A woman tried\u00a0to remain patient\u00a0while her upstairs\u00a0neighbor repeatedly tossed\u00a0used tea bags\u00a0onto her balcony. But after he\u00a0dismissed her complaints\u00a0with a laugh\u00a0and repeated the\u00a0behavior the very\u00a0next morning, she\u00a0realized that politely\u00a0asking him to\u00a0stop was no\u00a0longer working.<\/p>\n
My upstairs neighbor\u00a0throws his used\u00a0tea bags off\u00a0his balcony twice\u00a0a day, and\u00a0they land on\u00a0mine.<\/p>\n
Usually around 7\u00a0a.m. in\u00a0the morning and\u00a0again around 9\u00a0p.m. in\u00a0the evening.<\/p>\n
You could practically\u00a0set your clock\u00a0by it.<\/p>\n
The first time, I assumed it\u00a0had been an\u00a0accident.<\/p>\n
I picked it\u00a0up, carried it\u00a0to the trash, and said nothing.<\/p>\n
The following week, I found one\u00a0sitting on a\u00a0white bath towel\u00a0I had hung\u00a0outside to dry. It had left\u00a0a brown circular\u00a0mark right in\u00a0the center, about\u00a0the size of\u00a0a coffee cup.<\/p>\n
So I went\u00a0upstairs and knocked\u00a0on 4B, figuring\u00a0I could handle\u00a0it like a\u00a0reasonable adult.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, no. Was\u00a0that me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been about\u00a0six of them\u00a0now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really sorry. I\u2019m half asleep\u00a0in the morning. I just flick\u00a0it over the\u00a0railing without thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
He seemed genuinely\u00a0embarrassed.<\/p>\n
He apologized, said\u00a0it wouldn\u2019t happen\u00a0again, and I\u00a0went back downstairs\u00a0wondering if I\u00a0had made a\u00a0bigger deal out\u00a0of it than\u00a0necessary.<\/p>\n
The very next\u00a0morning, another one\u00a0came over.<\/p>\n
I let three\u00a0more weeks pass\u00a0because I\u2019ve lived\u00a0in this building\u00a0for eleven years, and I have\u00a0never been the\u00a0person who complains\u00a0about every little\u00a0thing.<\/p>\n
Then one of\u00a0the bags landed\u00a0directly on the\u00a0cushion of my\u00a0chair.<\/p>\n
It stayed there\u00a0long enough to\u00a0soak through the\u00a0fabric.<\/p>\n
That was when\u00a0I went upstairs\u00a0again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re still doing\u00a0it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a tea\u00a0bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt leaves stains. I already had\u00a0to throw away\u00a0a towel, and\u00a0now I\u2019ve lost\u00a0a cushion cover.\u201d<\/p>\n
He leaned against\u00a0his door frame\u00a0and stared at\u00a0me for a\u00a0moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou live underneath. That\u2019s how buildings\u00a0work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re lucky it\u2019s\u00a0tea bags and\u00a0not something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just saying. You should be\u00a0glad it\u2019s tea.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he closed\u00a0the door.<\/p>\n
I stood there\u00a0on the landing\u00a0for a moment.<\/p>\n
Eleven years in\u00a0this building.<\/p>\n
I had watched\u00a0people\u2019s cats. I\u00a0had accepted packages\u00a0for him throughout\u00a0the entire previous\u00a0winter.<\/p>\n
And I understood\u00a0exactly what he\u00a0wanted.<\/p>\n
He wanted me\u00a0standing on a\u00a0landing at nine\u00a0at night, yelling\u00a0about tea bags, so that afterward\u00a0he could tell\u00a0everyone about the\u00a0woman downstairs who\u00a0had completely lost\u00a0her temper over\u00a0something so insignificant.<\/p>\n
So I gave\u00a0him one final\u00a0opportunity.<\/p>\n
I decided that\u00a0if nothing came\u00a0over the railing\u00a0the following morning, I would forget\u00a0about the whole\u00a0thing.<\/p>\n
At 7:04\u00a0a.m., the\u00a0tea bag came\u00a0flying over.<\/p>\n
It landed beside\u00a0my plant pots, just as it\u00a0always did.<\/p>\n
I stood there\u00a0in my robe\u00a0staring at it\u00a0for a long\u00a0time.<\/p>\n
By the time\u00a0I finished my\u00a0coffee, I already\u00a0knew what I\u00a0was going to\u00a0do.<\/p>\n
It took me\u00a0one afternoon.<\/p>\n
The next morning, I was sitting\u00a0outside on my\u00a0balcony before seven, quietly drinking my\u00a0coffee.<\/p>\n
I was simply\u00a0waiting for him\u00a0to come outside\u00a0with his tea.<\/p>\n
