Everyone has neighbors, and everyone has one neighbor who stands out from the rest. They might be good, they might be bad, or they just might be odd. Here people share their stories of having to live near one of those neighbors. The ones who, for better or worse, make every day a day to remember and give everyone in the neighborhood something to talk about.
1. Neat Freak
One neighbor down the road had a habit of vacuuming his driveway every single day. And oh, he loved flaunting how spotless his vacuum attachments were. There was this one neighbor beside him he wasn't fond of, so come winter, he'd create a wall of snow between their houses whenever it snowed. He'd keep shoveling snow into a huge pile just to avoid seeing them. But that was just the start of his crazy.
He had a disdain for snow in his yard— and his way of dealing with it was truly bizarre. He'd shovel his snow into trash bags, then stash it all in his backyard.
2. Peacock Problems
Growing up in a suburban neighborhood, there was this one family with a decent-sized plot and a few peacocks. Maybe they had chickens too, but peacocks were the main attraction. None of the other families had any livestock. I don't know if wild peacocks are common elsewhere, but they certainly weren't around here. One day, I spotted a peacock strutting in front of my house, so I rang up the kid from that family and said, "Hey, let your dad know one of his peacocks is out." His response was astonishing.
He called me back about 10 minutes later, saying, "Dad says it's not one of his." So whose peacock was it?
3. Speed Demon
There was this woman living down the street from us whom everyone casually referred to as "the crazy lady." The speed limit on our road was 30 mph, but if you dared go above 23 mph, she'd dart out into the street, yelling at you to slow down. It seemed like she was always on the lookout, no matter what time of day. She once approached my friends’ parents, criticizing their child's driving, even when no laws were broken, suggesting they should lose their driving privileges.
She'd go to the extent of following you home, just to scold you. She frequently called the authotiries, asking them to set up radar or those digital speed signs in our neighborhood. It almost became a sport - how swiftly could you zoom past her house? I used to trigger the speed sign alarm using my remote-controlled cars, my bicycle, anything but an actual car, just to get under her skin. Others would honk their horns or wave as they sped by, just to irk her a little more.
4. What A Conehead!
In my old neighborhood, there was this guy who lived at the corner of my street. He worked in construction but seemed to be out of work for most of the year, around 11 months. During those times, he'd put these large, bright orange cones right in the middle of the road so his daughter could enjoy her bike rides. Then, he'd hang out at the end of his driveway, giving a mean stare to anyone who drove by.
But that wasn't even the most annoying part. The worst was that he always had this smug expression when he caught you driving slowly, almost like he was trying to intimidate you. It wasn't just because the road had a sharp bend; it was also because there was a six-year-old kid on a bike nearby, and trying to maneuver around those huge cones he'd placed in the street was a real challenge. That guy was really unpleasant.
5. Time To Bury The Shovel
In my parents' neighborhood, there was a neighbor who had a knack for alienating everyone around him and had a strong dislike for dogs. Strangely, he specifically targeted my mom and dad because they would take their little dogs for walks around the block, which inevitably led them past his house. Whenever he spotted them, he would rush out of his house and start hurling curses their way.
He'd angrily tell them not to let their dogs set foot on his lawn. My dad tried reasoning with him, explaining that if the dogs peed, it was just on the grassy strip by the curb, and he always cleaned up after them. But this guy was relentless. He would blow up over the smallest things. The situation reached its breaking point a few years ago when my dad was walking our old dog, a fluffy white Shih Tzu, and our other friendly puppy.
The puppy paused to relieve itself in the yard adjacent to this guy's, and somehow, he heard or noticed this minor infraction from his garage. He charged down with a shovel in hand, threatening to "beat the dogs severely if they ever came near his property again." It really rattled my dad, and my mom decided to contact the authorities to discuss how this neighbor had been systematically harassing them for no apparent reason.
My dad, being the kind soul that he is, managed to persuade the officer not to pay a visit to this neighbor's house because he wanted to avoid further conflicts. So I had to take matters into my own hands. Whenever I house-sat for them and took the dogs for a walk around the block, I made a point of lingering on this neighbor's lawn, showing my disdain by spitting on his driveway and allowing the dogs to do their business wherever they pleased.
Once, he was outside, observing me as I walked my dogs past his property. I locked eyes with him and asked if he wanted to come down and have a conversation with me, even though I'm much larger than my dad. In addition to that, I used to train in boxing and powerlifting six days a week. I have no qualms about intimidating people, especially spineless individuals who threaten a pair of 13-pound dogs and a nearly 70-year-old man. Strangely, he chose not to respond and simply went back inside without uttering a word to me.
6. Karaoke Kooks
Our neighbors had two daughters who loved belting out Taylor Swift tunes in their backyard. I mean, they did it pretty much every single day. Some days, it got downright obnoxious. On school nights, they'd start their little concerts before dinner, but the weekends, oh boy, that was when it was at its peak. They even had a karaoke machine.
7. City Hall Staredown
I used to live in this small town where a lot of folks biked to work, including me. I worked over at City Hall, and every morning as I pedaled to work, there was this older guy in a big blue jacket and even bigger hair, puffing away in the bike parking area. He had this weird habit of just standing there, watching people as they went into City Hall. And what's more, when he spotted me, he'd start heading my way.
That's when the race began: me trying to lock up my bike and make a getaway before he could get to me. One day, I dropped my bike key and ended up spending a few extra seconds fumbling around on the ground. That gave him enough time to reach my bike, and he stood there, just a foot away, staring without saying a word.
