A Reddit user recently asked on a Reddit subthread if she was in the wrong for warning the cops about a nuisance call from her neighbor.
Threats
The Original Poster (OP) is a 28-year-old woman who resides on one side of a duplex and shares a backyard with her neighbor (L), a woman in her 40s. The backyard lacks a fence or any divider between their respective sides, so they make an effort to be considerate and remain within their designated areas.
OP owns a grill located on her side of the backyard and recently hosted a barbeque with some friends, some of whom were smoking weed, which is legal in their area.
During the gathering, L came outside and expressed dissatisfaction with smoke blowing into her windows. She warned that if they could not prevent the smoke from drifting into her side of the duplex, they would need to cease smoking due to it being against the law to smoke inside the units.
When confronted by L about the smoke from her barbeque and guests’ smoking drifting into her windows, OP suggested that her neighbor could close her windows temporarily until they finished grilling.
However, L declined and claimed that it was not her responsibility to adjust her living arrangements, as the smoke was infringing on her space, not the other way around.
L threatened to contact law enforcement if OP did not comply, after which she returned to her home.
They Reassured Her
After L threatened to contact the police, OP and her friends debated whether the threat was genuine. In an attempt to gain clarity, OP phoned the non-emergency line and inquired about the legality of smoking marijuana in her backyard if the smoke drifted into L’s windows.
The operator asked if she was the landlord or tenant of the property, and after clarifying that it was a duplex, the operator assured her that she was not breaking any laws.
OP informed the operator of L’s threat, but the operator stated that law enforcement would not respond to a complaint of that nature and encouraged OP to enjoy her weekend without worry.
She Was Furious
Following OP’s call to the non-emergency line, L returned outside and criticized her and her friends for being immature and deceitful in their actions.
L alleged that she had already contacted the police to report the disturbance, but was informed that OP had already alerted them about a possible nuisance call that did not require police intervention. L accused OP of being in the wrong and acting in a scummy manner.
OP initially felt vindicated upon learning that her actions were legal and that L’s complaint was unfounded.
However, she began to question whether she should have allowed L to contact the police and potentially embarrass herself without involving herself in the situation.
OP had anticipated that law enforcement would not take any action and felt that her intervention escalated the situation unnecessarily. She wonders whether she acted wrongly and if she was wrong in this situation.
Redditors Respond
Many Reddit users responded to the situation, with some stating that OP was not in the wrong and that calling the non-emergency line was a good idea. Others felt that OP and L were both in the wrong (ESH) because while smoking weed was legal, the smoke could still be bothersome to L.
Some argued that it was better to smoke in a location that wouldn’t bother others, while others argued that if L had approached the situation differently, they could have come to an agreement. Overall, there were differing opinions on whether OP was justified in calling the non-emergency line and smoking in a location where the smoke could affect L.
What do you think? What should OP have done in this situation?
The post Her Neighbour Complained of Wafting Smoke From Her Backyard BBQ, She Threatened to Call the Cops! But This Wily Woman Got in First! first appeared on Mama Say What?!
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Mix and Match Studio. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit