As one commentator noticed, the whole thing sounds like a Wes Anderson movie with u/tway23421 in the starring role as he handled a minor irritation with hysterical results.
He joined the AITA subreddit to find out if he was wrong “for spraying some kid with my garden hose daily after he walks all over our lawn” and at first it sounded like OP was going to get his ass VERY handed to him.
He explained that he lives with his wife, son, and daughter. A kid in the neighborhood has taken to walking or riding his bike on OP’s lawn — ugh. No.
I (37M) live with my wife (37F) and son and daughter (9 and 11 respectively).
Recently, there has been this kid who comes by our house after playing soccer and either rides his bike or walks over the lawn with his cleats on his way home.
OP asked the kid to stop doing this but the kid just stomped HARDER and dug his feet into the grass.
It started out as me giving him stern looks whenever I saw him, then it slowly progressed to me asking him to just go around.
The last time I asked him to stop he made a point to stomp extra hard and twist his feet in to the grass to piss me off.
Soooo… OP sprayed him with a hose. And the kid just …stood there.
Since then I’ve just been hosing him. The first time I sprayed him with the hose he ran off, but then for some reason he just started standing there while I hose him like he enjoys it.
Now OP hits him with the hose in a lawn chair, kid staring back. Sometimes they talk.
It’s now progressed to me sitting on my lawn chair pointing my hose at him, and him just staring at me while he does so. Sometimes we even make small talk.
And now OP knows the kid pretty well — they chat, OP hoses. Kid stands there. *SHRUG*
I’m NGL, it started off as a really bitter relationship, but I’ve actually gotten to know the kid quite well, we talk for maybe 15-20 mins everyday, and he doesnt seem to mind being hosed down after sweating hard playing soccer.
He comes by daily and we just shoot the sh-t while I hose him and he stands there for a bit.
OP’s wife said the whole thing made OP look like a dummy, but at this point… he’s having fun hosing the kid down. So. Is he wrong?
Wife told me I need to stop, even after I explained it to her she said I’m making us look like childish idiots.
I guess I could stop, but honestly its really funny waiting for him to come by and I see no harm in it. WIBTA?
“Ok this is hilarious. I was going to say you were the asshole and get a fence, but I see nothing wrong with what’s going on now. NAH,” wrote one user.
The best comment of them all? “I agree OP should continue this to see if their life turns any more into a Wes Anderson movie,” said warpus.
Another Redditor said, “NTA. He’s stopped stomping on your lawn but is still seeking you out as someone who will genuinely listen to him whilst you cool him off after training. The kid is showing his gratitude and you’re feeding that gratitude. It’s a sweet relationship and your wife should stop worrying about what everyone else is thinking and see it for what it is.”