In our community, parking is an issue. There are never enough parking spots to accommodate everyone. Everyone is supposed to park at least one car in their garage, but not all do, which results in an even greater shortage of parking spots. It has become such a problem that the Board is proposing a paid parking solution — 1st permit would be $30, 2nd one $150, and a 3rd would be $300. We have one neighbor who has 3 cars and not a one of them gets parked in his garage, so needless to say, most everyone feels he’s not very neighborly.
So last night, I got William in bed for the night, it’s been hot here, so I left his window open. Lately he’s had trouble transitioning from the first light sleep cycle into the next deeper sleep cycle, so he wakes 40 minutes after he goes to sleep, crying his head off. Tony will go in and pat his butt and rub his back, and William will go back to sleep. It takes about 10 minutes, but Tony likes to wait longer to make sure he’s really out.
And THEN last night… dun dun dunnnn… I heard a super loud car stereo. It was so loud I figured it must be in the cul-de-sac behind our townhome, because I was at my desk at the rear of our home and I could hear it clear as day with the windows shut. I think nothing more of it until I go upstairs to tell Tony that William is asleep, which I could see on the video monitor better than he could in a darkened bedroom.
I looked out the front window and saw that one of That Neighbor’s cars was parked RIGHT UNDER William’s window, in the red zone, with its door open, radio going full blast. I was stunned to realize that the stereo I heard wasn’t in the rear of house at all, it was in the front! Instead of driving two houses down to his own place, he parked illegally in front of ours! Idiot. He was out of his car digging in the trunk of one of his other cars, which was (of course) parked in guest parking in front of our home.
I went from calm to white hot livid, and I marched out there, in my pajamas and told him to move his car RIGHT NOW, that my baby is asleep in the room right above his car. He said he would, but then kept digging in his trunk. I stood there and glared at him, hands on hips, determined that I wasn’t going to move until he moved his car. His loud, radio blaring, obnoxious car.
He got the point and quit diddling around, went and turned his radio off and moved his car down to the next neighbor’s garage, still parked in the red zone, but at least not under William’s room.
Sometimes it would be easier, I think, to live in the country and just park on the lawn.
Fortunately, William didn’t wake up again, but, man! Weirdly, Tony said he couldn’t hear the stereo (not even the bass that sounded like an earthquake) over all the white noise in William’s room, which is just weird to me. But, whatever. I made my point. In my jammies.
Harumph.
Jammie J's Quest 
For a condo neighborhood, we actually have quite a few guest spots, but they’re always full now… people keep using their garages as storage and it irritates the crap out of me!
People can be so rude… At least he moved, but WHY DOESN’T HE PARK IN HIS GARAGE! I mean, sure, he probably didn’t know you had a baby sleeping right there, but he still shouldn’t have been parked there! Plus with his music! I mean, come ON… Common courtesy… Keep your music down in neighborhoods!
People are such jerks!
People ARE such jerks. I just hate that I have to tell people to do what they’re supposed to, like NOT PARK IN THE RED ZONE in front of my garage. Idiots. As far as his garage goes, you know, if Tony and I can manage to park BOTH of our cars in our garage, then that tells you there’s something to be said for creative storage, like shelving on the sides and above. The garages are NOT that small.
I recall a similar situation where my next door neighbor at the time decided 10:30 pm was the best time for him and his friends to be reving their Harleys for 15 minutes before going whereever the heck they were going. I love the way you handled it. Nothing scarier than a mama with her hands on her hips protecting her kid.
Oh, those Harley’s would not work for me at all! Last night I chased off a tow truck driver. I don’t know what the deal is with people parking in front of our house this week! Now I just have to figure out how to control the air space over our home. Damn helicopters! Hmmmm.
It seems to me that people are more and more selfish and care only about what threy want or need. What has happened to our society?
Your neighbor sounds as if he isn’t even aware of how completely self involved he is…! I don’t envy you, my dear…..
This is so true. So, so true.
Sweetie is the new neighborhood watch, but just in front of our house, hehehe, xoxoxoxo, good job sweetie, love you sooooo much
Now I just need to figure out how to get rid of those dratted helicopters! Haha
i hear ya sis-tah … been there a time or two in my housecoat … hair flying … glad your neighbour got the point …
People have to respect the sleeping baby!