard, because by that point someone would have gotten fucking punched.

Whew.

[Enidigm]

You know, sometimes honestly is the best medicine, i think, even if it's hard at first.

If they insist, just tell them, hey, your son is screwing up, and wtf, you come over here and demand more of me? He's jumping across my yard at night, getting police over here all the time, and i haven't said a word or complained about it before. (Don't bring up a petty list of greivances though, just being up late is party of being a kid). And i'm on oxygen! Let's have some consideration here.

Most people aren't truly rotten but selfish, and you have to hit them in the head (in a manner of speaking) to arouse them from their selfish stupor.

[jpinard]

A little more background:

The parents have had to call the police on him at least 3 times themselves. We know this because late at night they banged on the door of the house next to them (they have a 5 and 7 year old children) and asked to use their phone to call police... since he kept ripping the phone cords out of their walls when he got out of control.

After the police were at their house one night I offered to help mentor/talk to their son to keep him out of trouble. The father didn't even respond.

We have approached them about the damages in the past, and they told us it was unrelated to their son (this before he was jailed a month later). He's been in jail several times now. Or juvy - where-ever 17 year olds go these days.

I've told them their son knows their schedule and when their not home he often breaks in through the lower window and has his "friends" over. Not sure if it's a real gang, but they were certainly involved with some kind of drugs. Did a deal right next to our house as an undercover officer watched.

I'm pretty much the only person around them who has not called the cops on their kid - instead choosing to try and reason with him or his parents about stuff (always very nicely and apologetically). When his wife got in an accident we even brought them food and offered to help any way we could.

[Enidigm]

Well, be careful, sometimes being overly friendly can come off as seeming to be smug to the wrong sort of person. I know people that while the know their limitations in general and can be modest in most situations, are very certain of what they do know and are not about to be anything but hands on in every aspect of a situation where their knowledge can be applied - a trait that is extremely annoying to third parties.

Anyway, they seem deaf to you so you ought to be deaf to them. Just expect to wake up one day to see your tree cut down. If you're feeling despairingly wicked get an IR motion activated game camera and take a picture of the son as he does the deed at night. Though it doesn't sound like the parents would fault him even if you did catch him doing something like that.

[AaronSofaer]

Waste of time, call the cops when he breaks the law. If they make physical threats, call the cops on that too.

[noun]

Call the cops every time. Daily, if necessary. Twice daily. Eventually, they'll get tired of showing up and start making some comments. If this kid is really as stupid as he sounds, he'll smart off to the cop. Things should get much more entertaining after that.

[Raife]

Take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to++[NO CARRIER]

[Jason McCullough]

This seems relevant to that self-defense thread in P&R. Artillery sounds in order.

[Union Carbide]

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/9799/jpinardunconciouszi0.jpg

[MatthewF]

Get an axe, and walk over and start hacking away at their house. When they ask why, tell them it's because ugly houses should be chopped down.

[dannimal]

I was going to suggest he just insist they chop the son down, because he's ugly and causes irritation to neighbors. Maybe the house is a better choice.

[Samurai]

Claymore?

[Raife]

Get an axe, and walk over and start hacking away at their house. When they ask why, tell them it's because ugly houses should be chopped down.

We have a neighbor who had a dog that liked to rip the vinyl siding off of houses. Initially they tried to blame the damage on bear, but he was eventually caught in the act. With some work, they probably could have trained him to be a vengeance weapon.

[krayzkrok]

Well, if we had problems like that around here, we'd be at the local council offices inquiring about taking a civil injunction out against them. There are legal avenues that you can take that will give you more power if things get out of control, but I don't live in the US and have no idea what laws are applicable there. They may also require a different form of intervention and professional help. You have to make the decision whether to go down that path, but it doesn't sound like you'll be lacking neighborhood support.

I remember you talking about these guys a few months ago, and it seems you've tried to be reasonable. Unfortunately, some people just seem to operate on a totally different level and it's impossible to make progress in a reasonable manner. Just as long as you operate within the law, you'll always have the upper hand.

[jpinard]

My wife just got home and she's still furious. They were much ruder to her than I'd thought. She wants to go over and lay into them about all the stuff we haven't complained about. (like the trash they constantly throw into our yard. Once a week we have to go out and pick up all the trash they've tossed into our back and side-yard).

