'You're welcome to pay for your own parking spot!': Guy blocks neighbor's car from leaving after neighbor steals his parking spot for several weeks in a row

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  • Two cars parked in a lot next to a tree.
  • "My neighbor kept stealing my paid parking spot so I made sure he never found street parking again"

    So I live in Reykjavik and parking here is nightmare level expensive. My apartment building has underground parking and I pay like 18,000 ISK a month for my spot (around $130 USD for context). It's spot number 7, clearly marked with my apartment number.
  • My neighbor Dagur moved in about six months ago. Nice enough guy, we'd say hi in the hallway. But he didn't want to pay for parking so he street parks. Which fine, whatever, his choice.
  • Except he started parking in MY spot. At first I thought it was a mistake. I left a polite note on his windshield saying hey this is my paid spot, can you move? He moved it. Then three days later he's back in my spot.
  • This happened maybe twice a week for two months. I'd come home from meeting clients and have to circle the neighborhood for 45 minutes trying to find street parking. In Reykjavik. In February. It was hell.
  • I talked to him directly and he said sorry, he'd forget which spot was mine. I reminded him it has my apartment number painted on the ground and on the wall. He said oh yeah, he'd be more careful.
  • Narrator: he was not more careful. I complained to building management and they said they'd send him a warning letter.
  • He still kept doing it maybe once a week. And the thing is by the time I found him to ask him to move or got management involved I'd already wasted an hour of my evening.
  • So I got petty. I work from home as a graphic designer so my schedule is flexible. I started tracking when he left for work (around 7:45am). And I started following him.
  • Not like creepy following. I'd just leave maybe two minutes after him and watch where he parked on the street. Then I'd take my car and park directly behind him.
  • Not blocking him in illegally, there was always technically enough space for him to get out but it would take him like 15 minutes of careful maneuvering. And I'd park my little Yaris so close to his SUV that he'd have to fold in his mirrors.
  • Then I'd go back home and work. I'd wait until I saw him come back looking for his car (our apartments face the street) and once he got in and started the whole process of getting out I'd go move my car back to MY spot in the garage that I PAY for.
  • But here's where it gets better. After he'd finally gotten out he'd have to find new street parking. And Reykjavik street parking between 8am and 6pm is nearly impossible in our area. So he'd be circling. And circling.
  • I did this every single day for three weeks. I watched him get more and more frustrated. A few times I saw him almost give up and try to park in the garage again but then he'd see me getting into my car and think better of it.
  • Finally he knocked on my door and asked if I'd been parking behind him on purpose. I said yeah, I have been. I told him I was just parking legally on the street since someone keeps taking my paid spot so I have to street park anyway might as well park near home.
  • He got all defensive saying I was being psycho. I said well you're welcome to pay for your own parking spot and then you won't have this problem. He said the parking spots are too expensive and I said yeah that's why I'm annoyed you keep stealing mine.
  • We stared at each other for a second and then he just left. He hasn't parked in my spot since. I see him every morning now driving around for like 20 minutes looking for street parking while I pull into my guaranteed spot. Worth every second.
  • A young man sits behind the wheel of his electric car at daytime.
  • Ok-Seaweed-... OP 1m ago . The part that still makes me laugh is that he called ME psycho when he was literally stealing my parking spot that I pay $130 a month for.
  • Like I genuinely don't understand the logic. You don't want to pay for parking fine but then don't take someone else's paid spot??
  • And honestly I might've let it go after the first few times if he'd just been apologetic about it but he kept giving me the "oh I forgot" excuse when my apartment number is literally painted on the ground in yellow.
  • My friend said I should've just gotten him towed but the towing company here is weirdly slow and by the time they'd show up he'd usually already be gone. This way felt more satisfying anyway.
  • He still gives me dirty looks in the hallway which I find hilarious. Dude you brought this on yourself.

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