It gave me the creeps, so I hustled inside the building. He stayed there, fixated on my bike, for a good 10 minutes. His attire was pretty distinctive: that big blue jacket, jeans, and pink crocs. He showed up at the building's parking lot every morning, rain or shine. Sometimes I'd spot him cruising around town on a scooter. I always wanted to ask my coworkers about him, but I never heard anyone mention him.
8. This Situation Is Not Coming Up Roses
We lived in a pretty quiet neighborhood for nearly 25 years. Most of the folks around were in their late 50s or older, and no one had moved away except for the elderly couple next door. Sadly, they got buried in debt, and the bank had to foreclose on their house. Eventually, it was sold to a seemingly friendly older couple who moved in from the countryside after their floral business hit rock bottom.
After months of them working on the house at odd times, they finally settled in, and we started noticing some odd stuff. First, my mom went into our backyard and noticed that all the plants in our garden, which bordered the property line between our houses, had those little wire twist ties around their stems. We figured he was just being a good neighbor and helping out with our plants since he was a florist.
Then, he kept wandering into our backyard through the gate, which connects our properties, and he'd leave the gate open. My parents weren't thrilled about it because it was a security risk, and there was no reason for him to be back there. They asked him to close the gate if he used it, hoping he'd take the hint that he was on our property. But, things took a different turn.
Instead of being understanding, he got confrontational and claimed that six inches of the fence connected to the gate belonged to him, so we had no say in what happened to something attached to his property. He even went to the extent of spray-painting "his part" of the chain-link fence orange.
Lastly, we glanced out from our kitchen window into the backyard and spotted a new lock on our shed with a bright red band around it. This shed was ten feet from his property line and filled with our old stuff – extra swings from the swing set, toy sprinklers, an old Weber grill, you name it. Although we mostly used it for storage, there was no doubt it belonged to us.
My dad grabbed some bolt cutters and unlocked it, only to find something absolutely bizarre. Inside were ten boxes filled with old mail this guy had been hoarding. It wasn't even in envelopes; it was just a pile of ads, phone books, and newspapers still wrapped in those little plastic bags. We dumped all of it on the guy's porch with a note telling him to stay off our property or we'd call the cops. Then, we put a heavy-duty lock on the shed.
About two hours later, the police showed up at our door because he had called them, claiming we were tampering with his mail. We explained what had happened, showed them the pictures we'd taken, and they told him to stay away from our disputed property until we could get a surveyor out. The surveyor came, confirmed that our property line was where we had said it was, but this guy's reaction was downright unsettling. He accused us of bribing the city and the surveyor and started vandalizing our home, throwing trash into our yard. In the end, he got slapped with a restraining order.
9. Un Bee-lievable
I used to live in a suburban neighborhood, and my neighbor happened to be a beekeeper. Because our backyard had a low fence, the bees were always buzzing around us. It's strange, but in Arizona, it seemed like we had the most vicious bees in the world.
One day, right before I went to feed my dogs, I noticed something unusual on the tiles in the backyard. There were tons of these random black dots scattered about. Curiosity got the best of me, so I headed outside to investigate, and what I found was pretty astonishing—thousands of lifeless bees strewn around.
I struck up a conversation with my neighbor about it, and he explained that half of his bee colony had perished. Apparently, another colony had stumbled upon his bees, and they ended up having a turf war right in my backyard. Imagine that, my backyard becoming the battleground for a massive bee showdown!
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10. It’s All A Ruse
I used to live on this peaceful suburban street, and overall, it was a pretty nice neighborhood. Not much mischief happening around there, mostly young families, and a local council that actually did its job. But, of course, there's always that one person, right? In this case, it was an older retiree, probably in his late sixties, living with his wife on the corner of our block.
Our street ended in a cul-de-sac, so you had to pass his house to get in or out. Initially, he'd rope you in with some friendly small talk as you strolled by, saying things like, "Your lawn's looking mighty green today," or something along those lines. But once you made eye contact and engaged in conversation, there was no escape.
He'd keep talking even after you'd said your goodbyes or mentioned you were running late. You'd literally have to start walking away while chatting, and only when you were out of earshot would the conversation finally end. A quick nod and smile became the safest greeting, and even that could be risky if you had somewhere to be within the hour.
But this was just the tip of the iceberg with this guy. For a while, I felt sorry for him, thinking he was just lonely or generally harmless. That turned out to be a mistake. Once he got comfortable with you, he'd try to "help" in various ways. This could range from taking your garbage bins out before they were even full to tapping on your window at the crack of dawn because the newspaper delivery person didn't place your paper in the mailbox.
There were even instances where we found him lurking in our backyard, claiming he was "inspecting the condition of our fencing," which wasn't exactly in top shape. Once, we caught him adding chlorine to our pool. We politely asked him not to enter our property when we weren't around, but he either didn't listen or conveniently forgot.
Now, here's where it got interesting. After you'd reached this level of neighborly "bond," the real fun began. Since you hadn't mustered the courage to stand up to his meddling, he saw you as an ally in his retiree turf wars. He'd ask you to sign petitions, like one to charge another retiree down the street for supposedly speeding on our tranquil suburban road.
Mind you, this gentleman was as nice as they come and never went over 40 km/h, let alone the speed limit. He'd inquire about your neighbors' activities and, if you refused, he'd get confrontational and accuse you of taking sides. I could tell you stories for hours about his antics, like the time I suspected he poisoned a family's trees because they were obstructing his view from the window.
11. Chair-man Of The Block
We had a fairly young neighbor move in a few months ago. He lived alone and wasn't particularly social, mostly keeping to himself. But he was a decent guy. Our neighborhood had a bit of a gang issue, with two groups of guys who would often roam around, shouting at each other and getting into fights. One night, around 2 AM, things escalated, and what happened next was unforgettable.
