Hello, my dearest scandalmongers and strife-seekers! It’s your favorite connoisseur of chaos, Roger, here to dish out another savory morsel of neighborhood drama that’s been cooking up on Reddit. Yes, you read that right – this uproarious escapade is straight from the fingers of a real person who dared to ask the internet hive mind, “AITA for not letting my neighbors use my backyard?” So, buckle up, buttercups, because this one’s a backyard bonanza that’ll have you clutching your pearls and questioning your own sense of neighborly noblesse oblige.
Our tale begins in an unnamed locale, where our protagonist, let’s call them the ‘Gatekeeper,’ finds themselves ensconced in domestic bliss with a partner, a privacy fence, and a couple of discerning canine companions. Bliss, that is, until new neighbors descend upon the seemingly serene subdivision. Fresh off the moving truck, these neighbors – a quaint family of human and hound – cast longing eyes upon the Gatekeeper’s verdant sanctuary, lacking a fence of their own to corral their kin and canine.
With a blend of hope and audacity only real persons embroiled in real Reddit stories can muster, these neighbors propositioned the Gatekeeper. Their request? A timeshare in the fenced paradise for frolics and frivolity. Ah, but here’s where the plot thickens, my friends. Gatekeeper, hesitant but humane, confers with their partner only to conclude that their backyard shall not become a communal romper room. The reasons? A duo of possibly dog-aggressive protectors of said backyard paradise, not to mention the quintessentially American concern of a lawsuit should frivolity turn to folly.
When Gatekeeper gently denies the neighbors’ request, cue the sour grapes. The neighbors, now spurned, transform into petty paragons of passive aggression. Snubs and mutterings ensue, leaving Gatekeeper pondering the prickly question of neighborly duty versus personal domain.
And now, dear readers, it’s time for Roger’s Hot Take. Let’s slice through the suburban silliness like a freshly sharpened spade through garden sod, shall we?
Gatekeeper, darling, you are resoundingly **NTA**. Your backyard is not a public park, nor a doggy daycare, nor a child’s playground – it is your private oasis, a sanctuary for your family and the furry sentinels that guard it. Hospitality has its limits, and when safety and privacy are at stake, those limits become fortifications. The neighbors’ request, while perhaps born of desperation, tiptoes over the line of presumption into a territory marked ‘Entitlement.’ And the subsequent sulking? Honey, that’s just the cherry on top of a petulant pie.
In this whirlwind of fences and fidos, the lesson, my lovelies, is as clear as a freshly cleaned pool: boundaries, both literal and figurative, are sacred. To our Gatekeeper, I say, stand firm beside your privacy fence, for it symbolizes more than the perimeter of your property; it stands as a bastion of your right to peace, privacy, and the pursuit of a hassle-free life.
To the dear neighbors thirsting for a slice of the backyard bliss, might I suggest a local park, or better yet, a lovely journey down the path of patience until your own fence materializes from the mists of the municipal waiting list?
Until next time, keep your gates locked and your drama spicy. It’s been real, it’s been fun, and as always, it’s been a little bit naughty – this is Roger, signing off with the reminder that in the grand soap opera of life, sometimes you’re the hero, you’re sometimes the villain, and sometimes, you’re just the person on the other side of the fence, wondering if it’s too early for a cocktail. Cheers!
Original story
Created an account to ask.
My partner and I (F30s) just got some new neighbors. They moved in about a month ago. We met them briefly. They are a couple around our age and a daughter who might be 4 or 5, and a dog.
We have our backyard fully fenced in with a privacy fence. Their yard doesn’t. I was out front last weekend when the couple came up our driveway and started chatting. They mentioned that they were on a waiting list to get their yard fenced in but were told it would be a few months. They said they would really like their daughter and dog to have a place to run around but didn’t feel comfortable with the lack of fence (our neighborhood backs up to a wooded area and a creek).
They asked if they could borrow our backyard for a few hours a day so they could let everyone run worry free. I admittedly immediately didn’t like this, but I told them I would think about it.
I talked to my partner, and we both agreed this wasn’t a good idea. We have two dogs ourselves, and they can be a tad protective of their yard. One of them also doesn’t love kids and the other one can be a tad dog selective. Because of this, we would have to coordinate when we could let our dogs out and that’s just not something we want to deal with. There are just too many things that could go wrong. Plus that good ole American worry that if someone got hurt we could get sued.
The guy stopped by again on Wednesday and asked if we had given it any thought. I told him we had discussed it, and unfortunately it just wasn’t going to work out with our dogs and their schedule so we wouldn’t be able to accommodate them. He immediately got sour and said it was nice to know how neighborly we were. He left abruptly but I could hear him muttering under his breath.
Him and his wife have made a big show of snuffing us the last couple of days. My partner said they will get over it, and while I’m not going to reconsider, I do feel kind of guilty.
AITA for not letting our new neighbors use our yard?
Just so everyone knows – Our gate is locked and we have cameras.