Special Snowflake Stories

[violinp]

Someone left a bunch of fast food trash in the corner of the parking lot where I park my car.  There's a Dumpster not 100 feet away and a trash can about the same distance away in a different direction.  We have maintenance people that will come and pick it up, but I think that leaving the trash there was SS behavior since there were disposal receptacles so close by.

Ugh. We live across the street from a place that sells food and I can't tell you how many styrofoam cups, drink containers, and other refuse we've found in our backyard along the fence.  We live right next to an alley that runs from our street to the  next street up so people tend to walk along it to get to the store rather than walking around the block, which makes sense. 

We are going to get a higher fence someday, hopefully that will be a good deterrent.

DH and I had a small pickup for about 6 years. We had to get rid of it, and not for the reasons one might think.

1. We would come out of a shopping center or store and find people sitting in the back of the pickup, eating. (This happened 3 separate times)
2. We would find someone had deposited trash/unwanted food/etc in the back. (This happened on a weekly basis)

It was so bizarre to me, I couldn't fathom a person who found it reasonable to open someone's pickup's tailgate, then make themselves cozy in the back. Just so strange! We had to call the police twice, because the people wouldn't get out of the back!

Several families I know that have pickup trucks had a lid on the trunk part. Would that have helped? (I'm guessing not, since we're talking about real snowflakes here)

[gramma dishes]

DH and I had a small pickup for about 6 years. We had to get rid of it, and not for the reasons one might think.

1. We would come out of a shopping center or store and find people sitting in the back of the pickup, eating. (This happened 3 separate times)
2. We would find someone had deposited trash/unwanted food/etc in the back. (This happened on a weekly basis)

It was so bizarre to me, I couldn't fathom a person who found it reasonable to open someone's pickup's tailgate, then make themselves cozy in the back. Just so strange! We had to call the police twice, because the people wouldn't get out of the back!

EvilTraska suggests getting in, starting the car up, and backing up as if to pull out of said spot until they make noise about it.  Then tell them they can get out here, or on the highway at 60 MPH.  (Not that you'd actually drive with them, but hey, they're crazy enough to get in, they'd probably believe you're crazy enough to actually do it.)

I need to develop a spine when it comes to EvilTraska.  On the other hand, she's fun. 

Move over, Evil Traska.  You've got company.  I would consider strongly doing exactly that. 

Just pretend you didn't notice that there were people eating in your trunk.  Just ignore them altogether.  Get in your vehicle and take off.  If there's no one directly behind you, I'd go as fast as possible and then brake pretty suddenly too.  That should get their attention in case they hadn't noticed that their picnic table of choice was moving!   

[Fallon]

Someone left a bunch of fast food trash in the corner of the parking lot where I park my car.  There's a Dumpster not 100 feet away and a trash can about the same distance away in a different direction.  We have maintenance people that will come and pick it up, but I think that leaving the trash there was SS behavior since there were disposal receptacles so close by.

Ugh. We live across the street from a place that sells food and I can't tell you how many styrofoam cups, drink containers, and other refuse we've found in our backyard along the fence.  We live right next to an alley that runs from our street to the  next street up so people tend to walk along it to get to the store rather than walking around the block, which makes sense. 

We are going to get a higher fence someday, hopefully that will be a good deterrent.

DH and I had a small pickup for about 6 years. We had to get rid of it, and not for the reasons one might think.

1. We would come out of a shopping center or store and find people sitting in the back of the pickup, eating. (This happened 3 separate times)
2. We would find someone had deposited trash/unwanted food/etc in the back. (This happened on a weekly basis)

It was so bizarre to me, I couldn't fathom a person who found it reasonable to open someone's pickup's tailgate, then make themselves cozy in the back. Just so strange! We had to call the police twice, because the people wouldn't get out of the back!

Several families I know that have pickup trucks had a lid on the trunk part. Would that have helped? (I'm guessing not, since we're talking about real snowflakes here)

Probably only if it was able to be locked. My last truck had one and there were numerous times that I found strange things in the back when the lid wasn't locked or came out to find people in it.

