That Neighbor

I once lived in this nice, but smaller apartment complex (smaller in comparison to other apartment complexes in Atlanta that is). My building was one of two at the bottom of a hill. Parking was hard to come by, the developers didn't plan to actually rent out those two buildings apparently. There were so many complaints that they gave parking stickers to the residents and if your car didn't have one they would tow it.

There were a bunch of kids who lived down there as well, probably between the ages of 6 and 9. They would ride their bikes and scooters and tricycles around... no parents in sight... and they would just leave them out... in the parking lot, in parking spaces, on the side walk. It was annoying. My parents always had us put our toys up to begin with, so I just couldn't understand why the parents of these kids would not have them bring their toys inside when they were finished playing outside. It is SHARED property after all, not their own private yard.

One evening, after a long day at work and a horrible commute and rude service at a restaurant I was not in the best of moods.I made it home well after dark, and I could tell there were two spaces available. When I pulled closer I noticed that there was a plastic tricycle in the middle of one of the spaces. I had reached my limit. I parked in the only open space, which happend to be beside the horrid toy, opened my trunk and threw it in. 

I drove around with that thing in my trunk for a few days, feeling a little guilty about stealing some kid's toy, but I eventually took it to the dumpster. I didn't throw it in, but rather placed it to the side because I figured 1. they would see it and get it back and maybe realize that if they leave their things out someone could take it, 2. they would see some other kid on it and think, again, "I shouldn't have left it outside and no one would have taken it.", or 3. it would get thrown into the dumpster by the garbage men and they would NEVER see it again and realize they shouldn't leave their crap out!

I'm pretty sure that my point was missed, but it made me feel better at least.

Yes, I am that neighbor.