If You Don’t Know Who The Grumpy Neighbour Is…
I like to think that I have pretty good self-awareness. That’s why it only took a millisecond to realize it.
My kids were out front playing and a car came screaming around the corner at a speed I felt was unacceptable. “Slow Down!!” I yelled. As the final syllable came out of my mouth, I immediately realized what was happening.
I was slowly turning into the grumpy guy on the street.
There were indications that I had previously missed, although I’m pretty sure I knew what was going on and was just afraid to admit it. Kind of like the feeling when you get those first gray hair’s or when you can’t explain why you’re always in some form of pain.
The first sign should have been when we got the plastic yellow guy to put at the end of the driveway, just enough into the road to make driver’s think they about to hit a kid. You know the one.
Perhaps I should have taken a step back on the day when the garbage truck left a trail of trash all down our entire street. Instead I decided to call the city to complain about it. Not like me at all.
More recently, I have escalated my grumpy efforts. The other day, we had guys from an energy company that will remain nameless, Summitt Energy, come to the door and try to trick me into letting them in to “check to see if I had the appropriate stickers” on my hot water tank. They even went so far as to pretend they were sent by my energy company.
That was the last straw for me. Not only did I not let them in but I sent messages to my neighbours to warn them not to let them in and even went ahead and followed them down the street to make sure they didn’t con any of my other friends on the street. They didn’t like that.
Upon further inspection of this company’s practices, I noticed on the BBB website that they’ve received a number of hefty fines already for these types of practices.
Nobody messes with my family or the families of my friends and gets away with it, LOL. I couldn’t help but wonder if Bruce Wayne would have been proud of my efforts in this case but I think he would have.
You should note that I have never been good at confrontational situations. In fact, it was to a point where I would turn off a TV show if I knew there was going to be an uncomfortable situation.
You couldn’t even count the number of times when I let places get away with terrible service or restaurants messing up orders. You name it, I’ve backed down from it.
Nowadays, if I don’t like the performance of my new car, I write a letter to the owner of the dealership. Unhappy with my banking or cable or mobile service?? An email or phone call is surely going to follow. In this new social media age, companies are being very careful about negative feedback. A Twitter rampage could be very damaging for a smaller business.
I guess when I really think about it, maybe I’m not becoming a grump after all. Maybe having kids and responsibilities is just turning me into more of a man.
Nah! I’m just getting grumpier, hahaha!!!
Has this type of change happened to you? Hit the comments section and let me know some grumpy things you’ve done since having kids. It can only be me right???
Also, if you feel so inclined, you can hit the share or tweet buttons at the top and help get the word out there.
Cheers!!
Good for you!!! Nothing makes me more crazy then people driving too fast!!
I feel like it’s everybody these days. Our street is a “kid friendly” one. We have about 30 kids in a span of 40 houses and they are always out playing but even the Bus drivers are flying around the corners now and it drives me nuts!!!
we had them at our door tonight. Nothing makes me more crazy than when people try to push stuff on me when I have told them I am not interested. I had to practically slam the door on his face to get him to leave….
I probably would have let him leave without a fight if he hadn’t made a face at me when I said no thanks. The face said “You’re an idiot for not letting me in”. No sir, you are the idiot!
These Guys coming to our house every year drive me nuts too chris. We have a badge and were sent to check your water heater. Yep drives me almost as nuts as the non stop barrage of Jehovah witness at our door every weekend.
Stopping by from Sass.
Kevin 🙂
NOW CALM DOWN lmao
Haha Kevin, I am calm now. I actually sent an email to the company about their guys and they replied back with a pre formatted email about how they don’t condone that sort of practice, blah blah blah. I’d love to sit in on their training program, lol.
Are you turning into a grumpy old man?! LOL
We all have our grumpy days, maybe this was yours?
thanks for participating in SASS!
http://www.multitestingmommy.com/2012/02/lets-get-healthy-together-week-7-with.html
I wish it was only one day but I can feel it coming on. Luckily for me, there’s one guy on our street that will never be topped in the grumpy department so at least I won’t be the grumpiest, haha!