At 7:02\u00a0a.m., I\u00a0heard his sliding\u00a0balcony door open.<\/p>\n
Then I heard\u00a0footsteps moving across\u00a0the floor above\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
A moment later\u00a0came the faint\u00a0sound of a\u00a0chair scraping.<\/p>\n
I took another\u00a0sip of coffee.<\/p>\n
At 7:04\u00a0a.m., something\u00a0dark appeared above\u00a0the railing.<\/p>\n
The tea bag\u00a0dropped.<\/p>\n
But instead of\u00a0landing on my\u00a0balcony, it struck\u00a0the clear plastic\u00a0panel I had\u00a0installed over the\u00a0section where most\u00a0of his little\u00a0gifts normally landed.<\/p>\n
Tap.<\/p>\n
The bag slid\u00a0down the angled\u00a0surface and dropped\u00a0neatly into the\u00a0shallow tray I\u00a0had fixed underneath\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cMorning.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was no\u00a0response.<\/p>\n
Then Greg\u2019s head\u00a0appeared above the\u00a0railing.<\/p>\n
He looked down\u00a0at me.<\/p>\n
Then he looked\u00a0at the panel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell\u00a0is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy new tea-bag catcher.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
I pointed toward\u00a0the tray.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeems to work\u00a0pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n
He leaned farther\u00a0over the railing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou built that\u00a0because of a\u00a0tea bag?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I built\u00a0it because of\u00a043 of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re counting them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI started counting\u00a0after our first\u00a0conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThrowing garbage onto\u00a0somebody else\u2019s balcony\u00a0twice a day\u00a0is pretty strange\u00a0too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s tea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Greg. We\u2019ve\u00a0already established that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He disappeared from\u00a0view.<\/p>\n
A few seconds\u00a0later, his balcony\u00a0door slammed shut.<\/p>\n
I calmly finished\u00a0my coffee.<\/p>\n
The panel itself\u00a0wasn\u2019t anything fancy.<\/p>\n
I bought a\u00a0clear sheet, a\u00a0lightweight frame, and\u00a0several brackets that\u00a0didn\u2019t require me\u00a0to drill into\u00a0the outside wall.<\/p>\n
Before putting anything\u00a0up, I checked\u00a0the building rules.<\/p>\n
Twice.<\/p>\n
Everything stayed inside\u00a0my balcony area.<\/p>\n
Nothing extended above\u00a0his floor.<\/p>\n
Nothing interfered with\u00a0anyone\u2019s view.<\/p>\n
And if Greg\u00a0simply stopped throwing\u00a0things over his\u00a0railing, the panel\u00a0would have no\u00a0reason to exist.<\/p>\n
That evening, I\u00a0went outside again.<\/p>\n
At 9:06\u00a0p.m., I\u00a0heard his balcony\u00a0door open.<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
Nothing happened.<\/p>\n
For one wonderful\u00a0second, I thought\u00a0my ridiculous little\u00a0invention had actually\u00a0solved the problem.<\/p>\n
Then another tea\u00a0bag sailed around\u00a0the edge of\u00a0the panel and\u00a0dropped straight into\u00a0my biggest plant\u00a0pot.<\/p>\n
I stared at\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
Then I looked\u00a0upward.<\/p>\n
Greg’s balcony door\u00a0slid shut.<\/p>\n
That was the\u00a0moment I stopped\u00a0asking myself whether\u00a0the tea bags\u00a0had really been\u00a0accidents.<\/p>\n
He had aimed\u00a0that one.<\/p>\n
I pulled out\u00a0my phone and\u00a0photographed the bag\u00a0exactly where it\u00a0had landed.<\/p>\n
Then I took\u00a0another picture showing\u00a0the panel beside\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
The next morning, another tea bag\u00a0landed beyond the\u00a0opposite side.<\/p>\n
I photographed it.<\/p>\n
That evening, one\u00a0struck the glass\u00a0balcony door.<\/p>\n
Another photo.<\/p>\n
By the following\u00a0morning, I had\u00a0four pictures showing\u00a0tea bags in\u00a0places they had\u00a0never landed before.<\/p>\n
Apparently, once I\u00a0had made it\u00a0difficult for Greg\u00a0to simply drop\u00a0his garbage straight\u00a0down, he decided\u00a0to start working\u00a0on his aim.<\/p>\n
