A man mows his section while his neighbor's daughters attempt to enjoy themselves at the pool.
Recreated scenario included to enhance reader understanding.
This homeowner is one of those people who mows his property like clockwork. Predictably, every Saturday, rain or shine. (Well, maybe not rain, but you get the point.) This took some time due to the size of the rural section. One Saturday, he unknowingly mowed his large 1.5-acre rural property while his neighbor Daniel was hosting relatives for a pool party. The neighbor's two adult daughters confronted him because the mower had drowned out their music and conversations, which they thought was inconsiderate of him.
The neighbor himself, a man in his 60s even stepped in to defend him, trying to defuse the situation. But his daughters left with their children, putting a bad end to the day's events/
The neighbor apologized, holding no grudge. But, this left the homeowner wondering whether or not he was in the wrong for mowing during the party. Wondering whether or not he had been inconsiderate for his role in causing the confrontation with his noise.
Take a read below of the homeowner's own original account of the alleged events, which he shared with this online community. Was he in the wrong for disrupting the pool party and leading to this confrontantion?
AITA for mowing my lawn while the neighbors had a pool party?
Story / ThatGlitchyMimikyu
This past Saturday, I (35m) mowed my lawn like any other Saturday. Unless weather has been a factor, I've mowed my lawn every Saturday during the mowing season for the past 20 years. My next door neighbor, whom we'll refer to as "Daniel" for this (60s M) had some of his family over to swim in their above ground pool. I would like to preface this by saying Daniel and I have *NEVER* had an issue, nor is he the one who is mad at me.
Like always, I just mowed my lawn. Didn't know Daniel was having family over. Our properties are separated by a tree line, so I thought nothing of it. It took me about an hour and a half to finish mowing. After the fact, two of Daniel's daughters (under 30 F, both of them) came up and started complaining to me that my mower was making too much noise and that I should have been more considerate of them. The chief complaint seemed to be that they couldn't hear their music properly, nor could they have a regular conversation (in fairness, my mower is kinda loud).
Daniel tried to tell them that I didn't know, but they weren't having any of it. They got really mad and took their kids and went back home. I apologized to Daniel about the party being ruined, but he wasn't upset with me. The two daughters have been back since, and they both gave me nasty looks. They told me I ruined their time with their dad and also wrecked their kids' days with their grandparents.
[Am I wrong here?]
Edit: It has been asked many times why it took so long. I do not live in a suburban area. I have an acre and a half of land. I have five or six neighbors in my whole area. Also, I mow weekly because the grass grows pretty rapidly here. Everyone around here does. Yes, I am getting a new lawnmower at the end of the year.
A homeowner mows his large section.
Not actual story subjects.
Really, I think the main problem here is the fact that the homeowner wasn't even aware that the party was going on. Perhaps, had the neighbors notified him that they were having a special event that day, starting from this time until that time, "And could you keep the noise down, please." He might have been more than willing to accommodate them.
Then and again he might not but at least the neigbors would have a leg to stand on with being annoyed with him.
And not immediately acquiescing to their request might also come with good reason. "Hey actaully I do have to mow the lawn this Saturday because I'm going away for a week on Sunday and it needs to be done," is a valid reason too. It's not inconsiderate.
But, at least in this situation, the conversation being had, both sides know where each is coming from and, with respectable good faith, will probably try their best to accomdate the other in a good neighborly fashion.
Far, far, too many modern disagreements arise from things left unsaid. Requests not made, risks not ventured. The party with the want not putting themselves forward for the chance of having a request declined and the chance never arrising to build the relationship through a mutual exchange of small concessions. Eventually growing into larger ones. Instead the "wants" are left to dissolve into the ether of uncertainty, where they don't actually go away but fester into a lingering acrid malcontent of feeling inconvenienced by an expectation that wasn't set.
Everyday annoyances, like noise, can in this way grow into something bigger. Cascading into bigger problems as nerves fray and chafe. Perceived slights piling on top each other. Without a doubt, this event is one that has sown the seeds for greater discord.
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