# Stupid neighbors



## BPK63 (Sep 6, 2006)

So we finally got sometihng I can plow. Not much but it's something. My driveway that used to take me hours with the blower is done in 5 minutes. My 80 some odd old neighbor has about 175 feet of driveway and he's out there with a shovel pushing across one shovel at a time. I figure I'll go help him out and he'll be done in two minutes. Keep in mind I've helped this old geezer many times over the past 20 years. So I go over and tell him I"ll give him a hand and we'll be done in 2 mintes. He starts laughing, heh heh, you F'n guys charge for every snow flake, I can do this myself, blah blah blah. Now I have had to battle his temper over the years but you try and get along with your neighbors right? Anyway I'm going back to the truck saying forget it, I don't try and charge my neighbors, just trying to help you out old man. OH OK then go for it. I'm like no, forget it. If you heard his tone at first toward me you would immediately understand. I think he is actually early 90's so I may not have to put up with him much longer.


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## carcrz (Jun 5, 2006)

Be nice to the old fart. Who knows, he may not have any other family & may remember you in his will


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## BPK63 (Sep 6, 2006)

carcrz;364404 said:


> Be nice to the old fart. Who knows, he may not have any other family & may remember you in his will


The problem I have is that I've been nice to that guy for 20 years and all he does is yell at me but when he needs a hand with something he's calling me. I know he has no family and is shacked up with the old lady that owns the house and she has one daughter that never comes to visit her but maybe once a year. I have always helped him anyways out of respect for my elders, not that I'm that young, mid 40's now but how much can you take from the old geezer?


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## cjcocn (Feb 17, 2006)

I've had neighbors or have otherwise known people like that. Usually I put up with a little (one must respect their elders, right?), but if they get too cantankerous I just give it right back to them and that usually settles them right down. Seems they respect that you can take it and dish it out as well.

I try and treat them like just another person that I am willing to help out as opposed to treating them like they're too old to do it themselves (whether or not that appears to be the case) and it usually turns out to be a decent acquaintance-ship (yeah, I know that ain't a word, but I'm using it!  ).

Of course there are other cases ......


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## LoneCowboy (Jan 2, 2007)

Hey, you offered
If he doesn't want to take you up on it, so be it.
You still offered, your good deed is done.
Relax, you did the right thing, he's just a jerk


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## DeereFarmer (Dec 12, 2005)

I live on a common driveway... what I nightmare but anyways, I plow the long road. My neighbor always pushed the snow from his parking lot onto the road after I plow it, so this year I just pile it up on his parking lot. He had about a 3' drift to shovel this morning. I watched him while he did it and he put it on the side, so he got the picture this time. Now I can go back to being a good neighbor. Sometimes you just have to give up on trying to be nice.


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## BPK63 (Sep 6, 2006)

I also live on a common driveway with one house on the other side of my driveway so that neighbor gets his driveway cleared for free. For years I did it all with a blower and it was really tough. I decided this year if he doesn't get his butt out there when he sees me and moves his cars I'm not going back out later. I do my side and down the middle and his side if he moves his cars. If he can't at least put in a little effort to help me then I can't help him anymore.


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## DeereFarmer (Dec 12, 2005)

I agree. My neighbor does not want to move his cars, so he gets plowed in. He said that he would take care of his parking lot. He actually has two driveways. One is the common and one is on the other side of his house and is his own. He won't pay to have his own done, so he just uses the common driveway because it is plowed. It really ticks me off.


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## doh (Sep 23, 2003)

I have 1 Lady in her 90's I very seldom go in for payment of her account. But she does want to pay something, so I always lowball the amount due.

It is the right thing I believe. They want to pay something but alway think it is too much, remember $2000 would buy a car in their day.

The worst part about getting paid is that you have to spend 30+minutes waiting to leave, so plan ahead, ask for payment after you are done plowing.


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## ThisIsMe (Oct 31, 2006)

doh;364698 said:


> It is the right thing I believe. They want to pay something but alway think it is too much, remember $2000 would buy a car in their day.


mmmmm Even I remember ads on TV for the Volkswagen bug for $2200+ and I am nowhere near 90


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## ThisIsMe (Oct 31, 2006)

Or was it $3200? 

