Do you think I should tell my neighbor to stop washing his car?

Question

My neighbor is very proud of his gas-guzzling Cadillac SUV. He stands in his driveway every day and washed it. It makes me upset that we're all trying to conserve water, gasoline, natural resources, etc... and live greener and this guy does nothing. He doesn't even recycle! Should I tell him what I think or should I keep my mouth shut and pretend I don't care?

Answer 1

You kinda just have to turn a blind eye there. I know it sucks, but that's the way it is. Unless there is a water restriction in your area, and then you can report them anonymously. Good luck!

Answer 2

You just need to be prepared for the fact that he may decide to tell you about a few things you do that he does not like, once you have opened this "things you do that I do not like" category and you may find his list is long and full of harsh words.

And once that exercise is over, know that the chance he will shrug and say "OK" and stop washing his car each day are just about nil. Normally, telling other people you want them to change their behavior makes them defensive about it - no one wants to knuckle under to anyone and everyone around them who has an opinion contrary to their own. If he works or lives in a situation where other people he disagrees with get to make him do things he does not want to each day, he is never going to let someone give him directions in his time outside of that environment either. So if you have not been ragging on him about his car, you could mention (nicely) that it would conserve more water - say - if he did not let the hose just run during the wash but put a sprayer head on it (and maybe gave him a sprayer head) then maybe he would grudgingly consent (or not). But I would not open up too much on the criticism side, because unless he as been giving you a laundry list of ways he feels you should improve your neighborliness, he is not going to be taking it from you.

Answer 3

My dear, we really should not concern ourselves too much with others peoples wasteful activities. While I am a green freak, recycle paper, cardboard, cans, glass, plastic and anything else I can, I know if I peeked into my neighbors trash cans, I would surely have a stroke, or perhaps, dive into their cans snagging bits of this and that to take with me to the recycling place (yes I take mine on my way to do errands, so as not to waste precious fuel!). I cannot get worked up over what THEY do or DO NOT DO! Their house, their rules. While I understand your feelings, don't we wish we could wave our little recyclers wand and make everyone be green and a prudent citizen of the planet with our dwindling resources? And making it known to your neighbor how distasteful his wastefulness is, might, for a moment, make you feel better, I assure you, your rudeness will be lost on him. You will not achieve the resolution you seek. BTW, those chemical soaps, are probably greener than you think, unless he is spraying like Armor All on the ground. Soap will make grass green up nicely. I can't wash my vehicle in the yard, like I did at other places, as this one has PVC piping and I've been told it won't carry the weight of my vehicle like my other places did. But I knew then that is was better than letting it run down a drain and into the nearest river, and it watered my grass at the same time. He may have that same problem, but even if that is not the case, his house, his rules. Your home is your castle, and he can be as wasteful as he likes as long as he is paying for it and there is no restriction on water usage. Unfortunate, but true. Good luck!

Answer 4

Unfortunately most people are not open to being approached by strangers and told that they are defective in their attitudes and behaviour. If water conservation is important to you there are some very positive things you can do for your community. Often towns put on public service displays and information days. My son belings to a young naturalists club and part of their mission is sharing information. They are always desparate for volunteers and by joining in you can help educate hundreds of people who will be receptive. If you get involved you may be able to plan something for your neighborhood and enlist your neighbor to attend or even help out! This way you are asking for help with a project or acting as an information source for your area. There is no need to point a finger at one person and you'll be doing something good for the community. This should also ease some of your own frustration. It is a lot of work but change takes effort and you need to put your own resources(time, energy) behind your convictions.

Good luck and happy educating.

Answer 5

Yeah, you can't force someone to be environmentally aware. IF there was a water restriction from a drought, you can call the city to put an anonymous complaint. But if there are no restrictions then there's not much you can do.



If you really feel the need to say something, I'd be more passive about it. Just in a casual conversation you can mention that you're "Proud to have a fuel-efficient car" or that you "Don't mind driving a slightly dirty car since you feel responsible for saving water".

Smug? Perhaps...but it'll get things off your chest.

Answer 6

Most certainly he SHOULD be more earth-conscious – but he isn’t.



In the United Sates, we have something that is commonly called the Bill of Rights – or the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution ensures citizens' right to "be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures …" In legal gobbledygook, that means that we are entitled to our privacy. He pays his water bill – not you. Therefore you can’t tell him not to wash his car – or water his lawn – or powerwash his deck etc. etc.



Now, if he were to come over and wash your car etc. without your permission – then you are perfectly within your rights to tell him to stop. But him washing his car – on his property – with water that he pays for – yeah. He can do that. That’s his business and not yours.



Now, if your town/community passes mandatory water restrictions, then he would have to abide by those ordinances.



But insofar as you telling him what to do with the water that he pays for? Sorry. No. That isn’t your place.

