So tonight, I came home to find a note on my car window. Odd.
"Asshole, you parked in my spot. Do it again and I will have you towed."
??!!??
So I looked.
Yes, I did indeed park in the spot next to mine when I got home last night.
It's not the first time I've done it. We're all in a row, and the numbers on each spot are pretty tiny. Every other time, I've noticed it right away and corrected myself. Last night I clearly wasn't paying attention.
My bad....
But does anyone else think the note was a bit unnecessarily harsh? I mean really, I've been living below, and parking next to this guy (who shall herafter be known as the Vampire Upstaires, or TVU for short) for 4 1/2 years.
I kind of feel like we're each other's tormentors in some ways.
Example 1: Once when backing out, I accidentally touched his car. I honestly couldn't tell if I scratched his paint, or just the dirt. Regardless, I left him a note and never heard anything about it.
Example 2: One day I found water leaking down through my smoke detector. From his washer. I ran into TVU in the stairway and requested that he look into that. He blinked at me and walked away. (To his credit, he walked away - into his suite, and the water stopped. But still an apology? A gasp of shock? Something?)
Example 3: I was being woken up from the occasional sound sleep by TVU doing...calisthenics? Something. I chose to ignore it. Though occasionally I would have guests over who would be both awed and annoyed with his...let's call it...stompiness. I've never complained. But I have whined to myself ALOT about this.
Example 4: There is a newly installed water pump outside, and when it rains it goes off and on with a loud thump. It seems that only my suite is effected by this. However, the sound carried in such a way, that it seemed like the noise was coming from above me. So I politely asked TVU if he was running some kind of machinery. Confused blinking. "No." OK then.
Example 5: see above- parking incident.
So, what I haven't quite decided is this:
Did he know that it was me that he left the note for - or did he think I was just random idiot who parked in his spot? I mean I've had this car for 2 1/2 years, so I would think that he'd recognize it...
But if so, I'm back to the original question - wasn't the reaction a bit disproportionate to the crime?
I admit, I'm a bit of a suck, and it hurt my little baby feelings to be called an asshole.
But, I decided that I can only control my own behaviour, so I decided to take the high road.
"My apologies for parking in your spot. I've been sick this week and clearly just wasn't paying attention. I do hope that you parked in my spot instead. It won't happen again."
Too sucky?
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Someone Called Me a Name...
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8 comments:
Sounds like the high road is the best road. He obviously hasn't mastered social skills, and I'm betting he has no idea whose car that was, only that it was in his spot.
Definitely sounds like an odd duck, though.
Good heavens, what is this guy, 4 years old? Talk about an over reaction! You response was very polite and will hopefully make him think twice about being such pissant again. You're also much nicer than I am...I would've knocked on his door and said a word or two. Of course, that would be done after I cried because he hurt my feelings.
Um...I have a feeling that I'M going to sound like the asshole here...but I freak when someone parks in my spot.
Like, freak.
Have actually called a tow-truck on people before.
That said, no one that has ever parked in my spot has done it accidentally - like, it's not the people who normally park around me, it's random people that just park there...
So, long comment here to simply say: if he KNEW it was your car then he was being a total a-hole, if he DIDN'T? I dunno...maybe still an asshole, but I get it.
Still love me?
Some people really freak about parking spaces. Some of my neighbours had serious feuds that centred around who parked where and when. I think that your approach was a good one. If he is a bit of an ass you don't want to make him worse, considering that he lives upstairs from you!
Oh my GOD, it's a parking space. That's it. So he had to park somewhere else for one night? Boo freaking hoo.
It's one thing to ask you not to park in his spot again but since he knows you and knows your car? The "asshole" was unnecessary. How hard would it have been to come to your apartment and ask you to move your car?
People get so worked up over little shit.
I think your reply note is perfect. I also expect that he didn't realize (or care?) that it was your car.
Also, and I know this is probably easy to rule out, but I've been in similar situations before when I had friends with me and I could easily see one of my friends leaving such a note without my knowledge. It seems like people can be more confrontational when doing so under the auspices of standing up for someone else. (Maybe I haven't been in such situations, now that I think about it, but I've heard of it happening.)
Way way WAY too polite. The guy is a dick. How about...
Dear Neighbour,
Women are wonderful creatures. We bring joy and light to many. We buy flowers and make things look pretty and play hop-scotch with our hair in bunches. Our laughter is like the song of angels in the wind.
But call us an asshole one more time and we will no longer bring joy and happiness. Because if you offend us, we can become Vengeance and Fury. Kings have knelt before us in awe and terror at the splendor and beauty of our rage. Even time cannot beat us. Because we remember. Forever.
Please also remember that it is JUST a parking space. And this only happened because I've been a bit under the weather, I promise to try harder with my future parking efforts.
Have a nice day, hugs from the young lady in the apartment below.
;-)
I had a guy leave a note on my car once. In 1988.
"Park in your landlord's spot. Not mine. Take his. Not mine."
Yes, I recall what it said. The thing is I'd parked on the street. First thing I did was call the police to make sure I could park where ever I wanted. And I could.
The next thing I did was go to the house I'd parked in front of to see what had upset them about my parking. They had not left the note... it was their next door neighbor. So, it seemed to me, the guy thought he owned the whole street.
When I knocked on his door he didn't answer.
The next time I saw him I gave him a wave and a 'hello.' We were fine after that. I probably did my best not to park in 'his' spot after anymore ... I don't recall.
It seems you've got access to the guy's apartment through your Smoke Detector. Is there any way you can spritz cat urine into his apartment through it?
Wait, I mean do what Jade says. Take the high road. Give him a hello and a wave.
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