12.03.07
Neighbourliness
I love my house. Particularly where it is.
I had a visit from a neighbour last night. Lovely man.
“Why do you always park on the other side of the road?”
That was his first line. Response: “‘Cos that’s where I park. Is it a problem?”
“Why don’t you park next to your house?”
“Because last time I had a car the wing mirror was forever being broken and pulled off.”
“Well park it on Sandhurst Street then.”
NB Sandhurst Street is the next street along and a bit of a walk and nearer New Parks so no more salubrious.
“You park on Sandhurst Street” says I.
“I’ve been here 30 years, you’ve been here 5 minutes and you act like you own the place.”
What! I have to shift my car because this guy has the poor luck to have lived in such a shitty area for 30 years. If we’re picking arbitrary criteria for parking rights then I choose education. I have a better education (I’m guessing) so I’ll park where the hell I like on a public street with no private parking spaces.
And “5 minutes”! I’ve been in that house for 5 years now. And I’m a quiet one causing nobody any grief. I didn’t even have a car for nearly 4 years out of the 5. I’m clearly the aggravating factor on the street. Forget the drug dealers, petty thieves, general chav scum and cold callers. No it’s the man who parks on a public street perfectly legally and in a way chosen to avoid getting car damage (successfully so far).
“Is it really such a problem?”
“Yes it upsets me. I’ve been here 30 years.”
Sigh!
So this guy’s first exchange with me is “Oi don’t park in front of my house”. What a lovely area. And it’s all bollocks anyway.
I was just getting back to equilibrium after the burglary and this happens. I so much want to get shot of this shithole place and find somewhere with vaguely pleasant inhabitants. Too late for Bg this year and too bloody expensive to move. Aaarrgggghh!