Oh well, I guess I'll probably just offer to rake leaves in their front yard when the tree sheds its leaves...

Honestly, I just don't understand people nowadays. Even though I'm a prick here sometimes (and whiny about my health), - I always try and help people when any kind of opportunity comes up. Before I was on O2, I even mowed their front lawn a few times and shoveled their driveway when I was out doing it anyways. People in our neighborhood are like that... not just me.



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I still have to play Dwarf Fortress.

[AaronSofaer]

Dude, they think you're a pushover. Worse, they're right.

You need to stop being a pushover, and push back. Hard.

[MatthewF]

My wife just got home and she's still furious. They were much ruder to her than I'd thought. She wants to go over and lay into them about all the stuff we haven't complained about. (like the trash they constantly throw into our yard. Once a week we have to go out and pick up all the trash they've tossed into our back and side-yard).

Oh well, I guess I'll probably just offer to rake leaves in their front yard when the tree sheds its leaves...

What. In. The. FUCK?

They're completely rude to you and your wife, and have been (apparently) douchebags for all eternity, throw trash in your yard, have a son that's a criminal, ruin your neighborhood, and your solution is to.. rake their lawn for them when leaves drop off your tree?

I don't even believe I'm reading those two statements in the same post. JP, they treat you this way because they know you won't ever fight back. It's time to let your nuts drop and do something about it. If it were me (and it wouldn't be, because it never would have gotten this far) I'd rake all the leaves in my yard into a trash can and then dump them into theirs. While they watched.

[Raife]

Alpha roll 'em.

[jpinard]

I thought maybe they were treating me this way because they're from Eritrea and have cultural differences I somehow didn't understand. But on the other hand, they have lived in the U.S. for 19 years. They have an amazing way of making me feel bad anytime I've brought up something in the past. Like it's so rude of me to ask them to not honk at 6:00 am after recovering from a hospital stay.
Honestly, I thought they were just kind of oblivious before. Never thought about it being "me" just being a pushover.

[XPav]

Strangle them with the line from your oxygen tank. That'll show em. Can you breathe now???

[Lunch of Kong]

No, you really are describing pandering, "push-over", obliging behavior. And this is coming from me, the king of push-overs, so take that as you will. I'm certainly not saying it to be mean-spirited.

But that's why you asked us, to get our opinion. And in our opinion, you are going far beyond what you ought to. You're not the one voilating social norms here, and you ought to stop trying to appease these people. The problem isn't that they are Eritriean. It's that they are assholes.

They will always be assholes. Do not ask yourself why they are assholes. Just accept that they are. Scratcht hem off your list. It's not your job nor your duty to redeem them, to save their son, or any of that. Some things you just cannot control. This is one of them.

[Alan Friesen]

Huh, Eritrea. Never knew that was a country. I guess you learn something every day.

I'm not going to tell you what to do. Are you being unreasonably upset? Absolutely not. Sounds like you've got a good reason to be mad, but it also seems like you're trying to keep the peace. Don't let them get you down.

[Rollory]

I thought maybe they were treating me this way because they're from Eritrea and have cultural differences I somehow didn't understand. But on the other hand, they have lived in the U.S. for 19 years. They have an amazing way of making me feel bad anytime I've brought up something in the past. Like it's so rude of me to ask them to not honk at 6:00 am after recovering from a hospital stay.

...

I am really having trouble believing I just read that.

This is not going to be polite. But the paragraph above is sufficient evidence that there has been entirely too much politeness in your life.

YOU GODDAMNED WIMP, GROW A PAIR OF BALLS ALREADY.

Their behavior is not your fault. Taking the possibility that it could be as seriously as you have in spite of the monumental evidence you've described to the contrary is classic stupid-liberal guilt-tripping, and you ought to feel pretty stupid for having that thought. But - the fact that the behavior has reached the point it has, and that you have been letting them get away with it and REWARDING them for it - that damn well is - and you ought to feel pretty stupid for actively helping things get to this point!