The commotion woke up the entire street, including me. I peered out my window just in time to witness our new neighbor storming out in his pajamas, shouting at the top of his lungs in Japanese. The guys who were fighting initially told him to mind his own business and went back to pushing each other around.
But then, the young guy went back into his house and emerged with a plastic chair. He fearlessly and without discrimination started whacking these guys with the chair. There must have been at least nine of them, and they were much bigger than our neighbor, who was around 5'6" or 5'7" at most. Remarkably, they couldn't lay a finger on him.
By the end of it, two of the larger guys managed to escape, but the others were left unconscious and bleeding on the sidewalk. It was like watching a real-life WWE match unfold right in front of us.
12. Nonstop Nuisance
I used to manage a triplex, and let me tell you, I've encountered all kinds of characters, but this one guy really took the cake. He was hands down the meanest, rudest, and most off-the-wall person I'd ever crossed paths with. If any of my tenants left a window on the ground floor open while cooking or watching TV, he'd march on over and start hollering through their open window, accusing them of being too noisy.
When I warned him that entering our property without permission was trespassing and that I'd press charges if he continued, he stayed on his side of the fence but just cranked up the volume, yelling in the general direction of whichever open window he could find. And mind you, these tenants weren't exactly making a ruckus. There was a decently long but only about 3-foot high fence dividing his property from the triplex.
But this guy didn't stop at just yelling. If I or the tenants did any yard work, or if I hired a crew to spruce up the place, he'd gather trash from his side of the fence and toss it onto our freshly groomed lawn, claiming that "we left it on his side," when we hadn't done anything of the sort. He'd even wait until they finished a section before flinging some garbage onto it.
And if the tenants just sat out on the back patio, he'd call the cops with noise complaints, even if there was no music playing, and they were just chilling. One time, the officers showed up, saying they'd received reports of a wild party with escorts present. They were eyeing one girl who lived there, who, honestly, was probably one of the most attractive people I'd ever met.
She burst into tears. Her boyfriend had to explain to them that she was a tenant and not an escort. The officers left without saying a word to the old guy. But as soon as their cruiser was out of sight, this guy came up to the fence. Then he said something so disturbing it still gives me the creeps. He told her, "If you didn't want the cops called, you shouldn't have dressed like that."
Then, he tried to pick a fight with the girl's boyfriend, who, by the way, teaches MMA and competes in tournaments. Towards the end of the summer, he even hired some random dude to chop down all the trees on our side of the fence. Not just the branches on his side, but the whole tree. Unfortunately, I had a professional reputation to uphold, and we lived in a relatively small city, so there wasn't much I could do about it.
13. Saved By The Stump
I'm pretty certain my husband is "that guy." We had this enormous, ugly tree stump sitting in our yard. He came up with a unique solution—he spray-painted a target on it and turned it into our designated ax-throwing tree. So, you'd often catch him out there tossing axes, knives, saw blades, and whatnot at that stump. To add to the picture, he's got red hair and a thing for kilts, which definitely got us some strange looks in our small town.
Meanwhile, our neighborhood was dealing with a spate of break-ins, but strangely, our property was left untouched. I suspect that his unusual activities might have deterred the kids responsible from coming anywhere near our yard.
14. Property Pigs
We had been in our house for a good 40 years when a couple moved into the house behind us during the housing boom. They paid a ridiculously high price for it. But when the housing market took a nosedive, they started blaming the neighborhood for their house losing value. The rest of us had been living here for over two decades, and we always helped each other out with yard work and home projects.
However, over the span of two years, this new couple started causing trouble. They began placing wooden stakes on our property randomly, trying to claim it as their own. They even attempted to cut down the lilac bushes we had planted and chopped down trees on their property that ended up causing flooding on ours. To make matters worse, they put up a fence between their property and another neighbor's, claiming the neighbor's car was an eyesore.
Then things took a creepy turn. We caught one of them sneaking through our yard at night, measuring things. At that point, I knew it was time to take action. We reached out to the authorities and the town council. They wasted no time in telling this couple to stay off our property for good. I decided to spend $700 to bring in a surveyor the next day to officially map out our property boundaries. To our advantage, we gained an extra six feet of land, and the surveyor reported their illegal fence, resulting in fines for them. That $700 was the best money I've ever spent.
15. The Apartment Downstairs
My husband, our toddler, and I decided to visit some friends down the road on Christmas Eve. We returned home pretty late. As we approached our building, we were in for a shock. The glass door that led into our complex was shattered, with quite a bit of blood on the frame and a trail of it leading to one of the downstairs apartments.
We called the police, and while we waited, the woman from that apartment came out and began cleaning up the blood trail. When the officers arrived, they separated the woman and her boyfriend into different vehicles for questioning, just as they did with us. Our neighbors' stories kept changing. First, he claimed he tripped and fell into the door, then she said she fell into him, and they argued, and he slammed the door in a fit of rage, and so on.
Eventually, the truth emerged. They had been growing marijuana in one of their back bedrooms and had a heated argument about the selling price. She pushed him, and he ended up falling into the glass door at just the right angle, causing it to shatter and seriously injuring his arm and side. We had to stay in a motel for the night while the damage was assessed and the crime scene cleaners did their work.
16. Make Up Your Mind
Right across the street from my place, there was this single guy who was about 50 years old, and he had some really peculiar dating and breakup habits. He'd usually date a woman for roughly six months to a year, and during that time, her car would practically be parked at his house every evening. When he hit that six-month or one-year mark, he'd spot my wife and me outside and flag us down for a chat.