Edit:

OK I had to research this. A 90 (today) year old was most likely driving in 1930s. Average price was $640 in 1930. 

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1930s.html


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## yzf1000_rider (Oct 24, 2003)

thisisme that is a cool site i added it to my favorites so i can reminisce anytime i want


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## MrBigStuff (Oct 4, 2005)

*Speaking of which...*

I used to plow a buddies drive where he rented as a favor to him. It had a wide common drive with the rental next door. There were a bunch of the laziest teenagers next door they never seemed to lift a finger around that place. My buddy used to mow their lawn just to keep it beat back. Anyway, one morning I show up on my way to work and back into his drive. Immediately afterward, this car full of kids comes rolling up through the plow line and gets stuck blocking both drives. They get out and look at me sitting there and just go inside. I did the best I could to make a push and clear my buddies path. Then I made sure to pack it up nice and tight behind their bumper. It must've taken them all morning to clear that packed snow. The next time they came racing out to move their car when I showed up.


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## BobC (Nov 5, 2004)

Best sight ever!!!!!!! I had a neighbor who used to blow his entire driveway into the roadway sometimes 8 inches of heavy stuff in the road after the town plowed!!! (illegal) The DPW guy being nice about it told him many times not to do it or he could be ticketed! Well one morning the entire street is clear but my neighbors drive seems to have all the snow from the street piled up 3-4 feet!!!!!!! They asked if I saw who did it and honestly I didn't but secretly applauded whomever did it. My neighbor was clueless, but I could see it was done by a 12 foot blade!!!!! I guess plowguy had reached his limit!!!


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## mike33087 (Feb 9, 2005)

*lol*

i'm sure we all have similar stories....

there is this lady that lives next to my mother, shes probably in her late 40's (not too old to shovel but..) she has this driveway that is probably 150' long that goes into an L up by the house, now normally her and her husband park on the L part out of the way of the long drive... well when it snows she purposly parks in the Long part of the L so i cant plow it.... the lady is crazy she likes to shovel it. i asked her one day why she parks like that , and she goes i feeel bad that you do it for free and wont take any money, lol i was like im just trying to help.... so now i only scoop the end of the drive...

best thing when i plowed for the town last 2 years, i have the best route.... i had this one guy that would purposly blow the snow straight out into the road, i told him several times u cant do that. well one storm he was working pretty close to the road blowing it out in the street ( this was a heavy slushy snow too) well i see him out there and i get the blade right out against the curb and speed up, damn rooster tail comming off that plow must have been shooting the snow 25' away.... i buried the guy lol i think i knocked him on his ass. so 1/2 hour later im comming back down his way again, he decides that throwing his shovel at my truck is a good idea. the He[[ with this clown, i keep going and call the cops. i see them pass me and turn around and meet them at his house. they reemed him up and down blah blah blah, made him aplogise lol. so later that night i put a nice bank at the end lol

so many good stories from when i plowed for the town.

sorry for the long a$$ post


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## Ole Tower (Jan 29, 2007)

*Stupid Neighbors?*

I have been plowing for many many years & by doing So I have learned a lot about People! Especially the Elderly as Most are Too Proud to Ask & some Too Proud to even Except Free Jobs & Their Excuses? often taken as Mad? I*M an Ole FART & I can relate to most Ole Folk as they Feel that No Body Cares? & When some Young Person Dose? it Scares Them? as they have Struggled all their Lives & usually all their Loved Ones are GONE & in their Present Tiny Micro World w/ as mentioned by a previous Member They Really Dono? How to Act?? as Heres a Shiny Truck w/ a Huge Plow thats offering to DO their Drive way FREE! & their from another Generation where Nothing was ever FREE! So In all Reality They Simply Dono? how to Act? Some Say OK & Thank YOU! while Others Get a little more than Ugly! Down Right MEAN at Times? I usually break the ICE! by saying HI Young Feller! & as they look UP & see ME their AGE? or perhaps Older? I*D like to Help? as that would only Take ME a Few Minutes! where Do You Prefer I Put your Snow? out there on the Lower Lawn Ok stand Back! there Its DONE! THANK YOU! No Problem! Glad to Help! & perhaps? I have saved them from a Heart Attack? Ole Folk do have Problems Living Alone & thinking? No One Really CARES? as Most of Our Young DON*T! so give them some Space to Re-Act as they Live in a very Lonely World! & Its Hard to Break Into! as the Scale of Freindship in Ole Eyes to the Young on a Scale ot 10 most Young are just above {0} so Take the TIME to Prove Your at least a {5}? & the Rest is EASY! Thanks GUYS just for READING THIS! I Hope? It Helps?? You Better understand the Ole FOLK? Ole Tower