They are jerks to you. You have gone out of your way to reward that behavior. You've trained them to expect that they can get away with it, and you've trained yourself to think that it's normal for them to impose on you. What's happening now is largely your own doing. You should however be able to turn it around. Start acting like a man and not a wimp. Next time they ask for something, tell 'em, in so many words, you're done being nice and they can just fuck off. Get yourself a shotgun or a rifle and take it apart and put it together again in the front lawn when they can see you. Get a big dog. Give them nasty looks. Call the cops on them EVERY SINGLE TIME they give you the slightest excuse. Talk to the other neighbors about things you can do to make their stay in the neighborhood generally an ordeal every single hour of every single day. Hint that maybe they'd be happier elsehwere. Being nice has not paid off and is not ever going to with people like this. They know perfectly well what their behavior is, they do it because they're convinced they can get away with it, because you've demonstrated you think they are superior to you. Equality of all mankind is not that deeply ingrained a concept with some people, and they will just try to take advantage of it.

STAND UP FOR YOURSELF, FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD. Not everybody in the world is NICE.

[CSL]

Next time they talk to you tell them forcefully to go fuck themselves and if they don't start backing off get ahold of some local Ethiopians.

[Raife]

I glanced at the thread title again and read it as 'Stupid inconsiderate meatbags'. From now on, jp, I propose that you always refer to those neighbors in this manner. Say it out loud a few times. Channel your inner HK-47.

[MatthewF]

Hmm. Maybe that's not a bad idea, JP! If you're not the type to push back, maybe you can just act crazy instead? Like the next time one of your neighbors approaches, turn to your left and pretend that you're talking to someone... say something like "It's ok, Joe. No, no. We shouldn't. What would we do with the body? What's that Mel? You agree with Joe?" Then turn back to your neighbor and say "Well, it looks like I'm outvoted. But I gotta go. See ya around!"

[John Merva]

Hmm. Maybe that's not a bad idea, JP! If you're not the type to push back, maybe you can just act crazy instead? Like the next time one of your neighbors approaches, turn to your left and pretend that you're talking to someone... say something like "It's ok, Joe. No, no. We shouldn't. What would we do with the body? What's that Mel? You agree with Joe?" Then turn back to your neighbor and say "Well, it looks like I'm outvoted. But I gotta go. See ya around!"

Two thumbs up!

Jpinard - With all things like this, I think it is better to remain calm. Just explain to them that the tree is on your property and that you like it. Don't trade any insults with them, or get excited and shout, but be firm and make sure they realize there is absolutely no give in your position.

I would probably leave out any talk about the son - they are probably hugely embarassed about him and bringing up the subject may turn them more hostile.

[Rimbo]

Politely, kindly, sweetly, just because you are a nice guy, call the police every chance you get. Because you're just helping them help their son get rehabilitated.

With a smile on your face and a skip in your step, let them know that you wouldn't even think of doing something as callous and crude to their well-being as cutting down your own tree, because if you did that, well then, you'd have license to get them to change their own property, and would they really want that? Of course not!

And of course you'll never again consider raking or mowing or shoveling their property, because that would be trespassing. How rude! And you're sorry you ever trespassed there again.

You don't have to be an asshole, like others state. You don't even need to change your manners. You just need to act. Because you're a nice guy, and all.

[Rimbo]

P.S. Being slightly insane doesn't hurt, either.

[Rimbo]

P.P.S. Or rather, I should say, being perceived as being slightly insane doesn't hurt. I mean really, you want them to think you're just nuts enough that maybe they ought not to try to ... well, talk to you or bother you or anything. But not so nuts that you should be committed.

[Rimbo]

P.P.P.S. And uh well... the steps I outlined in my first response would be a step in that direction. I mean, if they stop bothering you because they think you're nuts, that would be good, right?

[Raife]

Holy fuck. Dude, edit button. Look into it.

[SlyFrog]

Sounds like it's time for a neighborhood midnight arson party.

If you're kind, give them a call before they can't escape the house.

[MatthewF]

Holy fuck. Dude, edit button. Look into it.

Look at his post count. I think he was just trying to break 6000.

[dannimal]

Never thought about it being "me" just being a pushover.

Dude, in Back to the Future George McFly (one of the biggest pushovers of all time) manages to nut up and fight back when the woman he's crazy for is in danger/upset.

