uncledan Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Its not even busy season yet... My neighbor is being very difficult. I've made no parking signs to put in front of his house and done anything I can possibly do to make him happy. Now he's threatening to go to the city unless I can direct traffic while the show is on. I live on a street that all the houses are done up with Christmas lights. Traffic has always been an issue. Maybe not to the extent it is now. I'm so pissed right now I don't even want to turn the lights on! In ten years of doing this I have had nothing but positive feedback from ALL my neighbors and community. I just bought house on snob hill and things are different with at least one neighbor... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Find out what his specific gripe is. For example, is it people blocking his driveway? Parking in his grass?If so, you can fix these by guarding his property during your show.If it's traffic too, ask friends to assist, or the local police.These are your options.If there are people blocking his driveway or parking in his grass, he has a legit complaint. Because the offenders wouldn't be there if not for your lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncledan Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 His complaint is he's a scrooge! I've made signs which have stopped people from parking in front of house. Traffic is another issue he has. People came to see the lights on the street before I moved in. I have the biggest display but people come here to see lights and have for the last 10 years. Part of the reason I bought where I bought actually. I'm going to contact local police tomorrow and talk to mayor that lives down the street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMeBobO Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 You lost me on the parking in front of his house. Does he own the street? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grinch Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Seems to me if all the neighbors decorate than maybe ALL of you need to talk to him. When one of these things don't look like the others don't blame yourself.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncledan Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Cars block his driveway from time to time. Even with no parking signs I put up. Unacceptable. His wife did a burnout in the street and drove wrecklessly into their garage when someone blocked their driveway. He wants me shutdown plain and simple. My wife is talking to the mayor who lives 5 houses down the street right now to figure what to do with the scrooge. I plan on going to police department tomorrow morning to address this as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Got one of those next door to me.. since I do only Christmas songs and it goes with my celebration of the Holiday and my religion, there is really nothing they can do. We have a LOT of traffic.. I do have voice overs and signs and banners trying to help keep it all from being a pain, but there is that ONE neighbor... this year he hasn't been so bad... but in the passed he called the cops.. they told me there is nothing they can do.. but asked if I had any ideas how to help the traffic. That is when I added the banners and extra voice overs. Good luck with your neighbor.. let us know what shakes out.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncledan Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 What really upsets me is I get blamed for traffic. I have close to 100k lights. The other 30+ homes have a ton of lights in static displays as well. I would assume well over 500k. I'm on the corner and get the most traffic. 100's of people park and walk up and down the street every night. Two older ladies have been out here tonight in lawn chairs and just cracked open the fourth bottle of wine. Why am I responsible for directing traffic on a street that decorates? Christmas lights were on the disclosures when I bought the house.. That's why I bought it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxon Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 You said the whole street decorates, does that include him? If it does then it sounds like he has "light envy". If he does not, tell him to get with the program. well, don't tell him, suggest it.... Then buy him a fruit cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncledan Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 He doesn't have light envy. Other people on the street might that hire people to decorate their homes every year. He has lights up, but not much. There's a bad apple in every bunch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I wouldn't do a thing if the rest of the street decorates. It's not only you causing traffic.Sounds like your neighbor is trying to pin it on you (being a new neighbor).Just yell out Merry Christmas and wave to them. The key here is, the rest of the neighborhood is lit up too. I think you just blow them off and go inside. If you shut down, sounds like the traffic will still be there. So I wouldn't worry about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Why am I responsible for directing traffic on a street that decorates? And I ask the same thing. Why in the world are you directing traffic??? Your not responsible. You won't please your neighbor no matter what you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) You shouldn't call him a Scrooge because he's trying to get into his driveway. If blocking is an issue, stand out there and stop people from doing it.Nobody should have to wait to get into their house. Call the city, pay for private security, or do it yourself in a reflective vest./ you aren't directing traffic per se, but keeping cars out of his yard and driveway.As he blames you, because you were the one that listened to him, it is now your job. Edited December 11, 2014 by Dale W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkDr Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Neighbors can be hard to predict. I've got a couple in their sixties living diagonally across the street from me who aren't necessarily unfriendly, but in general they keep to themselves in our otherwise socially active neighborhood. I heard someone pounding the sound system in their car the other night listening to the show and could tell it was over in their direction. My first thought was: "Oh sh**, the neighbors are gonna be p**ssed.", so I snuck a peek through the blinds to see if they were even home. Wouldn't you know, it was them rocking the neighborhood. Their grandchildren were over for a visit and they had the car doors all wide open in their own driveway jamming out and having a good time. The following morning, we happened to be out in our yards at the same time & she hollered across the street to tell me how much they liked the show this year. Who woulda thunk it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMeBobO Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 You shouldn't call him a Scrooge because he's trying to get into his driveway. If blocking is an issue, stand out there and stop people from doing it.Nobody should have to wait to get into their house.Call the city, pay for private security, or do it yourself in a reflective vest./ you aren't directing traffic per se, but keeping cars out of his yard and driveway.As he blames you, because you were the one that listened to him, it is now your job.This neighbor person may be a bottomless pit. If you volunteer to be the one to listen and accommodate someone like this, then it will never end. Demands will be raised about being there more often and watching other driveways too. Then the cries of failure to do it good enough and close up. I wouldnt go there. I try to be very nice to my neighbors and have an announcement play every 15-20 minute which says the rules about blocking. But in general I say my show is completely silent and my show doesnt block the street. Rude people make excess noise and block the street and I cant control rude people using the public street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 This neighbor person may be a bottomless pit. If you volunteer to be the one to listen and accommodate someone like this, then it will never end. Demands will be raised about being there more often and watching other driveways too. Then the cries of failure to do it good enough and close up. I wouldnt go there. I try to be very nice to my neighbors and have an announcement play every 15-20 minute which says the rules about blocking. But in general I say my show is completely silent and my show doesnt block the street. Rude people make excess noise and block the street and I cant control rude people using the public street.You bring up excellent points.For me, it's a question about being civil to those that don't want to be involved in our hobby. As peak season drew closer, I ran the "don't block driveways or park in grass, keep the radio volume down requests" between every song. As it applies to this thread, given the information we have, the OP says its a neighbor. I presume he means a next door neighbor and not a home a few houses down.Given that the guy can't get into his driveway because it's blocked (without regard to the traffic(, I think there's a legit complaint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Given that the guy can't get into his driveway because it's blocked (without regard to the traffic(, I think there's a legit complaint. But, is this condition caused by uncleDan or by all the neighbors decorating. UncleDan said the neighborhood was already active with traffic during the holidays before he moved there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Because the offenders wouldn't be there if not for your lights. Not if the rest of the neighborhood decorates and they are there for other house lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncledan Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Its the neighbor directly across the street. The no parking signs in front of his driveway have helped. Last night his complaint was I have to keep traffic moving so he can get to his house. The whole street decorates and I'm on the corner with biggest display so it's my fault I guess.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougP Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 It sounds like you will never make him happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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