When it was locked I didn't have that problem. (Though I did have one special snowflake try to open it to dump trash in it as I was walking through the parking lot toward it and then get snippy with me about it being locked.)

[CrochetFanatic]

Ladyknight1, did they ever give you a bunch of static about having to get up and move, or did they do it immediately?  I'm just curious. 

[Piratelvr1121]

Someone left a bunch of fast food trash in the corner of the parking lot where I park my car.  There's a Dumpster not 100 feet away and a trash can about the same distance away in a different direction.  We have maintenance people that will come and pick it up, but I think that leaving the trash there was SS behavior since there were disposal receptacles so close by.

Ugh. We live across the street from a place that sells food and I can't tell you how many styrofoam cups, drink containers, and other refuse we've found in our backyard along the fence.  We live right next to an alley that runs from our street to the  next street up so people tend to walk along it to get to the store rather than walking around the block, which makes sense. 

We are going to get a higher fence someday, hopefully that will be a good deterrent.

DH and I had a small pickup for about 6 years. We had to get rid of it, and not for the reasons one might think.

1. We would come out of a shopping center or store and find people sitting in the back of the pickup, eating. (This happened 3 separate times)
2. We would find someone had deposited trash/unwanted food/etc in the back. (This happened on a weekly basis)

It was so bizarre to me, I couldn't fathom a person who found it reasonable to open someone's pickup's tailgate, then make themselves cozy in the back. Just so strange! We had to call the police twice, because the people wouldn't get out of the back!

I just cannot imagine making myself comfortable in the back of a stranger's truck.  Only thing I could see is if they had the exact same make, model and color and thought it was theirs.  But even still, that's still odd!

[Diane AKA Traska]

DH and I had a small pickup for about 6 years. We had to get rid of it, and not for the reasons one might think.

1. We would come out of a shopping center or store and find people sitting in the back of the pickup, eating. (This happened 3 separate times)
2. We would find someone had deposited trash/unwanted food/etc in the back. (This happened on a weekly basis)

It was so bizarre to me, I couldn't fathom a person who found it reasonable to open someone's pickup's tailgate, then make themselves cozy in the back. Just so strange! We had to call the police twice, because the people wouldn't get out of the back!

EvilTraska suggests getting in, starting the car up, and backing up as if to pull out of said spot until they make noise about it.  Then tell them they can get out here, or on the highway at 60 MPH.  (Not that you'd actually drive with them, but hey, they're crazy enough to get in, they'd probably believe you're crazy enough to actually do it.)

I need to develop a spine when it comes to EvilTraska.  On the other hand, she's fun. 

Move over, Evil Traska.  You've got company.  I would consider strongly doing exactly that. 

Just pretend you didn't notice that there were people eating in your trunk.  Just ignore them altogether.  Get in your vehicle and take off.  If there's no one directly behind you, I'd go as fast as possible and then brake pretty suddenly too.  That should get their attention in case they hadn't noticed that their picnic table of choice was moving!   

Alternative:  Husband looks to wife: "See, I *told* you that manure just comes right out of this truck bed, but noooo, you said it'd stink!"

[ladyknight1]

Ladyknight1, did they ever give you a bunch of static about having to get up and move, or did they do it immediately?  I'm just curious. 

The first time, they acted all offended before packing up their stuff and moving on. Seems pickup truck beds make great picnic areas. The second and third times, we had to call the police.

[ladyknight1]

An addendum to the truck bed story: This was a Ford Ranger Splash in a vibrant red-orange paint, so very distinctive and not easily mistaken for someone's own vehicle.

[bloo]

Ladyknight1, did they ever give you a bunch of static about having to get up and move, or did they do it immediately?  I'm just curious. 

The first time, they acted all offended before packing up their stuff and moving on. Seems pickup truck beds make great picnic areas. The second and third times, we had to call the police.

Wait a minute...you were forced to call the police because the Speshul Snowflakes refused to get out of your truck bed?!

[magicdomino]

DH and I had a small pickup for about 6 years. We had to get rid of it, and not for the reasons one might think.