You went from "my wife is furious" to "I'll just offer to rake their yard" in like 10 seconds. If that's not enough, are you going to let the son live in the master bedroom while you move into a closet?

You need a can of spinach, or something.

[ElGuapo]

Note that standing up for yourself/pushing back against INCREDIBLY rude neighbors is not the same as physical confrontation. I'm sure your much sharper than them, jpinard. And if it does get physical (it won't), then problem solved, they will go to jail FO SHO.

[Robert Sharp]

It's unbelievable that you've put up with so much crap. Jesus, I thought I had bad neighbors, but they are only slightly rude compared to this (and the people immediately next door are very good neighbors, so that helps).

Call the cops on everything you can. Everytime. Drag racing? Get a video camera, film it, turn it in. Or just have the cops come out and look at the tire marks. They'll know what caused them and can match the car. Not sure if they can do anything from that, but it would make them aware.

My biggest fear when dealing with neighbors is retaliation, and I'm sure that's your concern too. If they already show disrespect for you, what stops them from messing up your stuff (or worse)? That's completely understandable, but at some point, you have to draw a line. There comes a point where your quality of life suffers so much that NOT doing anything is just as bad as anything your neighbors might do in retaliation. Plus, the law is on your side in this, and it's likely that other neighbors would be too.

[MatthewF]

CounterMeasure's post sure disappeared fast. I click on the thread and it was gone before the link even loaded.

[Lunch of Kong]

I dunno, but it probably involved putting these seemingly harmful people into the ground.

[Robert Sharp]

Probably. You know it's VERY hard to catch a complete stranger who commits a homocide. So if CM is volunteering to help jp out....

I'm just saying.

Also, read this quick...it MIGHT get deleted!

[Rimbo]

Look at his post count. I think he was just trying to break 6000.

...I broke 6000?

Holy shit, I broke 6000.


Actually, I was trying to emphasize the point through example.

[CounterMeasure]

Where'd my post go?

I made a post, but deleted it because it wasn't as clear as I had hoped after reading it again, so I made a second version of the post. But that second version isn't here now. Or never was...I dunno...

Well, at any rate...

The shortform of my post was me quoting dananimal's "You need a can of spinach", and said he what he really needs to get is a throw-away knife and hide it in a neighbor's shrub. And to make sure to wipe the fingerprints off it because if you don't, that ruins the fun when the cops ask why your fingerprints are on it when you claim the other guy had it and dumped it there after he came at you with it.

Edit:
I dunno, but it probably involved putting these seemingly harmful people into the ground.
Going from "I will rake his yard" to "I will kill him" is a pretty big step, so I didn't even suggest it. We'll take it in baby steps, and see how he progresses toward that. ;)

[Miramon]

1. Your neighbors are scum. There is no sense in being nice to them or accommodating their bizarre antisocial behavior. Even Fred Rogers would be pissed off.

2. Don't ever speak to them again unless you absolutely have to. Next time you find their trash in your yard, call the police. Ditto for any other similar offense. Don't complain to them, it's like complaining to the torturer that he is hurting you. The more personal interactions you have with them, the worse the situation will become.

3. I like the idea of the camera.

[NoWayJose]

Well, I don't think any neighbor is going to buy jpinard as somehow dangerously crazy. What's he going to do, light a match near his oxygen tank?

I suggest an approach that would solve two problems. From now on, jp, instead of asking Qt3 for help with all your problems, use your neighbors as your first resource. Glass in the salsa jar? HELLO NEIGHBORS. Not sure when the hot part of the day is over and gardening can begin? I BET ERITREANS KNOW. Blood pouring out of your rectum? KNOCK KNOCK.

I predict they'll move within a week.

[Fussbett]

That will produce a cool surreal moment when jpinard asks the neighbours what should be done about his annoying neighbours.

[fuzzyslug]

Plant a second tree.

[balut]

Fuck, even Milton Wadditz set Initech on fire eventually.

[KaoFloppy]

I know this is not the original intent, but I know a friend who seems to attract annoying neighbours, and loves to torment them. If you need tricks, I can ask him for some. One example was to put up a birdfeeder in the backyard when the neighbour has a pool. Another one was to poison the neighbour's tree 'cos it's ugly...hmmm...

