When Neighbors Are Stupid

My Quiet As A Church Mouse neighbor Anna came over last weekend (like Saturday or so) and asked if I could move Brian's van from her parking spot in front of her house...and I told her I'd be glad to get someone to help me move it, but since Brian was gone and I was PG, I couldn't do it alone.

I talked to Brian about it on the phone and he said he had to put it there because when he went to move it after the street sweeping, there was nowhere else to put it. Otherwise, he never would have parked it there to begin with.

Well, later on Saturday when the car moved that was in our way, and on Sunday too -- I looked for Anna but she wasn't around to help me move it. Then I sprained my ankle on Monday and obviously it wasn't at the top of my mind to move the van, I couldn't even operate the non-power brakes on the thing, much less get someone to push it for me.

So this morning I get a drop-in visit from Denver Police, who say I have to move the van. I told the officer that I had sold the car and had a week before the guy was going to get it. I told him I was pregnant so I couldn't do it alone, my husband is out of town, and that I had talked with my neighbor about moving the van, but then I hurt my ankle (and showed him my ace bandaged foot).

Poor cop felt sorry for me. He didn't ticket it, just let me know that I needed to get it moved today.

I'm SO MAD at my neighbor! DH and I have BOTH SHOVELED HER WALK during the winter storms we had, and DH MOWS HER LAWN in the spring because he's a NICE GUY and she can't wait to get that van moved even though there are spaces on either side of it???

I just wrote her a note and told her I called Brian in Seattle and asked him to get a friend to help move it because the cops were called, and that I'd sprained my ankle...and that I was VERY disappointed that she didn't talk to me again because I thought we had agreed to work together on this and that we we were good enough neighbors not to have be involving the police in such matters.

I tried so hard to be as accommodating as possible and told her I'd be happy to get the van moved as soon as I could. I just never dreamed that she'd call the cops without talking to me first (Yes, even a second time...I thought we were friendly enough neighbors to do that, considering our previous conversation).

There are times like this when I just wonder what is wrong with people. I'm non-confrontational and easy to please with the neighbors. So many have stopped by and said how sorry they are to see us go because we're "such good people", etc.

Then this. As a friend said -- too bad I can't dump all the snow and grass clippings from the past 3 years back onto her lawn & sidewalk to make her see all she's gotten from us over the years.

Harumph.