AITA for Not Moving My Car for Someone Who Was Filming?
Let me start with a juicy little disclaimer for your reading pleasure: this tale is spun directly from a real Reddit post. Yes, a real-life conundrum featuring real-life humans. Buckle up, buttercups, because this ride is about to get delightfully bumpy.
The Note of Many Lies
Our protagonist—let’s call them Sam—comes home from a grueling day of work only to find a note taped to their door. Nothing says “Welcome Home” like passive-aggressive paper threats, right? The note reads: “Please do not park on this block on Monday between 10am and 12pm. I will be filming on the street. NYPD has been notified and you will be ticketed.” Now, this is the kind of note that would make even the calmest person want to set fire to something symbolic.
Investigative Instincts
Sam, sensing a hefty serving of bovine excrement, decides to call the local precinct. Far be it from them to be taken for a fool! The friendly folks in uniform inform Sam that while Mr. Spielberg is allowed to film, he absolutely cannot commandeer the entire street for his latest moment of cinematic genius. Contrary to his bold proclamation, the fuzz will not be tailing people’s cars with ticket books at the ready. Nice try, buddy.
If at First You Don’t Succeed, Lie Again
As luck—or karma—would have it, Sam isn’t the only one who smells a rat. Other neighbors have also rung up the precinct. This must’ve been quite the comedown for our wannabe-director because the very next day, Sam finds another note. This one says: “Hi, NYPD actually didn’t tell me that they will ticket your car, but I would appreciate your cooperation.” Translated, it reads, “Please don’t call me on my bullsh*t but also, pretty please, move your car?” If there’s one thing that really gets Sam’s goat, it’s false threats.
The Mettle Meets the Metal
Monday morning rolls around, and Sam sticks to their guns. If Mr. Director wants cordial cooperation, he should probably start by not lying through his teeth. At around 10 AM, Sam heads to the subway. The would-be Scorsese is right there, set up and ready to roll. He inquires if any of the parked cars belong to Sam and, if so, could one be moved. Queue moral showdown.
Sam, ever the honest citizen, owns up that one of the cars is indeed theirs. But move it? Oh, hell no. Sam remarks that perhaps if the note hadn’t been dripping with duplicity, they might’ve considered being neighborly. Mr. Director turns up the charm—spoiler: it’s not effective—calling Sam a jerk and a bad neighbor. Sam saunters off with parting words of wisdom: “Deal with it.” Ouch.
Roger’s Witty Verdict
Here’s the skinny, folks. Did Sam notch his own petty tally? Perhaps. But let’s be honest, if you start off by lying to your neighbors, you’re far from the Sympathy Olympics podium. Our aforementioned auteur could’ve asked nicely from the get-go, maybe offered a token of appreciation. But no, he turned an otherwise fine request into a melodrama of mendacity. As a result, he got what he deserved—absolutely zilch.
So, “AITA” for not moving the car? Well, if the alternative is being called names by a neighbor who tried to out-manipulate you, then honey, wear that “jerk” label like a crown. Besides, who’s really the bad neighbor here? The one shooting a DIY blockbuster or the one minding their own business? Spoilers—it’s not Sam.
Original story
So I came home from work one day to find a note taped to my door by a neighbor. It said “Please do not park on this block on Monday between 10am and 12pm.
I will be filming on the street. NYPD has been notified and you will be ticketed.
” I found this annoying, and a little suspect, so I called my local precinct to ask them about this. They told me this guy had called them, and they told him while he can film on the street he can not tell people not to park there, and the police cannot help him.
I guess I wasn’t the only person to call the police and this got back to him because I found another note the next day. “Hi, NYPD actually didn’t tell me that they will ticket your car, but I would appreciate your cooperation.
” I don’t take kindly to false threats, so I decided not to move my car on Monday morning. Unlike a lot of the city, my neighborhood is pretty quiet and I live in a very residential part of it, so it’s pretty easy to park on my block.
I often see driving instructors teaching lessons here because of how quiet the neighborhood is.
When I was walking to the subway before 10am on Monday the guy was set up and he saw me walking down the road. He asked me if any of the cars were mine, and I would mind moving it.
I said one of the cars was mine, and I would not be moving it. He told me I’d be doing him a favor.
I told him that if he hadn’t lied when he posted his first note, I might have considered it, but I’m definitely not doing it now. He asked me again, and I said no.
He called me a jerk and a bad neighbor. I just told him to deal with it and continued walking.
AITA?