We've all got 'em, what’ll we do with’em? Bad neighbors are everywhere, whether you live in military housing or off the installation. If you don’t recognize any in your neck of the woods, well hmm, is it you? Take this quiz honestly and see if your household takes part in any of these neighborly sins that just might be bugging your entire street.
Are YOU the Bad Neighbor?
Bad Infractions of the Neighbor Code
Do you?
- Perch trash cans and/or recycling bins on the curb for days.
- Leave outside lights on wasting energy, thereby causing the rest of us to pay more.
- Litter your lawn and others’ with dog waste and children’s toys, same for common areas.
- Have huge parties (and not invite the WHOLE street) where noise and public displays of intoxication are prominent.
- Assemble a disintegrating pile of free newspapers and IKEA catalogs in your driveway.
- Forget to remove yard sale and dog/kid sitting service flyers on electric poles and mailboxes you posted months ago.
- Constantly trip car or house alarms.
- Start the “You’ve been Boo’ed” Halloween game so the rest of us have to frantically find treats and gifts to terrorize the next neighbor.
- Send your children over each time the school has a fundraiser, but never buy from mine.
- Consider my house the public snack bar or Popsicle stand for your kid’s extended dining pleasure.
Really Bad Infractions of the Neighbor Code
Do you?
- Park your broken car on cinder block bricks for perpetuity.
- Ignore HOA or other rules because they don’t apply to you.
- Display a torn and battered American flag. Extra shame on military members.
- Avoid lawn care to see how bad it can get.
- Regularly allow small children to run free so other neighbors feel obligated to bring them home.
- Give pets free range of the neighborhood during the day, expecting their return at night.
- Use your backyard as storage for your collection of industrial machine parts.
- Endanger neighbor’s property by ignoring invading tree limbs.
- Block the street with your forever parked big rig/RV/boat.
- Maintain outdoor Christmas decorations throughout June or beyond.
These examples were designed to be somewhat humorous takes on many of the common breaches of neighborhood etiquette. If any apply to you, take a moment and consider if you are encroaching on your neighbor’s right to enjoy their homes and surrounding spaces. Your thoughtfulness may help to avoid uncomfortable confrontations in the future.
Calling all neighbors! Think back to previous homes--are there any neighbor code infractions you remember?