One word
Landmines 
Another idea: After he mows, go out in the middle of the night and spray herbicide over your whole lawn. When it dies and turns brown within twelve hours, you can go ask him, “Did you mow it again? 'Cause I’m using this special treatment on this special grass, and you’re not supposed to cut it that short. See what happens? …No, no, I’m not mad, you didn’t know any better, I appreciate what you were trying to do, but…” and sigh sadly.
The best thing about this is that there’s no downside. If your lawn stays dead, you don’t have to worry about it again. Or he might bring a tiller and replace the whole damn thing himself.
Nothing like manipulative passive-aggressiveness to get your neighbors to do what you want them to do…
Ahhh, if I had a dime everytime a neighbor said that, and then called the cops…
:: pretends this is one of Blackclaw’s threads ::
:: further pretends that she can drive ::
:: turns her imaginary car around in Blackclaw’s imaginary thread ::
Geeze LordVor, are you gonna let her get away with marking up your thread like that?
If this had been my thread, I’d have shaken my cane vigorously in her direction I tell you what.
Sorry LordVor.
I was just trying to be neighborly.
I suppose I will just have to plant all those flowers in my own yard now.
And they would have looks so nice too right under that window in the front next to the porch.
No. I spoke to him cordially, but firmly, and then…
His demon-spouse winds up prowling around in my yard.
Hmmm. Maybe polite yet firm doesn’t work with everyone.
The current crop of neighbors is much better. I hardly ever see one of them, and the other brings me home-grown produce and pumpkin cake (I bring her plants). No lawn rangers in the bunch.
Lord, you don’t live in Ohio, do you? My brother-in-law lives in a newer development and he recently mowed his entire street. The reason? Actually there are 2. HIS excuse was that his cranky 1 year old daughter had finally fallen asleep in the kangaroo pouch he had her in. She was so cranky that he couldn’t just stop mowing for fear she would wake up. So he kept right on going.
The real reason, I suspect, is that he bought a new 42" mower and wanted to show it off. You know how men are with their power tools.
I thought it was a bit nervy of him to mow his neighbors’ yards without their permission but he does things like this with the thought that HE wouldn’t mind if his neighbors mowed his lawn. In fact, he’d show up with a beer and hand the dude some hedge clippers.
My advice: Tell him thanks for the sentiment, and then ask him to bypass your lawn in the future. I mean, you don’t want to start a neighborly feud by stopping him.
Blackclaw, I think this stopped being my thread a few dozen posts ago. Besides, you should be happy she isn’t doing it to one of YOUR threads.
Kricket here’s the part where, if I wasn’t happily married and probably living in another state, where I would say “No worries. How about I come over later and mow your lawn?”
And ** PunditLisa**, please, no need to be so formal. “Vor” will do, or, if you must, milord would do nicely. And no, I don’t live in Ohio. And I’d be more willing to buy the “he’s just trying to be nice” line if he had kept going and did the whole block. (Especially since the lawn on the other side of my house is in MUCH worse shape than mine.)
Anyways, how about a nice note saying “If there is a disagreement on how long a lawn should be allowed to grow to, may I respectfully suggest that you shouldn’t solve it by cutting my lawn?”
-lv
We’ll shovel the neighbor’s sidewalks or rake their leaves if we’re out taking care of our yard. It was never a judgement on their care of the yard. It was more like, she’s a single woman, bet she just can’t get around to it. Won’t she be pleased when she comes home and can take that job off her list. Note to self: ask neighbor if it pisses her off. I’m glad you’re giving the guy the benefit of the doubt.
I shit you not. My neighbor just mowed my yard today. He knew I have to borrow a mower from my dad, which requires borrowing a truck and trailer to haul it from the other side of tow, and I guess since he was mowing his, he just kept going.
I think I’ll bake a batch of brownies.
Maybe NDN/Bob/Whoever is only a hologram (sp ?) and not really a person at all. The lawnmower is one of those ‘sensing’ kind which can detect the edge of the lawn and you had no dividing planter/flowerbed/cement/whatever, and the mower just mowed and mowed and mowed until it was all done.
[sub]well, it could be :rolleyes:[/sub]
Hmmm, I thought I was a lot more cynical than this, but I think he was doing something nice.
I have recently entered the life of suburbia, and for the first time since I left my parent’s house 15 years ago, I have a lawn. I’m not wild about mowing the lawn, it’s pretty hard work (although I adore the smell of fresh cut grass).
A couple of weeks ago, I had finished mowing my lawn and noticed that my neighbor’s lawn was much higher than usual. They are an older couple (60s?) and have a normally immaculate lawn.
As I rested my still slightly thrumming hands on the lawnmower handle, I seriously thought about mowing their front lawn for them as a nice gesture. Since mowing the lawn isn’t one of my favorite things, I thought, “who wouldn’t like to come home to see a neatly mowed lawn as a treat?” I know I would!
I didn’t do it for many of the reasons listed…would they think I thought they were too lazy to mow? What if my neophyte lawn mowing ability wasn’t up to their standards?
Still, I find it hard to believe that the majority of the posts on this thread were so hostile over what was possibly a friendly, neighborly gesture.
Because having a nice lawn compliments the house and makes for a nicer looking neighborhood. I also like to keep the house looking nice for similiar reasons. Not only does this keep the neighborhood pleasing to the eye but it helps maintain the property values better then letting everything go to pot.
Are you one of those slobs who doesn’t think it matters how his lawn or house looks?
Marc