What he didn’t\u00a0understand was that\u00a0he was actually\u00a0making things easier\u00a0for me.<\/p>\n
Until then, he\u00a0could have claimed\u00a0that he was\u00a0careless.<\/p>\n
Now he was\u00a0creating evidence that\u00a0he was doing\u00a0it deliberately.<\/p>\n
I made a\u00a0folder on my\u00a0phone and put\u00a0every photograph I\u00a0had taken during\u00a0the previous weeks\u00a0into it.<\/p>\n
The stained towel.<\/p>\n
The damaged cushion\u00a0cover.<\/p>\n
The tea bags\u00a0that had landed\u00a0beside my plants.<\/p>\n
The newer ones\u00a0being thrown around\u00a0the panel.<\/p>\n
I added the\u00a0dates and approximate\u00a0times.<\/p>\n
Then I sent\u00a0myself an email\u00a0describing both conversations\u00a0I had already\u00a0had with him\u00a0while the details\u00a0were still fresh\u00a0in my mind.<\/p>\n
I didn’t contact\u00a0management yet.<\/p>\n
I wanted to\u00a0see what Greg\u00a0would do next.<\/p>\n
I didn’t have\u00a0to wait very\u00a0long.<\/p>\n
Saturday morning, someone\u00a0knocked on my\u00a0door.<\/p>\n
When I opened\u00a0it, Greg was\u00a0standing there in\u00a0sweatpants with his\u00a0arms crossed.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake that thing\u00a0down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning to\u00a0you too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m serious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo am I.\u201d<\/p>\n
He gestured toward\u00a0the back of\u00a0my apartment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat plastic thing. Take it down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t even\u00a0see it unless\u00a0you\u2019re leaning over\u00a0my balcony.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople can see\u00a0it from outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I suppose\u00a0they\u2019ll assume I\u2019m\u00a0dealing with a\u00a0problem involving falling\u00a0objects.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t just\u00a0install things on\u00a0the building.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI checked the\u00a0rules.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe building rules.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not a\u00a0person.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, but they\u2019re\u00a0surprisingly informative.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re doing all\u00a0this over tea\u00a0bags.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I\u2019m doing\u00a0this because I\u00a0asked you to\u00a0stop and you\u00a0didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you. I don\u2019t think\u00a0about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInteresting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve suddenly become\u00a0very accurate at\u00a0throwing them around\u00a0the panel for\u00a0someone who doesn\u2019t\u00a0think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe that\u2019s where\u00a0they fall.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey never fell\u00a0there before.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine. I\u2019ll just\u00a0throw them farther.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, neither of us\u00a0said anything.<\/p>\n
Then a voice\u00a0behind him spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s probably not\u00a0going to help\u00a0your argument.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg turned around.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Alvarez from\u00a0across the hall\u00a0was standing beside\u00a0her apartment door, a reusable shopping\u00a0bag hanging from\u00a0one shoulder.<\/p>\n
Apparently, she had\u00a0arrived home at\u00a0exactly the right\u00a0time.<\/p>\n
Greg looked at\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
Then he looked\u00a0back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was joking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Alvarez raised\u00a0one eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t sound\u00a0very funny.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg turned toward\u00a0me again.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust take the\u00a0stupid thing down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
