Man Snaps At Helpful Neighbor, His Wife Needs Help The Next Morning But Gets A Refusal This Time
Private property is inviolable – it is one of the pillars on which modern society is based. The right to protect private property is totally sacred – it’s one of those hills to die on for everybody. But, as is often the case, any great idea backfires on those who misuse it.
This story, shared a few days ago on Reddit’s Malicious Compliance community, went viral and clearly shows how you can get backlash just for trying to do a good deed – as well as showing what instant karma is and how it works.
The author of the post lives in Ontario and always tries to help his neighbors with freezing windshield wipers on their cars
Image credits: noux2rs (not the actual image)
The man had been helping his neighbors for several years and they always responded to him the same way
Image credits: u/goodneighbor123
Several days ago a couple with two little kids moved to the neighboring house
Image credits: reinasmyth (not the actual image)
Image credits: u/goodneighbor123
That night the author lifted all the wipers up as the snowfall was coming, but hesitated a bit while standing in front of his new neighbors’ truck
Image credits: ASphotostudio (not the actual image)
Image credits: u/goodneighbor123
The owners of the car demanded the author got away from it so he did – and recalled this in the morning when the neighbor asked him to help with their frozen wipers
So, the Original Poster (OP) lives in Ontario, which means that in winter, he and his neighbors often have to deal with severe frosts and snowfall. As the author of the post says, there are five more houses on his street, and over the years in the neighborhood, their owners have developed a whole set of rules for mutual assistance. For example, when the OP left for his overnight shift at around 8-9 pm and saw that a snowstorm was coming, he would always lift the windshield wipers up on his wife’s car, and then quickly do the same to the neighbors’ cars.
The neighbors were only grateful for such help, and in the future, if the OP did not have time to pick up his wipers, they did the same with his car. This went on for a long time – until a couple with two children moved into one of the neighboring houses, and the OP got into an involuntary fight with the new neighbors, the reason for which was his helpfulness.
Yes, that’s right – one of the evenings when the OP was leaving for his next overnight shift and saw that it was starting to snow heavily, he walked around the neighbors’ cars, picking up their wipers. In front of the new neighbors’ truck, the man, however, hesitated a bit – after all, he had not yet talked to them about the neighborhood traditions, but he decided to provide this small but important help anyway.
And just at the moment when the author of the post was lifting the wipers up, a neighbor jumped out of the house and, not mincing words, began to swear at the OP, demanding that he immediately get away from the truck. The author of the post tried to explain what exactly he was doing and why, but this did not stop the flow of insults. When the neighbor’s wife ran out into the street and joined cursing at him, the OP wisely decided that the best solution in this situation was to simply leave.
He had to wait until the morning for the denouement – when the OP was returning home from work, he saw how the neighbor’s wife was desperately trying to tear the frozen wipers from the windshield, and the children were waiting in the car – obviously they were already late for school. The woman asked the OP to help her, but he was adamant, recalling that just a few hours ago he had literally sworn to her and her spouse not to touch their car again.
Image credits: ShintarTatsiana (not the actual image)
The original poster says that as he walked to his house, the neighbor shouted insults at his back. However, people in the comments did not share her indignation, arguing that asking a person to do something for which you insulted him just a few hours ago is, to put it mildly, unreasonable. “They’ll either solve the problem themselves or learn not to shout so much before getting the facts,” the commenters write.
Of course, some commenters admit that in the late evening, in the beginning of a snowstorm, having just moved to a new area, it is quite difficult to see what exactly some unknown dude is going to do with your car on the street, so the first sharp reaction from the owner of the truck is still justified. But then, when the OP explained what exactly he was doing, the neighbors had no excuses left. “She just found out what happens when you bite a helpful hand,” people in the comments state.
However, even when you are well acquainted with your neighbors, this does not guarantee at all that you will not have any conflicts. For example, you could just read this story of ours about a guy who briefly parked his car on a neighbors’ driveway while they were on vacation in a foreign country. Or maybe this post, which tells about an epic confrontation between the homeowner and the neighboring HOA. And besides, we would love to know what you personally think about this story.
People in the comments mainly sided with the author, claiming that his neighbors literally found out how karma works
We had a neighbor like OP. He was always looking out for other people and we'd often find small things he did to help us. One time he even sealed the end of our driveway because he had extra sealant left over. My husband took him to Vegas as a thank you before we moved away.