He'd tell us something like, "If you EVER see my girlfriend's car parked here again, give me a call right away. She's absolutely not allowed on my property." After a few days, he'd come around and let us know that it was okay again for her to be at his place. This whole routine played out with about four different women.
17. This Is One Messed Up Neighborhood
Instead of just one person, it seemed like my entire neighborhood was filled with crazy people. Up at the top of the street, there was this self-proclaimed leader of the neighborhood watch. He would tail my friend's car, honk loudly in front of my house, and then drive off when I went to check what was happening. He'd also hang out at the top of the street, asking anyone who entered if they were heading to MY place.
A bit farther down, there was a couple who pretty much kept to themselves but had a dog that never stopped barking. And, well, they had what looked like their grown-up son sitting undressed in front of the window at night. Across from them, there was an elderly woman who seemed almost senile, and she had these cinder block sculptures in her yard. But I'm just getting started.
The neighbors on my side were consistent callers to the police, claiming all sorts of things, from disturbing the peace to accusing my brother and me of stealing things from their shed. When an officer came to investigate, we found out they believed we were the culprits, along with accusations of us dealing illicit substances and ruining the neighborhood. But the next day, the truth came out. It turns out it was some of their son's friends who were the real thieves. The mother of that household was incredibly stubborn and refused to believe her son's friends were responsible. She wouldn't even apologize for the ordeal.
However, the worst one of the bunch was my neighbor across the street. This guy seemed to lack any common sense and spent most of his time revving his motorcycle or driving his equally noisy truck. When we first moved in, he made it clear that we were NOT to use his driveway for parking, which was perfectly fine with us because we never had any intention of doing so – why would we?
Over the months, we had officers knocking on our door about a dozen times, with claims ranging from theft to our cars blocking the neighbor's driveway. Luckily, the officers were always polite and seemed to be on our side, realizing that our neighbor's accusations were baseless. He even threatened us with a weapon and repeatedly warned us not to "try anything," as he had cameras covering his entire yard.
He'd take pictures of my friends' license plates and call the police to try and dig up ANYTHING incriminating, even something as minor as an outdated sticker on a license plate. Finally, we served him with a trespassing notice, and that's when things got even worse. Now, I have officers knocking on my door about once a week, and they're just as fed up with him as we are.
18. Go Away Doggone-It
One of my neighbors had this habit of trying to set up these massive doggy playdates. She'd aim to gather over 20 dogs into this 50x50 fenced area that our apartment complex had for them. If you didn't join in, she'd come knocking at your door and ask if she could take your dog without you. But my dog wasn't a fan of being crowded by a bunch of dogs much larger than him. Plus, I knew how to take care of my furry friend just fine!
He's a happy and healthy pup. I really wish she'd stop bothering me at my door!
19. Total Eclipse Of The Spot
Back when I lived in an apartment, we each had two designated parking spots, one for my car and the other for my motorcycle. My neighbor had a newer Eclipse and a large 4-door 4x4 truck, which barely fit into her spot. One day, I noticed the Eclipse was parked way over the line, encroaching into my parking space alongside my motorcycle.
At first, I didn't make a big deal out of it, hoping it would resolve itself. But after about a week of her gradually taking up more of my spot, to the point where her car was practically touching my bike, I decided it was time to do something about it. I moved my motorcycle and parked my car just inches away from hers.
Around two hours later, I heard an insistent knocking on my door. When I opened it, I was confronted by my neighbor, a woman who stood at about 5'2" and weighed around 300 pounds, and to put it frankly, she wasn't winning any beauty contests.
She was livid, yelling and cursing about how I had blocked her car, and she needed to get to work. I knew exactly what to say to make her go insane. I calmly suggested that she try climbing into her car from the passenger seat. This suggestion further infuriated her, as it was quite clear that, given her size, it was nearly impossible. In response, she threatened to call the housing manager and have my car towed.
I calmly pointed out that I was well within the boundaries of my parking spaces and encouraged her to make that call. She argued that, since she had two "legitimate" vehicles and they didn't both fit comfortably in her assigned spots, she somehow felt entitled to use some of mine since I only had a motorcycle and a smaller car. I couldn't help but chuckle at her logic before heading back inside.
From my front window, I observed her for about five more minutes, as she stomped around, shouting on the phone, growing increasingly frustrated. Eventually, she realized that she was going to be late for work, no matter what she did. So, she called her workplace in tears. I waited a couple more minutes.
Once I saw the look of defeat on her face, I walked out and moved my car. She huffed, squeezed herself into her compact car, and drove off without saying a word of thanks. We continued living next to them for a few more months until they started a fire in their apartment, nearly burning down the entire building. After that incident, she never crossed that line again.
20. Nosey Neighbor
Behind my parents' house, there's a lovely wooded area where my brother and the other neighborhood kids often played paintball. On one occasion, as my brother was walking back home with his paintball gear, a woman got concerned and called the police because she saw the paintball gun and got alarmed. It's understandable; safety is important.
The officers showed up, asked my brother a few questions, and reassured the worried lady that it was just a 12-year-old with a toy. You'd think that would be the end of it, right? Well, it wasn't. This woman started tailing us whenever she spotted any of us leaving the neighborhood. Our neighborhood is pretty nice, filled with families strolling around with their kids at night.
So, whenever my mom decided to take a walk around the neighborhood for some fresh air, this lady would start following her. She even had a habit of standing on her porch, watching my dad every time he stepped outside for a smoke. Once, we both happened to be pulling into our driveway at the same time, and she followed me in to "introduce" herself and ask some rather nosy questions. One of them was, "So, how long do you folks plan on staying here?"