Then he turned\u00a0around and walked\u00a0upstairs.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Alvarez waited\u00a0until his footsteps\u00a0had disappeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he really\u00a0throw tea bags\u00a0down there every\u00a0day?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPretty much.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her\u00a0head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been trying\u00a0to figure that\u00a0out for a\u00a0month.\u201d<\/p>\n
She glanced toward\u00a0the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me know\u00a0if you need\u00a0me to tell\u00a0anyone what I\u00a0just heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the\u00a0moment my little\u00a0plan became much\u00a0easier.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually,\u201d I said, \u201cI might.\u201d<\/p>\n
Our building had\u00a0a residents\u2019 meeting\u00a0the following Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Normally, I skipped\u00a0those meetings unless\u00a0something important was\u00a0being discussed.<\/p>\n
That week, I\u00a0showed up ten\u00a0minutes early.<\/p>\n
I brought a\u00a0folder.<\/p>\n
Inside were printed\u00a0photographs, copies of\u00a0the replacement costs\u00a0for the towel\u00a0and cushion cover, and a written\u00a0timeline of everything\u00a0that had happened.<\/p>\n
I brought one\u00a0other thing too.<\/p>\n
A clear container.<\/p>\n
Inside it were\u00a0the tea bags\u00a0I had collected\u00a0from the tray\u00a0and the balcony\u00a0over the previous\u00a0days, after letting\u00a0them dry.<\/p>\n
I wasn’t planning\u00a0to make some\u00a0dramatic scene by\u00a0dumping them onto\u00a0the table.<\/p>\n
I wasn’t trying\u00a0to turn myself\u00a0into the star\u00a0of some courtroom\u00a0performance.<\/p>\n
I simply wanted\u00a0the thing Greg\u00a0had repeatedly described\u00a0as insignificant to\u00a0become something everyone\u00a0could actually see.<\/p>\n
A few minutes\u00a0later, Greg arrived.<\/p>\n
His eyes immediately\u00a0went to the\u00a0container.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what\u00a0it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou kept them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou kept giving\u00a0them to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Alvarez covered\u00a0a smile.<\/p>\n
Greg sat down.<\/p>\n
When it was\u00a0my turn to\u00a0speak, I kept\u00a0things straightforward.<\/p>\n
I explained that\u00a0used tea bags\u00a0had been coming\u00a0from the balcony\u00a0directly above mine\u00a0twice a day\u00a0for several weeks.<\/p>\n
I explained that\u00a0I had spoken\u00a0to Greg twice.<\/p>\n
Then I showed\u00a0everyone the photographs.<\/p>\n
The building manager, Mr. Lewis, studied\u00a0the picture of\u00a0my towel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat came from\u00a0upstairs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a tea\u00a0bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Lewis looked\u00a0at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s still your\u00a0garbage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGarbage is a\u00a0little dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would you\u00a0call something you\u2019ve\u00a0finished using and\u00a0thrown away?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg had nothing\u00a0to say to\u00a0that.<\/p>\n
I showed them\u00a0the photograph of\u00a0the damaged cushion\u00a0cover.<\/p>\n
Then I showed\u00a0them the pictures\u00a0I had taken\u00a0after putting up\u00a0the panel.<\/p>\n
Mr. Lewis frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are these\u00a0landing farther out?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at\u00a0Greg.<\/p>\n