[Mr_PeaCH]

Not to go all P&R in this thread but I thought I read where we (the U.S.) are considering adding Eritrea to the list of states that sponsor terrorism. If you can't beat 'em, get 'em shipped to Guantanamo.

[jpinard]

Update. So I spoke with the neighbor wife the following day.

It was fantastically uncomfortable. I'm kind of tired so I won't write 4 paragrpahs of conversation - I'll just bullet-point:

* She told me she was offering advice to my wife. Apparently telling someone their tree is ugly - chop it down is nice neighborly advice.

* She claimed her husband said nothing about raking leaves even though she was nowhere near... and *cough* that's exactly what he complained about to my wife. The lady is in denial.

* When I pressed the raking leaves issue more I mentioned all the trash we have to clean up. She says her husband picks up any trash. I look outside at the pile of crap I just collected from our lawn and put in a - pile. She then tells me it's on the side of our house and "why do we care?"

* I mention the mounds of cigarette butts in our side-yard, back-yard, and pond - mentioned it'd be nice if their relatives/friends at least tossed them in their own yard. She tells me no one they know smokes. I try and point out the guy who comes over ALL the time and sits by his car and smokes constantly while talking to them. She continues to say no one smokes.
She's totally in her own little world.

* She then told me my wife shouldn't have been offended and that's just their culture. She told me when the police came around for her son she yelled at the officer "I hate all white people!". She didn't understand why we found this statement offensive. Her youngest son told her she can't say stuff like that.

[Lunch of Kong]

Yeah, jp. These type of people are known as sociopaths. They don't think like you or me, because that part of their brain is broken. The are incapable of sympathy or empathy, and can NEVER ever see your side of any issue. Their mushy brains don't work that way.

So now that you know your neighbors are clinically insane, what are you gonna do?

[CounterMeasure]

They don't think like you or me,

No one thinks like you do, you god damn sandal thief.

[Lunch of Kong]

*looks at feet*

Oh, are these your sandals?

[croman]

I gotta agree with Kong. Sometimes you've got to just say to yourself, to quote a wise man, "People are broken". After that discussion with the wife I don't think you'll be able to get far with them. Shitty thing is if you do some type of passive aggressive thing (like bag their garbage they throw over and set it in front of their gate, etc..) or whatnot I can see them going all psycho on you.
They're just sad people and the only thing I could suggest would be to try your best to ignore them from now on. Sure you could get all macho on them but it'll probably just make things hell. Pissing off sociopaths who live 24/7 next to you might not be fun. Ignore them, live your lives, and if they do anything stupid call the cops. Best you can do IMHO.

[nutsak]

I was outside with my fucking Oxygen tank raking leaves and doing yardwork this past Spring.

First, why were you using an oxygen tank to rake leaves instead of a rake?

And second - not to be all internet tough guy - but the conversation would have gone something like this if I were in your shoes.

"We want you to cut down that tree because it's ugly"
"No, fuck off." or "Every day I ask God why the fuck your mother didn't just swallow and I pray that your child gets t-boned by a bus. Your entire fucking family is a group of genetic throw aways and I highly recommend removing yourselves from the gene pool so that the rest of humanity isn't forever stained by your poisoned DNA. And no, I will not be cutting down the tree, fuck off"

Either one would be fine really.

[BennyProfane]

I'm just thinking a really really high fence would be a good start...

[Hawkeye Fierce]

classic stupid-liberal guilt-tripping

So, only liberals are wimps, apparently. I wouldn't have thought this was a partisan issue, but thanks for continually setting a high bar for our political discourse.

As to the topic, tell them to fuck off and stop bothering you, and that if anything happens to the tree you'll assume they or their miscreant son did it. From what you've said, there is absolutely no reason for you to attempt to preserve polite relations with these people.

[fuzzyslug]

I'm just thinking a really really high fence would be a good start...

Or a giant line of trees.

[Mr_PeaCH]

Or a giant line of UGLY trees.

Fixed dontcha know.

[Njal]

Nah, a nice razor wire fence ... and Ugly trees!

