New neighbors insisted on using my snowblower

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They might have grown up somewhere more neighborly.

It would have been nice if you helped them. Although obviously you didn't owe them anything.

+1 our neighbors with snow blowers all went around and did the ends of driveways.

Not required, but neighborly.

[Anonymous]

So many posts and photos in neighborhood FB groups and NextDoor of thanks to neighbors who anonymously used their snowblowers to help their neighbors.

Next time, take a break and tell them you’ll be over in a little while.

Wonder what future non- transactional benefit you would have received in the future for that.

[Anonymous]

We have a snow plow. We plow everyone’s driveways. Neighbors were always so thankful but over the years, it has now become expected that my husband does the plowing and unless the homeowner is outside, not so much as a thank you text. The final straw was a text from a neighbor down the street asking when we’re going to get to his house because he was planning on heading out. I would love a friendly neighborhood but people have became such selfish a holes it’s getting harder and harder to be generous.
Separately over the summer we had heavy winds. I was working from home. My desk is by the front window and I saw my recycle bin blow into the street. I was on a call so couldn’t deal with it at that moment. My neighbor came out, moved his bins and ignored mine.

[Anonymous]

We have one neighbor with a snow blower. He never helps anyone and is really an xss about it. Laughs at people shoveling. Yesterday he blew his driveway and then went out for takeout. I understand your issue with liability as long as you don’t act like my neighbor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. They just moved in. Maybe they don't even own a shovel.

Shovel <> snowblower. I'm sure Op would've been fine letting them borrow a $20 shovel, but not a pricey snowblower.

Her DH is an INOVA surgeon. The cost of the snowblower is the same as a cost of a shovel to most of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. They just moved in. Maybe they don't even own a shovel.

Shovel <> snowblower. I'm sure Op would've been fine letting them borrow a $20 shovel, but not a pricey snowblower.

Her DH is an INOVA surgeon. The cost of the snowblower is the same as a cost of a shovel to most of us.

The neighbor lives in the same neighborhood as OP, so presumably, they also can afford a snowblower, or many shovels, but decided it's better to borrow one.

My neighbor moved in 4 months ago. They have two little kids. The mom was out shoveling snow even before we went out to shovel. Another neighbor (elderly) was out using their snowblower. I don't think she went to the neighbor to ask if she could borrow the snowblower. She just did what she needed to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The neighbors were presumptuous to ask to borrow this equipment. This was not a shovel, it's a mechanical piece of equipment. Not only because it requires a certain amount of skill, but also because there is liability involved.

It's not like the surly neighbors had no other option. Like most homeowners, they could use their shovel.

I had a neighbor ask me if she could borrow my living room for a meeting. I couldn't believe that.

People are galling. I have a small snow blower and would never loan it to anyone. It is finicky and always dies before I finish doing my sidewalk and driveway. I never do the neighbors sidewalks because my snowblower isn't that reliable. It is utter entitlement to think that people should do the work that you are responsible for. My neighbors have never shoveled nor have their kids. They are much younger and very physically active. They also have never, in all the time I've lived in this house, ever offered to help me or anyone else. I would never help them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spent 2-3 hours last night clearing off my sidewalks, driveway, and curb next to mailbox with our snowblower (2-stage Ariens). Probably about 2000 sqft total. Greater DMV area.

This morning our relatively new neighbors (4 months) knocked on our door and asked if they could borrow our snowblower to clear out their driveway. All other neighbors are either shoveling or have their own equipment. We say that we’d rather not: liability, not sure they even know how to use one, etc…. We then have an awkward back and forth until they finally roll their eyes, mutter something under their breaths, and walk off. They finally ended up flagging down one of the small plows clearing the road and I guess they convinced or paid the driver to clear out their driveway.

Totally blown away by this situation!!

Our neighbors are young, probably late 20s or early 30s. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? Is this the new normal for younger generations?!?

Entitlement is the way of life in the US now. I've had so many instances of this kind of craziness that I'm no longer surprised. When I was having a fence installed in my previous house, the neighbor behind approached me when I was out talking to the company who did our survey. I didn't know her at all and she approached me and told me that, of course, I would extend my fence off of my property to cover a gap that would occur on her property. Our lots didn't line up, so my fence would not create a complete fence for her. It would have required me to put fencing on a third neighbor's property. The woman expected this and didn't offer a single cent to help remedy the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have one neighbor with a snow blower. He never helps anyone and is really an xss about it. Laughs at people shoveling. Yesterday he blew his driveway and then went out for takeout. I understand your issue with liability as long as you don’t act like my neighbor.