21. The Sounds Of Sirens
In my neighborhood, there were quite a few interesting characters, but the strangest by far had to be the "siren guy." He appeared to be around 35-40 years old, slim, and completely bald. What set him apart was his habit of strolling around the neighborhood at seemingly random times, pulling a small cart behind him filled with whatever he fancied for the day. What made it even more unusual was that he made siren noises constantly.
The timing was unpredictable. Sometimes, he'd wake me up at 7 AM, while other times, I'd spot him wandering around during the day or even at 1 AM. He produced these high-pitched sounds that resembled squad car sirens pulling people over. You could hear him coming from a few streets away, and as he walked by, he'd wave to you. If you responded with a siren noise of your own, he'd simply continue on his way. It was incredibly strange.
22. Boombox Boomer
In our neighborhood, there was this fit guy who appeared to be around 55 years old. He had this unique routine where he would ride his bike while wearing a 90s-style wind suit and carrying a boombox. At first, he had a setup with small speakers attached to the back shelf of his bike with bungee cords. But later on, he upgraded to a fully installed, enclosed sound system that even had some cool lighting effects. He'd cruise around, take a break, and enjoy listening to classic Motown and early hip hop tunes for hours on end.
23. The Second Coming
In my first apartment, my neighbor was like a real-life version of The Dude from "The Big Lebowski." He had long hair, rocked a comfy flannel bathrobe most of the time, and would often invite me over for White Russians on his porch, where he'd be jamming out to classic rock tunes. What made it even cooler was that he had the most adorable four-year-old daughter who hung out with him almost every day.
He had a bunch of friends who would drop by, and he'd share stories that began with lines like, "So, one time at a Grateful Dead concert in Indianapolis... And then, three days later, I woke up at a Grateful Dead concert in Cincinnati..." He was really friendly and looked out for me, especially since I was living alone at the time. He'd even invite me and my then-boyfriend over for dinner with him and his daughter. Surprisingly, we're still in touch to this day..
24. No More Room In The House?
In my town, there's this lady who owns a house but seems to prefer living in her car, parked right in her own driveway. It's kind of odd because I doubt her car even runs. What's even more peculiar is that she shows up in our neighborhood almost every week, going around and picking up any litter she comes across. But here's the kicker—instead of disposing of it properly, she brings it all back to her house and dumps it in a massive pile in her backyard.
This pile is so huge; it looks like it could fill one of those massive industrial-sized dumpsters. It's honestly surprising that the township hasn't hit her with fines for it yet, or maybe they have, and we just don't know about it. What's even stranger is that she's never really spoken to anyone. In fact, we're not even sure if she can talk. We've tried asking her questions, but she just gives us a smile and keeps on walking. It's definitely an unusual situation.
25. Don’t Drink The Water
I used to live in a suburban town in New Jersey before heading off to university. There was this field behind a church that all the local kids frequented. It had everything we needed for hanging out: a jungle gym, four baseball diamonds, a basketball court, a concession stand that opened on weekends, and a large open area for running around.
The only catch was that there were just two entrances to this field, and they were about half a mile apart. So, if you wanted to save some time, you had to pass by the house of the "water guy." This man would stand outside his house every day from March until October, straddling a bicycle and repeating, "Don't drink the water," to anyone who walked by.
His voice was quite similar to Hector Herbert from Family Guy, though not as high-pitched or whistle-like. It became quite a nuisance, and some parents even complained to the town authorities. However, being peculiar isn't really a punishable offense, and he never did anything other than stand on his lawn and offer his warning to passersby. This continued for as long as I lived there. He was, without a doubt, the stranged person I've ever encountered.
26. Sweeper Swiper
On our block, there was this particular family. They crammed at least 10 people into a relatively small row home. Once, when there was heavy snowfall, I had to dig my car out using a shovel. I also brought a broom to clear off the snow from my car. While I managed to free my car, I left the shovel and broom by my parking spot, right in front of their house.
Initially, I forgot about them and planned to circle the block to retrieve them later. When I returned, I was shocked to find that the shovel had disappeared, and in its place stood their 12 or 13-year-old daughter, holding my broom. I asked her to return it, and she insisted that I prove it was mine. At this point, I was getting really angry.
I told her to leave the broom and fetch her parents. Predictably, she ran inside with the broom and locked the door. I pounded on the door for a good 10 minutes, but nobody answered. I couldn't fathom why someone would want to take a broom! My only hope was that they used it to clean their cluttered home. I knew this because their front door was always wide open when they were outside. Fortunately, they eventually moved away.
27. A Man’s Castle Is His RV
I've got this neighbor who has a distinctive Western Massachusetts Hilltown accent. He did some serious renovations to his house, essentially turning half of it into a garage just to park his RV during the winter. Now, here's the fun part – he'd sometimes have a few too many drinks and take his daughter's Barbie power wheel for a spin around the neighborhood, resulting in some pretty comical accidents.
He wasn't shy about shouting at folks who were driving too fast on our street. Occasionally, he'd even give the doors or tail lights of those speedy drivers a good kick. Interestingly, he's been living on the same corner of our block for his entire life. He grew up in the house right next door to his current one. All in all, he's a pretty helpful guy and a real character.
28. Can’t Get Better Than This
Our neighbor next door was truly the kindest person you could ever meet. He's an elderly Vietnam Veteran who discovered that my husband and I are Veterans as well, and that created an instant connection between us. Every week, like clockwork, he'd bring home fresh, warm bread rolls from work and generously share a big bag of them with us. He'd also invite us to bring our two-year-old son over to see the latest model plane he'd built.
