AITA for Blocking My Neighbor’s Car? Roger Weighs In!
Ah, the joys of communal living. For those of you who still cling to the fantasy of harmonious neighborly co-existence, here’s a dose of reality right from the hallowed halls of Reddit. Imagine this: You’ve got a cozy little space in a 4-unit condo, each unit allotted a tidy 8-feet-1-inch width in a shared garage. How picturesque. Until, of course, your neighbor—let’s call her ‘Ms. 4Runner’—struts into the picture. With a vehicle that could double as a small aircraft carrier. And what does she do? Parks 9 inches over her allocated space. Welcome to your nightmare.
The First Encounter: Enter Ms. 4Runner
Our protagonist, let’s call him Tim, faced this ancient dilemma when Ms. 4Runner’s vehicle encroached upon his sacred 8-feet-1-inch, leaving him more squeezed than a pair of last season’s skinny jeans. Unable to park in his assigned area, Tim took the high road and tried all the peacekeeping tactics: knocking, calling, and even a sweetly worded text. But silence was the only response.
Imagine Tim’s surprise when he had to resort to parking in the driveway and braced himself for the wrath of the meter maids. Only then did Ms. 4Runner emerge from her castle the next morning—no apologies, no reparations. Just a casual ‘no worries.’
Repeat Offender: The Drama Escalates
But oh, dear reader, this tale doesn’t end there. A week later, Ms. 4Runner trespasses again! This time Tim, ever the diplomat, sends another thoughtful text, complete with offers to mark out spaces like a modern-day Solomon dividing parking stalls. Ms. 4Runner’s midnight reply? A bombshell: she’s pregnant and, quite inexplicably, this is why her 4Runner is staging a hostile takeover of Tim’s territory.
And because no dramatic saga is complete without some phone frenzy, Ms. 4Runner decided to blow up Tim’s phone at the ungodly hour of 5 AM with 8 calls. Eight. EIGHT. Ever the saint, Tim responded with grace—after waking up, naturally.
The Conundrum: To Park or Not to Park?
Now, Tim’s at a crossroads. Is he the jerk for protecting his tiny slice of the garage? Should he bow down to Ms. 4Runner and face inevitable parking fines or fight for his 97 inches of freedom?
Let’s zoom out a little. Is there a universal law about accommodating pregnant neighbors and their vehicular overspill? Must we, the humble plebs, suffer the tyranny of oversized vehicles purely out of biological empathy? Some might say yes, others a resounding no.
Roger’s No-Holds-Barred Verdict
Now, lean in, kittens, because Roger’s about to lay down the law. Here’s the tea: everyone’s got a right to their allotted space. When the lines are drawn, the encroachment is just bad manners, pregnancy or no. Ms. 4Runner is solving her problem by creating one for someone else, which in the universe of Roger, is a cardinal sin.
However, let’s sprinkle some compassion in this snark parfait. It’s worth a heart-to-heart, face-to-face chat with Ms. 4Runner. Maybe even get the condo association to officiate before you all declare a full-on parking war. If all else fails, have the space marked out professionally. You pay for that garage, you deserve to use it without feeling like you’re playing a daily round of vehicular Tetris.
At the end of the day, darling, boundaries are boundaries, and even Ms. 4Runner should respect them. Otherwise, she’s going to find out why they say ‘Hell hath no fury like a car owner blocked.’
Original story
I live in a 4 unit condo. We have two large garage doors.
Each bay holds two cars. Think of like a normal garage at a normal house but they are wider to fit two cars.
We each are allotted 8 feet 1 inch of space. My neighbor drives a large 4runner.
She parks 9 inches over the space and it prevents me from parking my car in the garage. I usually manage but she sometimes parks further and I literally cannot fit into the garage.
If I street park I get a ticket. So first time this happened I called, texted, and knocked on her door to move her car over.
No response I then texted her saying that I will be parking in the driveway as I get a ticket for street parking sorry for any inconvenience. She apologized the next morning and said no worries.
One week later the same thing happens. I park in the driveway again and send a nice text message again saying “Hi there, I hope you’re doing well!
I wanted to mention that I’ve been having a little trouble fitting into my garage, and it seems like we might be using a bit more space than we’re each allotted. I want to keep things positive between us, so I thought it might help if I share the survey with you so we can both see the exact space we’re supposed to be using.
If it’s helpful, I can also arrange for someone to come by and mark out each spot. Thanks for understanding, and I’m sure we can sort this out smoothly “
She responds at midnight saying she is pregnant and can’t fit otherwise. That morning she calls me 8 times at 5am and I did not pick up as I was asleep.
As soon as I woke I moved my car.
Was wondering if I am the asshole here for trying to park in my garage space. I think I will have someone come mark the spots in the garage to prevent this issue.