Answer 7

you comprehend the asserting that "no good deed is going unpunished"? LOL, nicely here is your punishment for being a staggering man or woman. ok, shall we take a centred look at those human beings shall we? 2 adults neither one working. they have not any delight in that they do no longer innovations borrowing your stuff each and all of the time. How did they get into this occasion? that is probable a lifestyle for them. you may desire to tell them that they could merely come over as quickly as an afternoon to ask for some thing and it must be between the mothers and fathers that does the asking (no sending between the youngsters over to do it for them), this could a minimum of sluggish them down and get the message throughout the time of which you have approximately had adequate. do no longer hardship which you will harm their thoughts, i think of those are the form of those that use somebody till that man or woman says NO and then they flow directly to somebody else. They assume you will say no at last, and that they are going to milk you for each thing they could before that occurs. Time to place your foot down and set some obstacles jointly with your new buddies.

Answer 8

With all due respect, but you kind of sound like an annoying neighbor. You should mind your own business. If you tell him something you are just going to cause trouble and look bad and ridiculous. I understand your point about conserving water and recycling, but you cant just make him do it. That is a choice. If you want him to change be a nice neighbor, become friends and once you have build that friendship than you can tell him about saving our planet.

Answer 9

No don't say anything. This depresses the hell out of me too, that there are SO many people that only care about themselves and their bloated lazy gluttony. -- SUVs, 18 kids, assault weapons, forced religion, extreme wastefulness, me-me-me mentality, entitlement for being American, it all goes right together into one package -- have hope though that slowly the balance of capitalism may make their selfishly obese decisions ever harder to monetarily live out.



If you try to tell them though, they'll just cling more tightly to their disposable 100 pack boxes of plastic spoons and throw their plastic packaging directly at you instead of into non-recycled trash. ('you want me to use a metal fork? Why? I can just throw this nice one out, you hippies are so dumb") My parents are the most wasteful people I know, I grew up like them, and I've tried to tell them about how everyone is changing, but its the old dog rule



-- Don't even try, just do the best you can with the one person you have control over: yourself.

Answer 10

I am a green maniac so I know I would say something, but I'm not sure if it's "proper" to do so. You have to live in the same vicinity as this guy, sometimes it's just better to keep the peace and keep your mouth closed unless he is hurting your property. It sucks not getting along with neighbours.

Answer 11

I say ignore him and continue to do what your doing to help out. He sounds like the type of person who just doesn't care about anything but himself. You can give him the information if you want, but it will always be up to him to do something about it, you can't force him to change his ways.



Something for you to think about, does he have a big family? Or is he just by himself? My parents have an Expedition, but they also have 5 kids, plus them which = 7 people.

Answer 12

It is every red-blooded americans' right to drive gas-guzzle'n SUVs, drown the street in water from the city reservoir and throw mcdonald's non-degradeable styrofoam containers on the ground when done eating.

Answer 13

It's not really your business. He pays for the water.



If there is a water ordinance in your city (for a drought) call the city.



NOTE: not everyone is as environmentally friendly as you (we) are. It bothers me too, but unless you are very close with someone, you can't just go up and say something like that...it will make a huge deal.

Answer 14

You can't make someone live the way you live. What if someone was a vegetarian and saw your groceries with meat into the house and they started lecturing you. What would you think about that? I bet you'd think they should mind their own business.

Answer 15

We all have a choice to be "green" or not & unfortunately he chose not to. You can say something, but he's going to do what he wants. It will likely cause more tension.

Answer 16

Sorry, but how he chooses to live and what he chooses to do is his own business and you would do well to hang up the judgemental attitude and mind your own.

Answer 17

Let him, once he get sunburn like Edie in Desperate Housewives, then he'll stop on his own.

Answer 18

you could ask him, to not clean his car as much? but you might get told to (instert bad word here) off , it is really upto you have you got the guts to tell him to stop it if so do it show him what you mean !

Answer 19

yes coz his car is one of those horrible 4 by 4 things

and they would use more water coz there bigger than normal cars

in fact they use more of everything: water for washing, petrol, road space, they kill more children becuse of there size and flat front panel (insted of kids roling on top of the bonnet they plough in to them causing more deaths)

sorry to be so sombre but its true

Answer 20

probably a chrisatan ,........ they care not for others.....especially others in third world countries where water conservation is a way of life....

Answer 21

lots of people waste resources, it just so happens he is doing it in plain site that seems to be bothering you

Answer 22

It's none of your business what he does with his water. HE pays his water bill. You don't.

Answer 23

It seems a bit sour grapes to me. You greenies are sad people, get a life and stop being a curtain twitcher.

Answer 24

I thnk you should go hug a tree to feel better.

Answer 25

I'd probably just steal his hose ;)

Answer 26

heh you can always just contaminate his water with some acid..so the next time he washes it, it really gets messed up..hahah

Answer 27

i think you should put a letter in his mail box and just say your neighborSS so he dont no who it is .. because he might try to make u even more mad if he nos its you