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Ole Tower;374635 said:


> I have been plowing for many many years & by doing So I have learned a lot about People! Especially the Elderly as Most are Too Proud to Ask & some Too Proud to even Except Free Jobs & Their Excuses? often taken as Mad? I*M an Ole FART & I can relate to most Ole Folk as they Feel that No Body Cares? & When some Young Person Dose? it Scares Them? as they have Struggled all their Lives & usually all their Loved Ones are GONE & in their Present Tiny Micro World w/ as mentioned by a previous Member They Really Dono? How to Act?? as Heres a Shiny Truck w/ a Huge Plow thats offering to DO their Drive way FREE! & their from another Generation where Nothing was ever FREE! So In all Reality They Simply Dono? how to Act? Some Say OK & Thank YOU! while Others Get a little more than Ugly! Down Right MEAN at Times? I usually break the ICE! by saying HI Young Feller! & as they look UP & see ME their AGE? or perhaps Older? I*D like to Help? as that would only Take ME a Few Minutes! where Do You Prefer I Put your Snow? out there on the Lower Lawn Ok stand Back! there Its DONE! THANK YOU! No Problem! Glad to Help! & perhaps? I have saved them from a Heart Attack? Ole Folk do have Problems Living Alone & thinking? No One Really CARES? as Most of Our Young DON*T! so give them some Space to Re-Act as they Live in a very Lonely World! & Its Hard to Break Into! as the Scale of Freindship in Ole Eyes to the Young on a Scale ot 10 most Young are just above {0} so Take the TIME to Prove Your at least a {5}? & the Rest is EASY! Thanks GUYS just for READING THIS! I Hope? It Helps?? You Better understand the Ole FOLK? Ole Tower


Hi, Jim. I've tried replying to your email, but it gets returned saying your Inbox is full.


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## wirenut (Jan 16, 2004)

nicely said, some day it will come back to you.....


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

I say this all the time, that we're in the people business. I have never thought helping our seniors (and I do a few complimentary pushes every storm) will ruin my income. I generally develop a great rapport with people, and even the older folks. One thing I say is that "we'll get it done twice as fast if we do it together." So I push it & depending on who it is I get out & shovel with the guy. Most of the time I can say it was no problem cuz I'm here in the neighborhood anyway. I push the end of the driveway for someone who was the best neighbor to my grandfather, and every spring he sends me a check despite my refusal of payment. Sometimes 50, once it was 100... the 30 second clean up didn't slow me down, yet it was the right thing to do. People know the value of good work, and it's hard to ask for help (already mentioned previously), but appreciation is most often there. I think of it like my parents or grandparents having to deal with contractors or other people who might mistreat them. I don't want that, and if I can do the right thing for someone else's parents or grandparents I know others will follow suit. In EMS, I'm often telling the older folks that it's been a pleasure working with them. Not that I do anything FOR them necessarily, and if I did I don't need to remind them, but rather give the feeling like we did something together toward a better end. 


~Kevin


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## Ole Tower (Jan 29, 2007)

Mick;374688 said:


> Hi, Jim. I've tried replying to your email, but it gets returned saying your Inbox is full.


YES! Mick I had so much Trouble w/Junk Mail I contacted Micro Soft & they couldn*t fix It so they finally gave ME a New E-Mail address! Ole Tower


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