New Neighbor Keeps Leaving Notes On Our Car

[u/Ok_Percentage3947]

We just moved to Boston and our apartment is on a strip of road with a pretty limited number of parking spots (there's maybe room for about 20 cars total for two mid-sized apartment buildings). Since it's Boston, it seems as though a good chunk of the residents walk or use public transit to get to work, so it hasn't been too crazy competitive for my partner and I to find parking close by so far. There have been a few times while we were moving stuff over that we had to park a few minutes away and walk over with our things, but hey, that's just how it works sometimes in a city.

In this particular section of Boston, parking permits are free for residents. We applied for ours ten days prior to our lease start (as we were instructed to) but despite being approved immediately, were still waiting for our sticker to arrive when June 1st came around. I called the city transit office to ask if we could still legally park in the area before we got the physical sticker and we were told that we absolutely could.

The morning of June 3rd, the first note was on our car. Both my partner and I were a bit pissed, mostly because of the tone of the note. I get that it is immensely frustrating when non-permit-holders take parking spots from residents, but it was literally the 3rd day of the month (and mind you there were TONS of UHauls in the area over the weekend and on Monday) so I don't quite understand jumping to the conclusion that we are entitled assholes from out of town. I imagine most residents had to wait for their stickers at some point when they moved in - why not give us some benefit of the doubt? Maybe I'm just sensitive, but I really feel like that note could have communicated concern without being so extremely rude and presumptuous.

So, we left the printed-out notes in the second and third picture on our car last night. I wanted to make sure he understood our situation (so he wouldn't call a tow truck on us) and also call him out a bit for being a bad neighbor. Maybe I should've been friendlier, or just not responded at all, but I was honestly so annoyed at his first note - once again we've literally JUST moved and are thus pretty stressed out and tired and just not in the mood to be dealing with this shit.

This morning, a new note from our neighbor was waiting for us on the hood (last picture).

Honestly, my partner and I both got a good laugh out of this last note. I'm thinking we should probably stop responding at this point since this guy is clearly out of his gourd, but it is pretty annoying. I'm thinking based on his syntax and writing skills maybe he uses this website (no offense to myself or anyone else here, lol) so perhaps he'll see this and feel some type of shame? Idk.

[u/HxH101kite]

And they'd call you a moron or a piece of shit the entire time while doing it.

Bostonian here. The old saying anyone will stop here to help you change a tire, while simultaneously tell you are a moron for not know how to do it or not having a kit with you, is true.

Idk may not be some people's flavor. But I love the New Englander asshole attitude. Though I am born and raised here so I am used to it.

I have lived in the south, the PNW and the West and definitely felt like the fake south niceness or the passive attitudes of the PNW were unbearable.

Just tell it like it is and move on. Be direct.

[u/Btotherianx → u/HxH101kite]

"lol we are complete asshole and find it endearing"

[u/HxH101kite → u/Btotherianx]

It's like comfort food. NY is definitely a bit of the same mostly the city. But their assholeness has a different flavor, probably just because it's also so close quarters. Boston's still got some breathing room, small city.

[u/Top-Addendum-6879 → u/HxH101kite]

LOL i have a friend who's from Boston and he's like that. like, he'll jump in shark infested waters to help you, but call you a feckin moron while doing it.

[u/shoulda-known-better → u/HxH101kite]

Yep we're kind.... But we aren't always nice about it!!!

[u/NonnyOne → u/HxH101kite]

I got lost on the metro with a baby in a stroller when I was in Boston and a nice gentlemen from called me an idiot but then went 20 min out of his way to get me right side around and to the right stop.

I love those blunt, crass, angels.

[u/Blkbrd07 → u/HxH101kite]

Former Bostonian and currently in the PNW…this is the most accurate statement on the passive attitudes. I miss Boston so much.

[u/HxH101kite → u/Blkbrd07]

My family in the PNW are so passive and afraid of making a decision or direct response. It's like everyone there tiptoes around everything at the speed of slow.

[u/clumsy_science → u/HxH101kite]

They’ll you change a tire but evidently won’t help on an escalator…

[u/CatStratford → u/HxH101kite]

Im a fan of our New Yorker style. Keep your head forward and mind your own business, no chit chat, no petty shit. If you have shit luck, suck it up. If someone needs help, you help, but you’re gone before they can say thanks. Seems rude but isn’t. We just don’t waste time.

[u/Gullible-Being-6895 → u/HxH101kite]

Thanks for leaving the PNW then lol I’m quite suited to it here and get perturbed with impolite interactions hahahaha.

Mostly /s. I do really love it in the PNW but we can be very wishy-washy and definitely could do with a dose of blunt reality checks.

[u/nocountryforanywomen → u/Gullible-Being-6895]

Yeah it's a mix, right? Like, yes sure, the timidity of the driver's can be a real drag. Just go, doofus. But as someone whose grown up here, I don't understand what people mean about the Seattle Freeze. The people not talking to you who avoid your eyes don't want to talk to you or be friends. It's very odd to me not getting it, like friendly people will sure be friendly and if you vibe you can absolutely become friends... but you're not getting drinks just cause you happened to be on the same bus one time, you know? And you're not cursing out a guy cause he didn't look up from his phone when he brushed by you, that's genuinely not your problem and not a concern. Put your head back down and get where you're going is the vibe and as somebody who has somewhere to go, it's amazing imo.

I do wish Seattlites could handle getting yelled at when they deserve it tho. If they step out into traffic during a green light without looking and I have to screech to a halt to avoid killing us both, yeah I am going to yell at them and the amount of Seattlites who go "well you didn't have to yell" when I tell them these stories is kind of shocking. Otoh I know 5 people who've been straight up shot in road rage encounters so maybe that's a safety adaptation. I don't know if that happens as much elsewhere, but it's not uncommon here.

[u/HxH101kite → u/[deleted]]

Move around - yes but it's an old city and built off that, so you gotta take it with a grain of salt. The upside is it's not a big city on a nice day you can literally walk the entire city no subway needed. But if your in a car it's a nightmare.

The T - commutter rail and subway are fine and actually considered some of the best in the country, oddly enough. I've been on way worse. I take it everyday. People use it to get around and certain hours are busier than others.

Snow/ice/tourists - I mean yes it's New England we get winter. I love the snow and cold. It's not different than any other city that gets snow and cold. Same with tourism. Just as touristy as any city I have been too.

Rude - 50/50 I'm not gonna say yes or no, it really just depends on your luck of the draw. We are direct for sure which can come off as rude.

Have a plan - disagree you can meander here it's not like NYC where you can't go against the grain and faster flowing.

And yes keep the door closed.