9.09am. Friday 4th September, 2024. Woke at 3am already stressed. Running through scenarios in my mind. Since I don’t know when the neighbour will turn up, or if he will turn up, I have to try to head off a confrontation. I do this by staying out on Friday night – every Friday night – from about 6pm to 9.30pm which is then when I do a drive by, and if the neighbour is down then I keep going to a rest area on the highway and live in that.
But in this case of a long weekend I’m not sure if he’ll come tonight. I’ll still do the stay-out, but he could come tomorrow. That’s when a confrontation could occur. It could go something like this:
Him, “You’re leaving. Because of us.”
Me (what do I say?)
Then, the neighbour would feel put upon (that’s his history) for me disparaging him or embarrassing him by way of leaving. Yes, this situation could easily get this sick.
But it gets sicker. Because the neighbour could tell the kid ‘manager’ and the kid ‘manager’ would then (that’s his history) side 100% with the neighbour and 100% againsst me. The kid ‘manager’ doesn’t ask me my side of the story and never has, and never was interested. I am guessing that he sides with the neighbour because the neighbour owns his caravan/cabin whereas I am just a pissant (in the kid’s mind) renter, renting from Daddy no less.
So the real potential is that I will get severe negative consequences – I was threatened with eviction for raising the air conditioner matter with the neighbour – for simply solving what I think any normal, sensible person would regard as the neighbour’s unlawful noise problem. The air inside this garden shed, what otherwise is known as a cabin, vibrates from the noise, for goodness sake. Non stop. (Noise like this has been used as a form of torture, I’m told by my doctor, in Ireland by the IRA.)
It is frustrating and maddening, and extremely stressful, for being so wrong. The kid ‘manager’ I expect has a) zero manager qualifications; b) zero experience prior to getting the job; c) zero aptitude, would rather be on tools, machines and vehicles than interacting with people; d) zero knowledge, especially legal knowledge.
So how did he get the manager’s job? Daddy.
I think it’s reckless by the owner and he too should answer for the appointment of someone without the credentials as expected, if so, in court.
Both of them. Father and son. Add in the neighbour to the mix. In front of a magistrate, under examination by the law (real law, not the kid’s dictatorial ‘law’) and on the public record.
Then maybe the media should look at it. So what I’m going through doesn’t happen to others.
12.50pm. Went to town and bought some things for the escape (from the noise) and petrol earlier – it costs me money to get away from the neighbour or more specifically from their noise – and found the roads are full of traffic. That’d have to be holiday traffic, or work traffic perhaps getting things done before the long weekend. But there were a lot of A.C.T. number plates and the roads were full, which means that the rest area on the highway will also fill up. I’ve had this problem before.
I learned then that during holiday periods if I want to stay in a rest area then I have to get a place by about 4PM. The tragic bastard thing about this being forced out wrongness, too, is that all the holiday parks and camping spots are full. So it’s a rest area – provided I can get a spot – or get busted by a ranger and pay a fine.
All the while I pay rent three days in advance and never miss it, and all bills paid within hours.
So instead of being stuck out in a worse problem than I have, I’ve decided to go to the rest area today, and leave the garden shed, otherwise known as a cabin, that I’m paying for about 3.30PM, today, Friday.
That way if the neighbour comes down tonight I’ll have had a good enough sleep – better than discovering he’s down after the 9.30PM driveby and then have to find a spot – which in all likelihood will be non-existent or costly: very troubling late at night (for me) when tired.
If he doesn’t come down then I’ve spent an uncomfortable evening and night in the van unnecessarily. But the alternative is worse. And in any case he’s likely or could come down Saturday, tomorrow, and I’ll be in the van already if so and just keep going and stay another night. And another if needs be.
A total shit. And neither the park owner, the kid ‘manager’, or the neighbour know I do this. Me, providing the solution to the neighbour’s problem exacerbated by the kid’s support – all I think unlawful – at my cost in money, time, comfort, rent, petrol, health and general wellbeing.
I think I’ll take the computer with me and document the WRONG experience of this.
Highway Rest Area Dinner:
And a very persistent would-be participant:
Saturday 5th October, 2024
Highway Rest Area approx 5.15AM after a night of rain. I heard the rain in the van, starting about 8PM, but it got a little bit heavier during the night. Lovely drop for the countryside.
The garden shed (otherwise known as a cabin) el cheapo security cam shows the neighbours’ power cord still rolled up on the pole, so I figured they hadn’t come down. Thing is, I don’t know if they will or not. So I can’t organize a weekend with anything to do with the garden shed.
So I ventured back to the garden shed, sure enough, they’re not down. Wonderful. Breakfast on the stove and after that I’ll figure out what to do for the day. I need to be out, I think, and check the cam during the day to see if they’ve come down. If the power cord isn’t rolled up, I have to stay out for those nights and days until it is again.
Sunday 7.20AM 6th October, 2024.
Back in the garden shed. The Friday Threat is probably over. The neighbours surely wouldn’t come down on a Sunday only to go back Monday.
I couldn’t be certain, however, until about 10PM last night, meaning until then my bags and electrical equipment had to stay packed, and food kept in the van.
Dinner was at a rest area but this is a rest area where you’re not allowed to sleep over.
That’s the little app on the tablet that shows if the neighbours’ electrical cord is still wound up. It only works intermittently and only until dark.
So when it got dark and being tired and worn out from the stress and impact I just wanted to know where I could sleep. I waited in a parking lot.
Until about 8.15PM and then did a driveby of the garden shed, otherwise known as a cabin, saw the neighbours hadn’t arrived during the early dark period so took the risk and pulled in.
A huge thank you to the neighbours, to the Park Owners family, especially the kid ‘manager’ and Daddy who employed him in a position of life-impacting power, for a charming experience. Enjoy the rental money.