1. We would come out of a shopping center or store and find people sitting in the back of the pickup, eating. (This happened 3 separate times)
2. We would find someone had deposited trash/unwanted food/etc in the back. (This happened on a weekly basis)

It was so bizarre to me, I couldn't fathom a person who found it reasonable to open someone's pickup's tailgate, then make themselves cozy in the back. Just so strange! We had to call the police twice, because the people wouldn't get out of the back!

I've owned pick-up trucks for 19 years, and never found picnickers in them.  Of course, they could have finished their meal before I got back, or maybe the tailgate is just too uncomfortable.   I have found trash in the bed, but only a few times. 

[Sirius]

Ladyknight1, did they ever give you a bunch of static about having to get up and move, or did they do it immediately?  I'm just curious. 

The first time, they acted all offended before packing up their stuff and moving on. Seems pickup truck beds make great picnic areas. The second and third times, we had to call the police.

Have to ask my BIL if he's ever had this happen.  Then again, he lives in Texas, and is also 6'4" and weighs 225, so it might not be an issue for him.

[Pippen]

My friend was brought up in a very remote part of Australia. Think a 4 hour drive to the shop. It was not uncommon to come back to the ute and find 15 of the locals on the back drinking and asking to be driven back to their settlement. You just had to take them as they were not getting off and there was no way of making them.

[norrina]

Someone left a bunch of fast food trash in the corner of the parking lot where I park my car.  There's a Dumpster not 100 feet away and a trash can about the same distance away in a different direction.  We have maintenance people that will come and pick it up, but I think that leaving the trash there was SS behavior since there were disposal receptacles so close by.

Ugh. We live across the street from a place that sells food and I can't tell you how many styrofoam cups, drink containers, and other refuse we've found in our backyard along the fence.  We live right next to an alley that runs from our street to the  next street up so people tend to walk along it to get to the store rather than walking around the block, which makes sense. 

We are going to get a higher fence someday, hopefully that will be a good deterrent.

DH and I had a small pickup for about 6 years. We had to get rid of it, and not for the reasons one might think.

1. We would come out of a shopping center or store and find people sitting in the back of the pickup, eating. (This happened 3 separate times)
2. We would find someone had deposited trash/unwanted food/etc in the back. (This happened on a weekly basis)

It was so bizarre to me, I couldn't fathom a person who found it reasonable to open someone's pickup's tailgate, then make themselves cozy in the back. Just so strange! We had to call the police twice, because the people wouldn't get out of the back!

EvilTraska suggests getting in, starting the car up, and backing up as if to pull out of said spot until they make noise about it.  Then tell them they can get out here, or on the highway at 60 MPH.  (Not that you'd actually drive with them, but hey, they're crazy enough to get in, they'd probably believe you're crazy enough to actually do it.)

I need to develop a spine when it comes to EvilTraska.  On the other hand, she's fun. 

Honestly, I don't consider this evil. As soon as I read Lady Knight's problem I read it to DF and told him that if it were me I'd fire up the truck and get going. I didn't ask these people to get into my truck, I shouldn't have to ask them to get out. If they can't figure out they better beat feet when they see me climbing into the driver's seat, that's their problem.

[wonderfullyanonymous]

The pickup truck one reminded me of something DF told me.

When he still lived in CA, he worked in construction. One day, he and a buddy/coworker of his had to go to a Lowe's type box store for some supplies.

As they were going into the store, an associate from the store noticed someone sneaking up to buddy's truck bed unlocked tool box, and told the guys about it. Buddy said not to worry about it. They walked up to associate and turned around to watch the fun unfold.

Would be thief walks along the bed of the truck, looking around. Without looking into the bed of the truck, he reaches over to the tool box. Much to his surprise, he was greeted by a very large, and not very amused Great Dane. DF tells me, the 3 of them stood there and laughed as would be thief took off running and didn't slow down all that much.

[Outdoor Girl]

I used to have a Ranger, too, but I had a cap on it so I didn't have the picnickers or the trash.  But If I'd come back to people in the bed of my truck?  I think I'd have fired it up and driven to the nearest police station!