Just Ask Me...

My neighbors have been having some work done to their house.  This is not about my neighbors...I love my neighbors.  This is about the contractors they used.

I know the houses are kind of close together.  I know when you do your work on the side of the house that faces mine you might have to use my driveway, but if you're going to do that...ASK ME!

Now if this were unique to one contractor I probably wouldn't be posting or writing this.  But my neighbors used several different contractors for several different things.  And each one used my driveway (which I also like to use), all but one never asked.

It is NOT my neighbor’s responsibility to ask me.  (Although they have in the past when they have had yard work done.)  It is the contractor's responsibility.  Just as it is to clean up the area after they are done.

Let's start out with contractor #1.  This is the contractor that if I recall correctly asked if they could use our driveway.  Of course we said yes.  But at the end of the day we found several nails in our driveway.  While I was annoyed because no one wants a flat tire, I was more concerned because it was summer and there are a lot of little kids who run around the neighborhood barefoot.  Actually, I walk around outside barefoot frequently too.  While I might be a little more cautious that a preschooler; I don't want  ANYONE ending up in the ER.  So if you are a contractor, or using one, PLEASE make sure they clean up at the end of every day.

Contractor #2 did some work while my neighbors were away.  They arrived one Saturday morning, maybe 20 minutes or so before we pulled out of our driveway to go pick up our son at camp.  My plan, when I picking up a kid who has been at camp all week, is to back the car 3/4 down the driveway; have him take all his dirty laundry/luggage in the backdoor and go directly down to the basement where an afternoon of laundry can commence.  When we got home two hours later, there was a big blue tarp "tent" covering the side of my neighbor's house and my driveway.  It was tied to the side of my house so that I could not back down my driveway.  Instead I pulled in just slightly and had my son (and myself) duck under the rope that secured the tarp so that we could get to our backdoor.

Now let me say, that it was considerate of them to do this.  It kept all paint that they were sanding off the house from flying everywhere (like into my windows which were wide open).  However, I really would have appreciated someone ASKING me before they did so.  I realize that we did go out, but we were there when they arrived.

To add (a slight) insult to injury, an hour later one of the workers knocked on my front door and asked me to move my car.  There was a bit of a language barrier, as I wanted to know how long it would be before I could use my driveway.  I had mixed emotions.  I appreciated him asking me to move, but I wish someone had asked about all this PRIOR.

Finally, there was Contractor #3.  Summer Fridays I get home early from work.  (Let's hear it for Summer Fridays!)  As I went to pull into my driveway, I noticed a tripod that was blocking it.  I managed to get around it by going up on the curb, but after parking my car in my driveway, I went and moved it.  One of the workers saw me and apologized and took it from me and moved it.  Of course a few minutes later it was back to where I had found it, but...by the time I had to go out it was gone, so...

My whole point here is not to condemn any contractor...or anyone!  My point is you should ALWAYS ASK before you use someone's driveway.  Or borrow someone's pencil.  Or use someone's phone.  Just ASK.

It's the polite thing to do and your parents will be proud of you!