I appreciate the OP's malicious compliance. That Montreal couple didn't even back down when given a proper explanation. So, the wife had to scrape off the accumulated ice, and got no help. Karma is a b***h, right?
I would've laughed right at her face. This problem escalated because of their audacity. Let them solve it.
Load More Replies...What's the betting that he helps her, then she decides to find a scratch on the car and blame him?
It might take 10-15 minutes for the defroster to free those wipers. Unless dude had chemical de-icing spray there was nothing he could help with. It comes in a spray bottle and it’s part of your winter car kit
We live in a condo type apartment. We had an elderly neighbor we shoveled for and kept his car cleaned off. After he died a younger woman moved in. My husband now cleans off her car. He told her about lifting the wipers so she does now. During a big snowstorm I tried to help a different neighbor. She got plssy because I used our snowbroom on her car. No good deed goes unpunished.
So in my part of the North you never do this with your blades as it is better to have them frozen to your car the the wiper motor stripped from the winds flopping those things around. We always call led people who did that migrants from warm country. Do you guys not get the high winds with your cold?
Also I was under the apparently mistaken understanding that ALL Canadians are nice?!
New nasty neighbors are from Montreal? What a surprise haha. They are horrible.
That kind of attitude knows no borders. Could easily have been from Hamilton.
Load More Replies...Nope...Karma's a b***h, and she just found out how bad it can be...OP is NTA here; he's just (maliciously) complying with the neighbour's request. I would have laughed right at her stupid face as I was walking away. "Just doing what you asked, ma'am...keeping my hands off your s**t." By the way....NTA.
NTA. As an aside though, I've heard/read/been told several times that putting wipers up exposes stuff(circuitry, mechanics) that's not designed to be exposed to the elements, and that it's generally better to leave them(the wipers) down, stuck to the windshield or no. Doesn't excuse the neighbor's lack of apology, but may explain their reaction from another angle.
I would have said the same thing and walked back inside. You’re not gonna scream at me for helping and then ask me for help, doesn’t work that way. Karma. Treat people how you want to be treated.
They should apologise first for being overly assholic about neighborhood kindness, THEN they can ask for help.
You are absolutely the a**hole. Your nice gesture could have resulted in them needing to replace their wipers. I live in Montreal, and deal with the cold, snow, and ice, and I know how annoying it is when your wipers get stuck to your windshield, but for the love of god do not leave them up in the air. Not only does it now actually do much to help, but you could be damaging the gears and other components of the wiper from strong wind gusts which could in turn result in needing to replace the wipers, gears and everything, or the wiper blade itself should fly off and hurt someone, but also cause you now to go about your day (or to Canadian Tire) to replace the wiper blade. Lastly just because it was a nice gesture, doesn't mean others want that.
Don't touch my car, and I don't want my wipers up (new englander here - all it ever does is bend the wipers when it snows more than expected aka New England)
ESH. As someone from the UK, where I've never heard of anyone putting their wipers up, it seems reasonable to assume the neighbours hadn't either. With that possibility in mind, why not knock on their door and ask before touching their car? I'd have gone out and confronted them too. I definitely wouldn't have asked the same person for help in the morning though.
I'm aggravated on how she called him an AH for simply complying. Would have been good character on her if she realized why the comment was made and then apologized for the night prior but nope... He's the a*****e for not helping when I bet he'd "always help" and she's always being the a*****e with expecting others not to ever be.
My angel says to take the kids to school. On the other shoulder the devil wants me to tell her to put on the kettle.
I love Karma. Good for you, she got what she deserved, it takes a lot of nerve to act like that the night before, then expect you to run over and help in the morning, f**k that b***h. As for your wife, she needs to learn to not be a doormat.
I don’t think OP behaved inappropriately at all. His actions were very justified. NTA. And, I still would want to help her. I wouldn’t want one interaction to dictate my relationship with neighbors for the foreseeable future. Neighbors often stay neighbors for very long amounts of time. Maybe they were recently robbed or maybe there was some significant stressor leading them to behave like that. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure I get taken advantage of at times but I think I’m happier with my choices. You can’t control how they treat you but you can control how you treat them.
You are wrong on so many levels. As a Canadian, I don't need to turn the other cheek to be slapped again. Once was enough, thank you. Every neighbor explained and they wouldn't listen. Karma has happened.
Load More Replies...We had a neighbor like OP. He was always looking out for other people and we'd often find small things he did to help us. One time he even sealed the end of our driveway because he had extra sealant left over. My husband took him to Vegas as a thank you before we moved away.
