'AITA for asking neighbors to move their farm stand to stop people from stealing from me?'
"AITA, asked the neighbor to move their ‘little farm stand’ because people are stealing from MY garden?"
RecentFlatworm1557 writes:
Before anyone says "just build a fence," we can’t afford it right now. And no, there is no HOA. My neighbor set up one of those pantries or farm stands where people can take items that they grew in their garden, pantry items, donated food, and so on. In theory, it’s a great idea, especially at a time when life in America is incredibly hard and people are struggling to make ends meet, my family included.
The problem is that people started coming into my yard to pick things from my garden. I’ve put up signs asking them not to. I installed rabbit fencing around the garden. I even angled a tarp to block the view from the road. People still hold their kids over the fence to pick tomatoes and beans, or they just jump the fence.
I ended up getting into an argument with a woman over it. I yelled, “HEY, STOP. THOSE ARE NOT FOR YOU TO TAKE.” She told her kid to move faster and then tried to run off. I caught up to her and asked what the hell her problem was.
She turned it around, saying, “How dare you swear in front of my child,” and asked why I was so angry. She asked if I was really that upset over a couple of tomatoes. I said, “Yes, I’m upset that you are stealing from me.”
The next day, I approached my neighbor and asked if we could move the stand to the other side of their driveway so it would be closer to the other neighbor’s house, who doesn’t have a garden out front. They said not until the end of the season. I asked if they could make bigger signs, talk to people, just do something.
They responded by saying, “Can you really not afford to share?” I told them people aren’t taking my zucchini because they’re starving. They’re taking my tomatoes because they want them.
They told me I would have to live with it for now, and we could talk about a community-wide solution after the season. I told them I didn’t care about a solution that benefits the whole community. I care about a solution that stops people from stealing from me.
Last night, it happened again. A man in his 50s came into my yard. I sprayed him with the hose. He started yelling at me, and after a minute, the neighbor came out and started yelling too. Now people are posting on the neighborhood board, warning others to be careful if they come by because I’m “an a^#%ole.”
The neighbor says I’m scaring people away from a community resource. I told him I’ll continue spraying people until he does something about the people who feel entitled to my garden. I feel like I’m losing my mind. Am I the a^#%ole for asking them to move the stand? Am I the a^%#ole for being furious that people are stealing from me? This is food for my family.
Here are some of the responses to OP's post.
Hot_Aside_4637 says:
Put up a sign with prices for everything "Tomatoes - $2 ea." etc. And a sign that says "Video surveillance, thieves will be prosecuted."
Odd_Information8439 says:
One of my neighbors made amazing freezer garden fence with free wooden pallets. I wonder if that would work?
DryKnight says:
Put up one of those animal electric wires.
Heythatsmy_bike says:
I think what you’re doing is going to work. Keep being an a^#&ole, keep pressuring your neighbor, and keep spraying thieves. Be as annoying as possible. I think they’ll move their stand to the other side eventually just to get you to leave them alone. Good luck!