Whenever there was a heavy snowfall, he'd insist on helping me clear off my car. In general, he's just the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet. We tried to show our appreciation by collecting his mail when he visited his daughter and by sharing homemade baked goods with him. He's the kind of person who brings out the best in everyone he encounters.
29. Window Watcher
We had this elderly lady in our neighborhood who had a daily routine of leaning out of her second-floor window and watching the world go by. She would gaze at the neighborhood for hours on end. Last summer, her daily ritual suddenly ceased. My heart broke, because assumed the worst had happened.
However, a few months ago, much to our surprise, I spotted her once again. As it turns out, she and her housemate no longer use the upper floor of their home. I guess leaning out of the lower windows just isn't the same. Strangely enough, I didn't realize how much I had come to appreciate her presence until she wasn't there anymore.
30. Slip-N-Slide Set Up
Our neighbor was quite the character. He had a bonfire going in his yard practically every day. Then, one day, he had this idea to place a TV in front of the bonfire, and whenever it rained, he'd cover it with a trash bag to protect it. But that's not all. He also had this massive banner with something about "USA" on it, and he turned it into a makeshift slip and slide.
To top it off, he had a hose taped up to the side of his house. He used it not only to water his plants but also for his epic slip and slide setup, right next to his barbecue grill. It was quite a sight to behold!
31. Balcony Boneheads
Let me tell you about the "balcony people" in my apartment complex. There's a group of two to four of them, and they're always hanging out on their balcony, chatting away endlessly. It's a bit of a mystery how they manage to have conversations because it often sounds like they're all talking at the same time.
What's more, they have this habit of blasting a radio station with terrible reception at full volume on their balcony, even at 3 AM on a weekday. I'm pretty sure that's not a rule or anything!
32. Slingblade Sorrow
We nicknamed him Slingblade. He introduced himself shortly after we moved to the neighborhood. Slingblade, a man in his mid-50s, was known for his distinctive attire – he always wore overalls and lived in a shed behind a neighbor's house. He assured us, "I won't bother anyone much, except for some nights when you might catch me having a drink and dancing around the burn barrel." And indeed, he did so, quietly enjoying his evenings.
He even took the time to teach us the proper way to use a maul for chopping firewood and acted as a lookout, letting us know if strangers came by when we were away. Slingblade was an independent fellow; he never asked for a ride to the store just a couple of miles down the road.
However, one day we witnessed our neighbor chasing him down the street with an ax handle. The following day, I spotted him hanging out downtown among the homeless folks. I've been hoping to see him again, but it's been several years, and I hope he's doing well wherever he is.
33. Grudge Holding Granny
Our incredibly grumpy elderly neighbor had an ongoing feud with my grandparents, who had moved into the area over 30 years ago. This lady was determined to cause trouble. First, she called the city on my grandfather while he was renovating because she was convinced he hadn't applied for permits. To her surprise, he had followed all the rules.
Her next complaint was about our front yard. In our city, having a messy front yard with things like spare tires or car parts can lead to removal orders. But we had a full garden instead of a lawn, designed to avoid the need for mowing. Fortunately, the inspector recognized it as a garden and not an eyesore.
This neighbor had some peculiar habits too. Despite being in her 80s and hardly going anywhere, she'd wash her driveway after rain and her car every two weeks. But the most bizarre was her lawn-mowing technique – diagonal stripes only. She once lost her temper and screamed at her daughter for mowing it incorrectly.
Whenever a new family moved into the neighborhood, she'd "warn" them about us. We never knew exactly what she said, but we knew she did it because of another feud with a new neighbor.
A young family with two lovely children moved in next to her. They were completely unaware of what they were getting into. She employed incredibly passive-aggressive tactics until things escalated into a shouting match between her and the man in front of their homes. In our well-to-do neighborhood, public screaming matches were a rare sight.
As they yelled at each other, my grandma was out front tending to her garden, a regular activity for her. The grumpy neighbor decided to call out to my grandmother, telling her to mind her own business. That's when my grandfather stepped in and shouted back, reminding her that we were on our own property.
The man from the new family came over to talk to us afterward, and we discussed our difficult neighbor. He confirmed that she had indeed warned them against interacting with us.
34. Clean Freak Ken
During my time in the city, there was a mysterious character known as Ken. I only learned his name because our landlord mentioned, "Oh, and that's Ken's place," when we moved in next door. Despite living so close, I never had the chance to meet Ken in person. However, I had a unique view from my bedroom window, which looked directly into one of the rooms in Ken's house. It was either his bathroom or his kitchen. This led to some interesting observations.
You see, every night, one of two things happened. Either Ken diligently washed his dishes in the nude, or he spent a good half-hour vigorously cleaning himself in the bathroom. My girlfriend and I, often after a few drinks, found ourselves curiously observing this nightly routine. Sometimes, even in the middle of our own activities, one of us would casually remark, "Ken's back," and we'd share a giggle.
What added to the humor was that Ken would keep his curtains drawn during the day, so we never had a proper chance to peek into his life further. He was a private person, and we respected that. Every evening, though, he would boldly clean something with the curtains pulled back, as if daring the world to catch a glimpse of his proud vulnerability.
35. Barefoot And Bananas
In my neighborhood, there was this girl who was pretty eccentric. Maybe "crazy" is a better word. She had a habit of going around without any shoes on, and things got complicated because I once dated someone she had a crush on, and that person also lived nearby. This girl held a grudge against me because of that.
