They say good fences make good neighbors, but I learned this the hard way. After six months of peaceful coexistence, my neighbor Claire asked to use my barbecue while we were away. We returned to utter devastation – our yard looked like the site of a college kegger.
Claire’s dismissive attitude (“Just use a hose!”) infuriated me. When I politely set boundaries, she retaliated with an absurd list of rules for my own property, including demands about my cooking times and claiming rights to my driveway. The audacity!
The situation escalated when we discovered her son had posted videos bragging about trashing our yard. My social media post exposing their behavior went viral, with thousands calling out their entitlement. A kind commenter even helped install an impenetrable fence.
The sweetest victory came when Claire’s son complained I’d “ruined his life” at school, and Claire herself finally admitted defeat. Sometimes, standing your ground is the only language entitled people understand.
