Woman Stops Letting Neighbors Use Driveway, They Think She's Heartless

Dec 03, 2021 by apost team

Every now and then, it feels good to do something nice for someone else or do a quick favor to help someone out. When it comes to living in a neighborhood, this type of pleasantness is pretty common. Sometimes if you offer to mow your neighbor’s lawn or bring their recycling bins back up the driveway for them, they’ll return the favor later on. It’s a simple way to build a nice relationship while helping others.

For a 32-year-old woman on Reddit, she decided to help her neighbors out by letting them use her driveway. She doesn’t have a vehicle of her own, so she doesn’t need it. On top of that, she knew that a lot of her neighbors had several cars, so they needed the extra space. They also typically moved their cars if the woman ever needed to use her driveway for any reason.

Everything was going pretty well until one day when her neighbors refused to move their car. The woman’s 15-year-old brother had been coming home from the hospital in a taxi, and there was no room for the taxi in the driveway. When the neighbors saw this, they simply ignored it and carried on, leaving their cars in the driveway.

The woman was so upset about this that she refused to let her neighbors park there anymore. As a result, the neighbors have grown increasingly rude and cold toward the woman, and they have even called her heartless. Wondering if she was wrong in this situation, she went to Reddit in November 2021 to ask users for their help.

In her Reddit post, the original poster (OP) mentioned that she lived with her younger brother. She bought a house a few years ago that came with a driveway big enough for two vehicles, but she doesn’t have a car and doesn’t drive.

“My next door neighbors have always been allowed to use my drive because I didn’t need it,” the OP said. “It really didn’t bother me because if I had friends over then I’d just ask them to move and they would.”

She explained that her brother has very weak joints resulting in him going to the hospital just about every month. A few months ago, he tore a joint in his knee, leaving him on crutches. The pair took a taxi home from the hospital that day but were met with an unpleasant surprise from their neighbors.

“We were pulling into our street in the taxi after getting them and one of my neighbors pulled into my drive, blocking our taxi from pulling up to the door,” the OP said. “We waited for them to realize my brother had crutches and move but she looked at us and carried on inside, along with her sisters and step-father. I had to hobble my brother across wet muddy grass to get to our door.”

The OP was furious and told her neighbors that from that point on, they were no longer allowed to use her driveway. “They protested, saying they had three cars and a van and had nowhere to park,” she said. “I sympathized but still said no.”

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The OP continued, “My own brother couldn’t use his drive when he couldn’t even walk thanks to their nastiness.” However, her neighbors started using the OP’s driveway again after many people had babies and didn’t want to have to walk multiple blocks with their baby carriers. The OP retaliated by putting up a sign that said: “No parking on drive.”

The OP explained, “One of these girls confronted me, telling me that I don’t even need the drive and that it’s heartless to do that to a new mother.” The OP reasoned that it had been heartless for them to make her brother walk across slippery grass while he was hurt and on crutches.

“I was neighborly until they caused me not to be,” she said. “I know I am being petty and vindictive in my reasoning but I feel I am justified as I did them a courtesy for years by letting them use my drive only for them to treat my brother so cruelly.”

Redditors chimed in, letting the OP know that they were on her side. One user commented, “They abused the privilege and now are acting like entitled jerks. Time to start towing, they will figure it out. Don’t give them any more chances, they blew it.”

Others pointed out that the neighbors had other options. One user said, “They can just stop their car in front of their own driveway, unload the carrier or stroller or whatever, then park the car somewhere distant. A hassle, sure, but they brought that on themselves.” Another user said, “It’s your driveway and you owe them no explanation beyond ‘no.’”

Do you think this woman was right to forbid her neighbors from using her driveway? What’s your relationship with your neighbors like? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family, too.