He shifted in\u00a0his chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey fall where\u00a0they fall.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pushed another\u00a0photograph across the\u00a0table.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor weeks, they\u00a0landed almost directly\u00a0below his railing. After I put\u00a0up the panel, they started landing\u00a0on both sides\u00a0of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s ridiculous,\u201d Greg\u00a0said.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Alvarez spoke\u00a0from two seats\u00a0away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard him\u00a0tell her he\u2019d\u00a0throw them farther.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg turned toward\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was joking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t sound\u00a0like you were\u00a0joking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mr. Lewis looked\u00a0directly at Greg.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you say\u00a0that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis whole thing\u00a0has gotten completely\u00a0out of proportion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you say\u00a0it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but I\u00a0was frustrated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Lewis leaned\u00a0back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen this isn\u2019t\u00a0really about accidentally\u00a0dropping something anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first\u00a0time since I\u00a0had knocked on\u00a0Greg\u2019s door weeks\u00a0earlier, he had\u00a0no response.<\/p>\n
The building rules\u00a0were clear.<\/p>\n
Residents were not\u00a0allowed to throw\u00a0objects, liquids, cigarette\u00a0butts, food waste, or anything else\u00a0from their balconies.<\/p>\n
Mr. Lewis explained\u00a0that the rule\u00a0wasn’t only about\u00a0preventing stains or\u00a0damage to someone\u00a0else’s furniture.<\/p>\n
Something thrown from\u00a0an upper floor\u00a0could hit a\u00a0person below.<\/p>\n
Greg made one\u00a0final attempt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re wet tea\u00a0bags, not bricks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Lewis nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the rule\u00a0doesn\u2019t say residents\u00a0are allowed to\u00a0throw things as\u00a0long as they\u2019re\u00a0soft.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost smiled.<\/p>\n
Greg didn’t.<\/p>\n
He received a\u00a0formal written warning.<\/p>\n
He was also\u00a0informed that another\u00a0documented incident could\u00a0result in additional\u00a0action under the\u00a0building rules.<\/p>\n
Then Mr. Lewis\u00a0asked about the\u00a0things I had\u00a0lost.<\/p>\n
I showed him\u00a0the amount I\u00a0had spent replacing\u00a0the towel and\u00a0cushion cover.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t a\u00a0huge amount.<\/p>\n
That wasn’t really\u00a0the point.<\/p>\n
Greg looked at\u00a0the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou seriously want\u00a0me to pay\u00a0for that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ruined them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe towel could\u2019ve\u00a0been washed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a stain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn my property.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Lewis stepped\u00a0in before the\u00a0conversation could start\u00a0going in circles.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll reimburse her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg leaned back\u00a0in his chair.<\/p>\n
He looked furious.<\/p>\n
Then something happened\u00a0that I hadn’t\u00a0expected.<\/p>\n
Greg had recently\u00a0asked for permission\u00a0to install privacy\u00a0screening around his\u00a0balcony.<\/p>\n
Mr. Lewis had\u00a0apparently been reviewing\u00a0that request.<\/p>\n
He closed the\u00a0paperwork in front\u00a0of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor now, I\u2019m\u00a0not approving additional\u00a0balcony fixtures while\u00a0there\u2019s an active\u00a0warning concerning your\u00a0use of that\u00a0balcony.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg stared at\u00a0him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re denying it\u00a0because of tea?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m postponing it\u00a0because you\u2019ve admitted\u00a0deliberately throwing items\u00a0from your balcony\u00a0after another resident\u00a0asked you to\u00a0stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
That finally left\u00a0Greg silent.<\/p>\n
The meeting finished\u00a0about twenty minutes\u00a0later.<\/p>\n
I gathered up\u00a0my photographs and\u00a0put them back\u00a0into the folder.<\/p>\n
Greg left before\u00a0I did.<\/p>\n
