33-year-old homeowner blocks his entitled 35-year-old neighbor's car in when the neighbor repeatedly parks in his driveway “just for a minute”: 'The next morning, he was furious, saying I trapped him and made him late for work'

Cars park along the street of a crowded neighborhood block

A homeowner reached the end of his patience with his boundary-pushing neighbor over the neighbor's repeated use of his driveway.


We're often told and taught to be polite. To say "please" and "thank you," displaying other behaviors, but in doing so, we mistake politeness for kindness and consideration, and try to show these qualities to people who haven't earned them. Politness is about respect and making people feel at ease and valued, and we deserve that in return.

While politeness can be kindness, and it always involves consideration, it also involves meeting people where they are. If someone isn't willing to show you respect, kindness, and consideration, why are you getting out of their way and treating them well for treating you poorly? Of course, this doesn't mean escalating to confrontation. It means clearly laying out boundaries and ensuring that your politeness is not being mistaken for something that can be taken advantage of.

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Author image for Brad Dickson Brad Dickson
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  • For us people pleasers and anxious introverts, this is all the harder, as we want everyone to like us in any social situation, even if we inexplicably don't care for that person at all because of how they treat us. We'll even more inexplicably still just open the door and let them walk all over us. But it's not on us to hold an uncomfortable moment. If someone creates an uncomfortable or awkward moment, find a way to reflect it back onto them and place the discomfort back on them through pointed questioning and repeating their own words back to them. 

    This homeowner decided that he had had quite enough of his neighbor's inconsiderate and impolite behavior regarding his entitled use, and met the neighbor right where he was with a little passive-aggressive communication of his own.

  • Two cars park in a narrow driveway
    via Lerone Pieters

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • "[Am I wrong] for blocking my neighbor’s car with mine after he kept using my driveway?"

    My neighbor (35M) has this habit of parking in my driveway "just for a minute" and leaving his car there for hours. I (33M) have asked him multiple times to stop. Last week, I came home to find his car in my driveway again, so I parked directly behind him and left my car there overnight.
    via GrowingCumin
  • The next morning he was furious, saying I trapped him and made him late for work. I told him it wouldn't have happened if he didn't use my driveway in the first place. Now he's telling everyone on the street I'm petty and "escalated" things. AITJ?
    via GrowingCumin
  • A red truck parked at the end of a driveway
    via David Schultz

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • United-Manner20 Next time, call a tow truck. You aren't his doormat. Good for you- boundaries are healthy.
    via GrowingCumin
  • Fantastic-Pipe1286 Its good he told all your neighbors. Now they won't park in your driveway either
    via GrowingCumin
  • Joland 7000 Tell him you'll have him towed if he does it again and follow through with it. He does it because you allow him to do it.
    via GrowingCumin
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  • Cars park along the street of a crowded neighborhood block
    via Katie Mukhina

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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