[ducker]

jp did you ever tell us what type of tree it was? I didn't see it in the thread.

I also vote for a 6' high fence and more trees so that the leaves can blow around and on to their side.

I could never deal with people like that.

[Raife]

Land mines and automated turrets.

[CounterMeasure]

Make sure it is a tree with small leaves, like an Oak. That way they are not nearly as easy to rake up.

[Bullhajj]

It's important to compromise. Maybe hang some dildos from the branches to make it look less ugly? You could get different color dildos to make it more festive!

[jpinard]

jp did you ever tell us what type of tree it was? I didn't see it in the thread.

I also vote for a 6' high fence and more trees so that the leaves can blow around and on to their side.

I could never deal with people like that.

Hehehehe. It is an Oak tree I believe.

Ironically we already did put up a 6' fence to corner off our backyard. But that was to make sure children couldn't accidentally drown in our pond.

I have been seriously thinking of planting 6 Arbor Vitae along the side of the house. For shade (house gets direct sun there), sound absorption, and now maybe to block the view.

[ducker]

no no no... you need to go with something other then an Arbor Vitae... those don't shed much of anything!!

Honestly, I don't know how you can deal with people like that. I'd have a fit.

[Lunch of Kong]

Posting to qt3 is jp's version of having a fit. He's just that laid-back.

[ARogan]

JP has more patience and restraint than anybody I know.

Your neighbors are truly insane.
They don't like oak trees.
Who in their right mind doesn't like oak trees?
They are like the best trees to have in a neighborhood.

Now if it was a pine....that's a different story (I really don't like my pine trees).

You should leave a copy of Bioshock for PC on their front door so they can infect their machine with SecuROM.

[Rimbo]

pine trees are EVIL!!!

[NoWayJose]

You already lost this war. You got yelled at by a woman and slinked back to your house to (as usual) whine about it on the Internet.

You're either going to move or continue to take it in the ear from these people. Disregarding the phoney-baloney nonsense everyone is posting here about building walls and hiding knives (and the ridiculous skit nutsak wrote about the fantasy version of himself), you've run out of options. The cops aren't going to help you any more than they did the girl who wanted her car back from the auto repair shop. They have a pretty strict policy about not helping those who refuse to help themselves.

My advice? Just lie back and try to enjoy it.

Oh, and by the way - they're not sociopaths. They just haven't met any real resistance to doing whatever they want to do. Why should they stop?

[CounterMeasure]

They don't like oak trees.
Who in their right mind doesn't like oak trees?


I don't like most species of oak. They have little leaves that suck to rake, leave yellow pollen all over everything, drop acorns and acorn pods that are impossible to rake up, and cause allergies.

We have one in my front yard that the builder planted. Luckily it is still small, and it's days are extremely numbered. Only reason I haven't cut it down yet is two Texas Spiny Lizards live in it, and I don't want to wreck their home. But once they move on, that tree is gone.

[jpinard]

You already lost this war. You got yelled at by a woman and slinked back to your house to (as usual) whine about it on the Internet.

You're either going to move or continue to take it in the ear from these people. Disregarding the phoney-baloney nonsense everyone is posting here about building walls and hiding knives (and the ridiculous skit nutsak wrote about the fantasy version of himself), you've run out of options. The cops aren't going to help you any more than they did the girl who wanted her car back from the auto repair shop. They have a pretty strict policy about not helping those who refuse to help themselves.

My advice? Just lie back and try to enjoy it.

Oh, and by the way - they're not sociopaths. They just haven't met any real resistance to doing whatever they want to do. Why should they stop?

No, I didn't lose. I just chose the innocuous route. My tree will remain standing, and I will pound many a fertilizer spikes around the tree at night. They will be confounded at how fast it grows.

Want to hear something funny? When we drained our pond this past spring some of the water trickled into their driveway. The father asked me if it was poisonous. I just laughed and told him "Of course not". Only people I konw who'd be concerned their concrete driveway might be poisoned. The irony is I'm the only person in the nieghborhood who doesn't use pesticides or insecticides on my lawn (don't want to hurt the frogs/toads).

I'm just glad to have some finality in how out-of-touch with planet Earth they are. Maybe I should go hang out there after I've taken my Ambien at night.