I doubt he laughs at people shoveling. I glare at my neighbors who seem angry that I have a snowblower and don't do their property. Also my snow blower doesn't work on the ice we have now. We have to do a combination of shoveling and snow blowing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a snow plow. We plow everyone’s driveways. Neighbors were always so thankful but over the years, it has now become expected that my husband does the plowing and unless the homeowner is outside, not so much as a thank you text. The final straw was a text from a neighbor down the street asking when we’re going to get to his house because he was planning on heading out. I would love a friendly neighborhood but people have became such selfish a holes it’s getting harder and harder to be generous.
Separately over the summer we had heavy winds. I was working from home. My desk is by the front window and I saw my recycle bin blow into the street. I was on a call so couldn’t deal with it at that moment. My neighbor came out, moved his bins and ignored mine.

This 100%. I was raised to be helpful and was always the first neighbor out helping everyone and organizing people to help other neighbors. My experience has taught me that people immediately forget that what you are doing is a favor and become rude with their expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a snowblower (8hp 27", so a modest beast) I blow out around 8 of our neighbors; driveways. I wouldn't lend it out. For many reasons. They are finicky and can get bogged down with too wet of snow and you can scorch the drive belts easily if you overload it. If you walk too fast you can overload the auger. Rocks can get wedged in the auger and you have to get them out carefully. Managing the discharge chute is a continuous process so you don't throw snow onto cars, windows, kids, etc.I've got 50 years of experience doing that. Most important, the snow at 9am Sunday was something the snowblower could handle. The snow with 4" of sleet mixed in was not blowable. So they missed the window of using the snowblower anyway.

This. There is no way I would lend a snowblower to someone who doesn't have a lot of experience using one. Also, they are expensive. A good snowblower can cost several thousand dollars. Do people really loan these kinds of things to people they don't know?

Also, the people who are saying that OP should have said, "no, but I'll use it myself to clear you out," clearly didn't use a snowblower today. My neighbor has one and I (60-year-old woman) was actually faster with my shovel on the front walk (that we had shoveled a few times already) than he was clearing a path down his driveway. The snow was like a brick and the blower was not happy. (I used the heel of my boot to break it up the snow on my walk before shoveling). (He was forced to use it because he's not in shoveling shape, and at 60 years old, I'm sorry to say that I'm not offering to do more shoveling than I have to. But we are friendly and we commiserated with one another.)

We don't have a snowblower, but I grew up in New England and my father ha one. Even with loose, light snow, operating a snowblower properly takes time. It's quite rude to expect someone to do it for you IMO. I imagine OP's DH, who blew out the snow on his own driveway so he could go to work, doesn't really want to come home from work and snowplow the neighbors (who were home all day) in the dark.

This. I'm also a 60+ year old woman with mobility issues and I shoveled my sidewalks without help. I would never feel like someone else should do my driveway/sidewalks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents have a really sketchy neighbor (not going to get into all of it here). My dad was out snowblowing and the neighbor approached him nearly in tears because he hadn’t prepared for the storm and had next to no food in the house and not even a shovel to clear his driveway. My dad showed him how to work the snowblower and gave him some cereal, potatoes, and yogurts. So yes, I’d say you were in the wrong … you could have showed them how to use the snowblower and left them to it under light supervision.

You are completely wrong. I don't know a single person who loans out their snowblowers. Has the sketchy neighbor ever done anything for anyone else? There are so many wealthy grifters who live around me, that I'm far less generous.

[Anonymous]

My neighbor asked me if they could use my snow blower to clear their driveway and I said I would do it for them but they have to find and remove the newspapers they get delivered. They never found them and assumed they weren't delivered. Here I come down the sidewalk in front of their home and guess what The blower sucked in a newspaper. So now I moved the blower back to my garage and spent about six hours trying to remove the newspaper.
I was thinking I'm glad I didn't let them use it. Well, I told them since I found one paper maybe they can find the other one they get everyday. They said they didn't find it so I said I'm not going to clear anything until they do. I never did finish doing any more.
I also have lent out leaf rakes which they have never returned. When I ask for the rake back they say it broke and they through it away.
Yeah, I don't know where these neighbors have lived before but surely not in the US.

[Anonymous]

Entitlement and boldness are qualities sprinkled across generations, there are even big differences within families so I couldn't even ascribe it to a culture. It is very jarring when you view it as improper, rude behavior and someone has zero issue with approaching you like that or not showing appreciation when done a favor. On the flip side, they actually feel justified to ask and insulted to be denied what they expect, even though they might often not be the type to help others the way they expect.

[Anonymous]

dragant wrote:This is why I hate Boomers and older generation. They don't help. They have only taken and show no consideration for folks. May they all rot in hell!

My 40 year old and younger neighbors won't do a single thing for anyone else unless it benefits them. They are the most entitled people on the planet. 90% never shovel and if they do, they only do their driveway enough to get their car out. They could care less that kids need to walk to the bus stop. I won't go out of my way for these neighbors.