I happen to like the Grumpy Guy in this story! He sounds like a GREAT Dad and Husband! Love your writing style too!
I think it happens to us all… especially once we have kids! ABH
Thanks for the compliments!! I always had a bit of a grump streak in me but since having kids I have been completely going off the rails!! LOL!
I’m definitely grumpier now as a mom than I ever was before. I think everything just takes on a new level of importance when we grow our responsibilities. Grumpy on!
Stopping by from SASS, and glad to be introduced to you 🙂
http://www.raisingmyboys.net/2012/02/dont-forget-to-look-after-you.html
#1 don’t let summit energy anywhere NEAR you house, get them off your property as fast as possible, and it it GREAT that you warned your neibours.
#2 you are not the grumpy neighbour until you are the old man who yells at the kids to stop running in his grass!
Thanks Kate, that’s a great way to look at it! I’m definitely not the guy who yells at kids. If anything, I want more kids to come over so I can stay on my own property with my kids, lol. I guess that makes me the grumpy, lazy neighbour??
Thanks for participating in SASS, hope to see you again next week
You betcha!
Hey, I’d love to have you as a neighbor! There is something to be said for us grumps. You should hold your head up high, and be *proud* to be a grump 🙂 SASS
Thanks! I’m starting to come around to the idea:))
Great post! This has absolutely happened to me…lots actually but one that sticks out is a time when we lived in a house and my neighbours were having some work done on the outside of their house. I was outside playing w/my DD and I could hear the workers swearing a lot line dropping the F-bomb so I marched over and asked them to watch their mouths as this was a family neighbourhood! 🙂 I think it’s more about protecting our loved ones! SASS
We’ve had a similar problem except that it was that they were blasting music at like 9AM. It wasn’t me but someone went and asked them to turn it down, lol. I’m not quite at that stage yet but the swearing would have got me over there.
I feel that everyone drives too fast! In fact I even drove faster before I had kids. Now I feel nothing is so important that I need to drive 5-10 mph faster! ABH
Especially on residential streets, young kids don’t understand the dangers and it only takes a second for them to bolt.
LOL you sound like my hubby. He also can’t help himself when he walks by a window. He has to take a look outside to see what’s going on. Having said that, we have to look out for each other and our families. SASS
Couldn’t agree more!
Sometimes I think I’m turning into a grumpy old woman! Honestly I think it’s great that you’re a neighbor that would call the city to complain about the trash. Someone should do it so if you want to, so I don’t have to that would be great! As long as you’re not calling to complain about me!
I am definitely not the guy who calls about other neighbours. We have one of those here too.
I think that as we get older we mature and realize that something as speeding in a residential area can cause serious dangers to the kids that playing in our street be it the yard or side walk. I have caught myself saying the same thing. We live in a quiet cul de sac so the kids (who are not kids anymore) at the end of the block have began driving and gotten their permits and sometimes I will catch them speeding up so I end up moving my hand up and down to let them know to slow down. So yes I am the grumpy neighbor. 🙂 and proud of it! lol
Feels kind of good to admit it, doesn’t it? LOL
Good for you! I think there’s a difference between being a grump for no reason and just not being pushed around.
Quite honestly, I’ve always found “grumpy neighbours” like yourself to be a huge benefit to any place I’ve lived. I always get along well with them.
(visiting from SASS)
Well I guess I should “Up” the grumpy then.
I don’t recall getting the warning of those guys coming house to house. ??? Thank goodness I could see them coming from my ‘keep an eye on the neighbourhood’ chair 😉
Love reading your blog! Great work!
I didn’t call because I was standing in the road watching them at your door 😉 And Thanks!
I don’t think your grumpy at all, I think this post shows that you are a very caring person. I would love to have a neighbor like you!
Thanks! You’re too kind!
I’ve never seen that yellow guy thingy before. Where’d you find him? – SASS
Here’s alink to one from Bed, Bath and Beyond but they are on amazon as well. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?sku=17334778&mc=1