When the “Parking Police” Met Their Match
We thought living on a quiet street would be simple. That was before our new neighbor decided she was the self-appointed parking police. One day, a note appeared on our windshield—aggressive, handwritten, demanding compliance. At first, it seemed like a minor annoyance… until we realized she was serious.
From the moment we moved in, she had a complaint about parking. She insisted there should be only one car per house, even though no such rule existed.
One evening, a note appeared on our windshield:
“One car per house! Move the extra one or else!”
We laughed. Both cars were legally parked. No rules were being broken.
Three days later, morning calm turned to chaos. Engines roared, metal clanged, and when we rushed outside, both our cars were hooked up to tow trucks. Standing there, arms crossed and a smug grin plastered across her face, was our neighbor.
“Well,” she said, “maybe now you’ll listen when someone tells you the rules!”
I took a slow breath, suppressing a grin. “Wow,” I said, “you really went through with it, huh?”
Her smile faltered. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing,” I replied casually. “Just that you now owe us $25,000.”
Her eyes widened. “What?! How… what do you mean?”
I pointed to the special permit tags on our cars. “These are part of a government program for classic and specialty vehicles. Illegally towing them carries huge fines, and the towing company already knows they’re in the wrong. The cost? Passed straight to you—the one who reported it.”
The color drained from her face as she stammered, “I-I didn’t know…”
“Well,” I said with a smirk, “maybe next time you’ll think twice before making up your own rules.”
The tow trucks unhooked our cars and drove off. Our neighbor never mentioned parking again and now avoids eye contact whenever she sees us.
Conclusion
Sometimes patience is the best revenge. Other times, life steps in to do the work for you. When people try to enforce rules that don’t exist, consequences have a way of catching up—sometimes with a $25,000 price tag and a healthy dose of humility.