Late one night, she came over to my house and harassed me several times, especially when she knew my parents were out. When I refused to step outside, things took a turn for the worse: She actually smashed a car window with a rock. I'm relieved that I won't have to see her again.
36. What Kind Of Wizardry Is This?
In our neighborhood, there was a man famously known as "The Wizard of Belgrave." You could spot him anytime, day or night, strolling around with his walking stick or staff. It didn't matter if it was 7 AM or midnight; he was always on the move. Surprisingly, we'd also come across him in various other suburbs, some as far as 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. Every now and then, he would pause and perform what he claimed were spells on people.
37. Attention Seeker
During my pre-teen years, I had a neighbor girl who was two years younger than me. Her parents were quite mysterious; we rarely caught sight of them. Since her older sibling was about two decades older, she grew up essentially as an only child, and she had an insatiable appetite for attention from all the kids in our neighborhood.
Sometimes, when we were all playing together, she would exhibit some peculiar behavior. For instance, she'd attempt to lick us or boast about her parents in a peculiar way. However, the most bizarre encounter I ever had with her happened when it was just the two of us in her house. She asked if I wanted to witness something fascinating, and naturally, I agreed. What she did next is something I'll never forget.
She then led me to her bathroom, where she took a diaper and put it on. She asked me to watch as she soiled the diaper. To my surprise, she even took the diaper off and showed it to me to prove that she had indeed used it while I was there. This remains one of the most peculiar encounters I've ever had with anyone, hands down.
38. This Ain’t No Country Club
There were some neighbors who lived just a block away, and their house was on the same street as a country club and golf course. The homes in our neighborhood were worth a million dollars or more, starting about seven houses down from them. Despite this, they never bothered to mow their lawn or shovel snow in the winter. Their backyard and alley were a mess, with old mattresses and garbage piled up. They also regularly hosted gatherings in their front yard, with cars parked on the sidewalk and bonfires blazing.
To top it off, I once caught one of them snooping around in my shed last summer at 2 AM..
39. Serial Mower
I had a neighbor who mowed his lawn every day without fail. He would usually start at 8 AM, which I think was the earliest he could legally do it. He had the same approach with rainy days – as soon as the rain stopped, he'd be out there with his mower. The timing of his lawn maintenance was a problem for me because I often worked late shifts until 2 AM or 4 AM, and sometimes I wouldn't get to bed until 6 AM. It was quite disruptive, and even earplugs didn't provide much relief. That's why I decided to move out as soon as I could.
40. The RC Man
In my new neighborhood, there's this guy who stands out. He's in his 50s and seems to have a passion for RC (remote control) vehicles. You'll often find him on his porch, skillfully maneuvering these RC cars and even a helicopter. The other day, I witnessed a curious scene. Two boys were playing with their RC car nearby, and one of them hurriedly went over and knocked on this guy's door. They had a brief chat, and then the kid returned to his friend, and both of them brought their RC car to him. It appeared he was helping them fix it.
Wikimedia Commons, Santeri Viinamäki
41. Trail Of Destruction
My neighbors next door had a daughter who struggled with addiction, and she would visit quite frequently. Her appearance was quite distinct – picture Mickey Rourke in short shorts, an undersized tank top, and a heavily bleached, teased mullet. She usually helped her elderly parents with yard work and was friendly towards me. However, her arrivals often came with loud arguments among her friends.
Her small dog would bark and leave a mess everywhere. Sometimes, I even spotted drug-related items left in the yard, and on occasion, it seemed like she and her friends might be hiding drugs or stolen items in the backyard shed. I once saw her mow the lawn in just a negligee, with nothing else on. Every time she showed up, she came with different people and in different cars. While the rest of my neighborhood was quite normal, looking out my back door sometimes felt like visiting a zoo.
42. Green Acres Is The Place To Be
My 72-year-old neighbor is simply amazing. Once, without even asking, he climbed up onto my roof during freezing rain to help me patch it up. He generously allowed me to use his boat for a fishing trip with my son. On a Sunday afternoon, I returned home to find him gifting me three dozen brown eggs and six pounds of bacon. He also shares the delicious oranges and grapefruits from his trees.
Once, I borrowed a five-gallon gas container from him to refuel my lawnmower. When I returned it full, he insisted I keep it, despite my initial plan to return it empty. I had to transfer the gas to my truck to make him accept it back. Moving from the city to the countryside seemed daunting, but thanks to him, it's turned out to be the best decision I've ever made.
43. This Old Man Needs To Go
In our quiet suburban neighborhood, we have one massive problem—an insane elderly man. He has intentionally aimed a weapon at children playing at night, attempted to harm his neighbor's dog with poison, and tossed boards with nails into another neighbor's 3-foot pool. Additionally, he associates with questionable individuals and faced legal trouble for filming underage kids engaging in various activities.
44. He Restored My Faith
My neighbors were into restoring various cars, which is cool, but not when you're awakened at 4 AM by the noise. So, one day, I decided to pay them a visit while they were working on a car in their driveway. I complimented their car and then kindly asked if they could be a bit more considerate with the noise.
I explained that I understood the car work would be loud, but if they could avoid unnecessary revving and blaring music until they got it moving, it would be greatly appreciated. To sweeten the deal, I jokingly offered to trade them cupcakes for a chance to drive it. We had a good laugh, and they apologized.
It turned out they worked nights and early mornings, so the daytime noise didn't bother them. They even let me take the car for a spin up the road and back, which was an awesome experience. To show my gratitude, I baked them some car-themed cupcakes, and finally, I could get a peaceful night's sleep.