I appreciate the OP's malicious compliance. That Montreal couple didn't even back down when given a proper explanation. So, the wife had to scrape off the accumulated ice, and got no help. Karma is a b***h, right?
I would've laughed right at her face. This problem escalated because of their audacity. Let them solve it.
Load More Replies...What's the betting that he helps her, then she decides to find a scratch on the car and blame him?
It might take 10-15 minutes for the defroster to free those wipers. Unless dude had chemical de-icing spray there was nothing he could help with. It comes in a spray bottle and it’s part of your winter car kit
We live in a condo type apartment. We had an elderly neighbor we shoveled for and kept his car cleaned off. After he died a younger woman moved in. My husband now cleans off her car. He told her about lifting the wipers so she does now. During a big snowstorm I tried to help a different neighbor. She got plssy because I used our snowbroom on her car. No good deed goes unpunished.
So in my part of the North you never do this with your blades as it is better to have them frozen to your car the the wiper motor stripped from the winds flopping those things around. We always call led people who did that migrants from warm country. Do you guys not get the high winds with your cold?
Also I was under the apparently mistaken understanding that ALL Canadians are nice?!
New nasty neighbors are from Montreal? What a surprise haha. They are horrible.
That kind of attitude knows no borders. Could easily have been from Hamilton.
Load More Replies...Nope...Karma's a b***h, and she just found out how bad it can be...OP is NTA here; he's just (maliciously) complying with the neighbour's request. I would have laughed right at her stupid face as I was walking away. "Just doing what you asked, ma'am...keeping my hands off your s**t." By the way....NTA.
NTA. As an aside though, I've heard/read/been told several times that putting wipers up exposes stuff(circuitry, mechanics) that's not designed to be exposed to the elements, and that it's generally better to leave them(the wipers) down, stuck to the windshield or no. Doesn't excuse the neighbor's lack of apology, but may explain their reaction from another angle.
I would have said the same thing and walked back inside. You’re not gonna scream at me for helping and then ask me for help, doesn’t work that way. Karma. Treat people how you want to be treated.
They should apologise first for being overly assholic about neighborhood kindness, THEN they can ask for help.
You are absolutely the a**hole. Your nice gesture could have resulted in them needing to replace their wipers. I live in Montreal, and deal with the cold, snow, and ice, and I know how annoying it is when your wipers get stuck to your windshield, but for the love of god do not leave them up in the air. Not only does it now actually do much to help, but you could be damaging the gears and other components of the wiper from strong wind gusts which could in turn result in needing to replace the wipers, gears and everything, or the wiper blade itself should fly off and hurt someone, but also cause you now to go about your day (or to Canadian Tire) to replace the wiper blade. Lastly just because it was a nice gesture, doesn't mean others want that.
Don't touch my car, and I don't want my wipers up (new englander here - all it ever does is bend the wipers when it snows more than expected aka New England)
ESH. As someone from the UK, where I've never heard of anyone putting their wipers up, it seems reasonable to assume the neighbours hadn't either. With that possibility in mind, why not knock on their door and ask before touching their car? I'd have gone out and confronted them too. I definitely wouldn't have asked the same person for help in the morning though.
I'm aggravated on how she called him an AH for simply complying. Would have been good character on her if she realized why the comment was made and then apologized for the night prior but nope... He's the a*****e for not helping when I bet he'd "always help" and she's always being the a*****e with expecting others not to ever be.
My angel says to take the kids to school. On the other shoulder the devil wants me to tell her to put on the kettle.
I love Karma. Good for you, she got what she deserved, it takes a lot of nerve to act like that the night before, then expect you to run over and help in the morning, f**k that b***h. As for your wife, she needs to learn to not be a doormat.
I don’t think OP behaved inappropriately at all. His actions were very justified. NTA. And, I still would want to help her. I wouldn’t want one interaction to dictate my relationship with neighbors for the foreseeable future. Neighbors often stay neighbors for very long amounts of time. Maybe they were recently robbed or maybe there was some significant stressor leading them to behave like that. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure I get taken advantage of at times but I think I’m happier with my choices. You can’t control how they treat you but you can control how you treat them.
You are wrong on so many levels. As a Canadian, I don't need to turn the other cheek to be slapped again. Once was enough, thank you. Every neighbor explained and they wouldn't listen. Karma has happened.
Load More Replies...
116
45