Neighbors pissed me off.

[rondog]

When I have to get my blower out I'll usually do the sidewalks and driveways for two houses either side of me. If I see someone else nearby killing himself shoveling, I'll go help. But nobody better expect me to do theirs just because I have a snowblower, especially neighbors who could well afford to buy their own but instead choose not to. You own two brand new vehicles, your wife doesn't work, you only have one kid, and you have a housecleaning service every month? Get your shovel out, yuppie.

[ray1970]

Maybe your wife is just a bad ass and had your place done before any of the neighbors could get dug out to come help her.

[Madeinhb]

More than likely it had to do with this particular snow. Wet and heavy. They probably did their house and said well I'm not killing myself. I would stop assisting for a little and see if they say anything

[Lars]

Maybe your wife is just a bad ass and had your place done before any of the neighbors could get dug out to come help her.

My wife is pretty amazing, taking care of everything when I'm gone, but she didn't get the drive shoveled until late in the evening.

[ColoradoTJ]

I know you may feel entitled that someone should do your driveway when you are gone since when you are here in town you take it upon yourself to do everyone's driveway. It may be unsolicited help that you are giving. I don't want anyone shoveling my driveway...ever. If I get to the point that I am unable to shovel my own driveway, a snow removal service will be employed.

From what I have read in this thread, sounds like your neighbors are pretty great....mow your lawn while you are away for 3 months and when you get back so you can spend time with the family. That is pretty full of awesomeness. Let this one roll off your back, it sucks that your wife had to shovel the driveway this one time. No reason to get upset. Maybe disappointed, but not worth making good neighbors into really shitty ones.

[roberth]

I have neighbors like that, you do something for them and then it is expected...every single day.

I stopped doing stuff for them immediately after they started expecting it and I haven't done anything for them since.

[ray1970]

I know you may feel entitled that someone should do your driveway when you are gone since when you are here in town you take it upon yourself to do everyone's driveway. It may be unsolicited help that you are giving. I don't want anyone shoveling my driveway...ever. If I get to the point that I am unable to shovel my own driveway, a snow removal service will be employed.

From what I have read in this thread, sounds like your neighbors are pretty great....mow your lawn while you are away for 3 months and when you get back so you can spend time with the family. That is pretty full of awesomeness. Let this one roll off your back, it sucks that your wife had to shovel the driveway this one time. No reason to get upset. Maybe disappointed, but not worth making good neighbors into really shitty ones.

Agreed.

[Jefe's AR]

When I have to get my blower out I'll usually do the sidewalks and driveways for two houses either side of me. If I see someone else nearby killing himself shoveling, I'll go help. But nobody better expect me to do theirs just because I have a snowblower, especially neighbors who could well afford to buy their own but instead choose not to. You own two brand new vehicles, your wife doesn't work, you only have one kid, and you have a housecleaning service every month? Get your shovel out, yuppie.

This times a million. Especially the neighbor lady who used to run out while I was blowing and try and hire me. I'd always do it for free even though she and her husband are perfectly capable of shoveling their South facing, two car driveway. She quit asking when she came over once and did the same ol', same ol'. Knowing full well I wouldn't take her gas money. I gave her some attitude about needing to finish what I was doing then finished her driveway. She has never asked again. Guess she didn't like the attitude. I generally do all the sidewalks on my side of the block. And since I live on the corner, I do my side and continue down that side of the block. Half is my responsibility and half is the HOA. If I don't hit that side before the landscapers come, they will do my half and sometimes turn the corner and do part of my front sidewalk.

I also used to do my neighbors driveway but a similar instance happened to me. Went to Florida for Christmas one year and it had snowed fairy well while we were gone. 2011 IIRC. When we got home the neighbor had done theirs but they didn't even clear the sidewalk, let alone the driveway. I never did their driveway again. New neighbors moved in and I did the same thing. Same result.

I don't want tit for tat. Just some kind of reciprocation.

I keep telling my wife when it comes to neighbors; Friendly, not friends.

[clodhopper]

Might have been a miscommunication, one neighbor thought another was going to do it and they all left for work. I wouldn't get too bent about it.

There are very different levels of appreciation these days. My back is still sore from shoveling drives with my two sons. We have very specific people we assist, the elderly couples, single women and a couple others that show appreciation. Spent the morning shoveling and by the afternoon, we had plates and plates of cookies and thank you cards with cash for the boys. I think each of my sons ended up with about $80 bucks for the morning. The boys have learned that snow days are money days and get up early. They also know they can earn more if they don't ask for compensation, just shovel and wait (the neighbors all know my boys). It might be a gamble and sometimes a driveway is shoveled and nothing is gained from it, but overall, appreciative people are very generous. Those that regularly don't respond fall off the shovel list. I normally don't help them, it is their thing, but that snow was heavy this time and I was home anyway as the office had no power.

Then there are the in-between houses we walk past when we know they have lazy teenagers living there or are otherwise able to take care of themselves but would rather wait for someone else to do it and never thank them. My wife keeps the "banned from assistance" list in her head and she is pretty ruthless about it, makes me chuckle. Walking back home after, we passed one house where the mom was out shoveling by herself. She initiated conversation (fishing for help) and I asked why she was out there by herself. She said her husband was at work. I then asked where her 19 yo son was, and she didn't have a good answer for that. "Well, good luck" and kept walking. She did a shovel wide strip in front of the garage door and went back in.

[ray1970]

It's been mentioned here already but I just wanted to chime in.

If you're going around clearing your neighbor's property just to be a nice guy and a good neighbor, that's fine.

If you're doing it without ever being asked to do it and then expecting some kind of repayment for your services, then that's actually pretty uncool on your part.




Anyhow, hope that wife or yours wasn't too tired from all of that shoveling to have "relations" with you.