45. What A Treat
I used to live across the hall from a couple who were quite well-off. The man had a job at a major tech firm, and the woman only had to work part-time. My roommates and I, on the other hand, were pretty much broke during that time, and I believe they noticed our lack of domestic skills.
Twice a week, we'd hear a knock on our door, and there stood the woman with a basket filled with delicious treats. It was a delightful assortment, from mouthwatering meat dishes to baskets of fresh bread and pastries.
The woman was incredibly kind and always ready to offer advice on anything related to running a household. Thanks to her, I learned how to be more efficient with my chores, like doing laundry less frequently. Although her husband didn't drink, occasionally he would drop by for a friendly chat. They never accepted money from us, never asked for favors unless we offered, and they always had warm smiles on their faces. It was clear that they genuinely enjoyed being part of our community and lending a helping hand.
46. This Guy Blows Me Away
During my childhood, there was this neighbor who had the frustrating habit of using his leaf blower EVERY SINGLE DAY. Like clockwork, around 3 PM, the relentless drone of the blower would kick in and continue for at least half an hour. On weekends, he would rev it up as early as 9 in the morning. His routine was quite thorough – he'd start by cleaning his roof and then meticulously blow off every inch of his yard. But one day, his leaf blower refused to start.
Frustrated, he tossed it into his garage and within an hour, he was driving back with a brand new one. His kids decided to have a bit of fun with him and pranked him by gluing leaves onto his driveway. Even when it rained, it was only a temporary relief from the noise. As soon as the rain stopped for a few minutes, he'd be back at it. During the summer, after a long day at work, all I wanted was a peaceful nap.
But like clockwork, as soon as my head hit the pillow, that dreaded whir would start up again.
47. The Phantom Neighbors
Here's a rather unusual story from my neighborhood. I've been living just two houses away from the same neighbors for a solid 20 years, yet I've never actually seen them. And it's not just me; none of the other neighbors have seen them either, though we're pretty sure they exist.
Here's the thing: their garage light switches on at night and off during the day, indicating some activity. They drive their car right into the garage, then promptly close the door. When they leave, they open the garage door when they're already inside the car and drive away. Their car windows are heavily tinted, making it impossible to catch a glimpse of them.
If you ring their doorbell, they never answer, and during Halloween, they go so far as to stick a "no candy" sign on the door. They've skipped the mailbox by the curb; instead, you have to use their mail slot in the door. And for yard work, they hire folks to take care of it.
It's a real mystery, and my mind occasionally wanders to wild speculations, like maybe they're secret agents—or something even scarier.
48. Your Term Is Up!
I had this one neighbor who sort of acted like he was the neighborhood mayor. He had a habit of pointing out what he thought I was doing wrong, whether it was running my sprinklers at the wrong time or not sorting my recyclables properly. I tried to be neighborly and considered his advice, even reading through a four-page typed note he gave me about the precise timing for crabgrass prevention.
One evening, as I was cleaning my deck, he approached me to chat about the latest landscaping matters. Meanwhile, my 13-year-old niece, who had been in the pool, walked out in a robe and hung her swimsuit over the fence to dry. I thanked him for his landscaping insights and mentioned that we were headed out for dinner, then ushered her inside.
After closing the sliding door, I realized I had left the hose running, so I cracked the door open again, expecting to see her swimsuit on the grass. To my utter shock, I saw him doing something incredibly disturbing. He was down on his hands and knees in my yard, sniffing the crotch of the swimsuit.
Needless to say, we had a serious conversation, and I told him we were going to the police station.
49. Stay In Your Lane
I used to live in an apartment complex where parking spots were assigned, but my neighbor kept encroaching into my parking spot. Well, I’m a fantastic parker, so I had no problem squeezing in next to her even though she kept taking more of my spot. One morning I went to the garage and heard all this commotion. When I turned the corner and saw what she was doing, I nearly burst out laughing. Oh, she definitely learned her lesson.
She was struggling to climb through her passenger-side door, all the while letting out a string of curses. Our eyes met as she contorted herself to get behind the wheel. She started her car and drove away. Since that encounter, she's been parking within the lines of her own spot.
50. No Parking Zone
I used to live in a duplex with a shared driveway, which usually worked out fine for parking. However, one neighbor in the other duplex had issues from the get-go. She left a note on my car shortly after we moved in, complaining that I was parked "in front of her door," even though I was at least 15 feet away from her house. It was the only reasonable spot available that didn't block others.
I responded with a polite note explaining the situation. Late one night, she banged on our door, shouted obscenities, and demanded I remove my car. We closed the door on her. She continued leaving nasty notes, but we chose to ignore them. I even confirmed with our landlord that we were parking correctly, and he advised us to ignore her.
Then, she escalated things. She started barricading part of the driveway daily, forcing me to move her stuff before parking. This was a real hassle, especially when I broke my elbow. She used various objects like a trash can, a birdcage pedestal, and a bench to block the driveway, and she even started coating them with Vaseline.
I decided to gently move these items towards her porch. Eventually, she accused me of vandalism, claiming I had thrown her belongings into her house, kicked them over, and smashed them on the ground. Law enforcement arrived, assuming I was a teenager involved with her neighbor.
After explaining the situation, the officer quickly realized he had been misled. He apologized and suggested we call them if she harassed us again. He warned her and gave her a stern message from our landlord. However, she continued with her mean-spirited behavior, sending us offensive letters.
We contacted law enforcement again, and she received a warning. Our landlord also sent her another harsh letter. Hopefully, that put an end to the parking feud..
Sources: Reddit,