I assumed that\u00a0was the end\u00a0of everything.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t.<\/p>\n
The next afternoon, Greg stopped me\u00a0near the mailboxes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could\u2019ve just\u00a0asked me to\u00a0stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a second, I honestly wondered\u00a0whether I had\u00a0heard him correctly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what\u00a0I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, actually, I\u00a0don’t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn’t have\u00a0to involve management.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked you\u00a0twice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a\u00a0tea bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you were\u00a0asked to stop\u00a0throwing them.\u201d<\/p>\n
He glanced toward\u00a0the lobby doors.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou made me\u00a0look like an\u00a0idiot over tea.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my\u00a0head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I showed\u00a0them what you\u00a0were doing. You\u00a0handled the rest\u00a0yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face became\u00a0red.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re enjoying this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
And I meant\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
I hadn’t enjoyed\u00a0losing a towel.<\/p>\n
I hadn’t enjoyed\u00a0having to replace\u00a0a cushion cover.<\/p>\n
I hadn’t enjoyed\u00a0checking my chair\u00a0before sitting down\u00a0because I never\u00a0knew what might\u00a0have landed on\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
But more than\u00a0anything, I hadn’t\u00a0enjoyed being told\u00a0that because my\u00a0apartment was underneath\u00a0his, I should\u00a0simply accept whatever\u00a0came flying over\u00a0his railing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted you\u00a0to stop,\u201d I\u00a0said. \u201cThat\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked away.<\/p>\n
Then he walked\u00a0upstairs without saying\u00a0anything else.<\/p>\n
The next morning, I woke up\u00a0at 6:55\u00a0a.m.<\/p>\n
I made my\u00a0coffee.<\/p>\n
At 6:58\u00a0a.m., I\u00a0carried it onto\u00a0the balcony and\u00a0sat down.<\/p>\n
Seven o\u2019clock.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
7:02 a.m.<\/p>\n
Still nothing.<\/p>\n
At 7:04\u00a0a.m., I\u00a0heard Greg\u2019s balcony\u00a0door slide open.<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
Footsteps crossed the\u00a0floor above me.<\/p>\n
I looked toward\u00a0the clear panel.<\/p>\n
Nothing fell.<\/p>\n
A few seconds\u00a0later, his door\u00a0closed again.<\/p>\n
I smiled into\u00a0my coffee.<\/p>\n
That evening, I\u00a0went outside shortly\u00a0before nine.<\/p>\n
Once again, I\u00a0heard him moving\u00a0around above me.<\/p>\n
Once again, nothing\u00a0came over the\u00a0railing.<\/p>\n
The following morning\u00a0was exactly the\u00a0same.<\/p>\n
After four days, I removed the\u00a0panel.<\/p>\n
My balcony looked\u00a0normal again.<\/p>\n
My plants were\u00a0safe.<\/p>\n
My new cushion\u00a0cover stayed clean.<\/p>\n
More importantly, I\u00a0no longer found\u00a0myself looking upward\u00a0every time I\u00a0heard his balcony\u00a0door open.<\/p>\n
A week later, someone buzzed my\u00a0apartment.<\/p>\n
It was a\u00a0delivery driver.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a\u00a0package for 4B. No one\u2019s answering. Do you mind\u00a0taking it?\u201d<\/p>\n
For a second, my old habit\u00a0almost made me\u00a0say yes.<\/p>\n
I had signed\u00a0for Greg\u2019s packages\u00a0throughout the previous\u00a0winter.<\/p>\n
Sometimes two or\u00a0three of them\u00a0arrived in a\u00a0single week.<\/p>\n
Then I remembered\u00a0what he had\u00a0told me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou live underneath. That\u2019s how buildings\u00a0work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry,\u201d I said. \u201cHe\u2019ll have to\u00a0collect it himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn’t think\u00a0about it again.<\/p>\n
That evening, I\u00a0ran into Greg\u00a0in the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said you\u00a0wouldn\u2019t take my\u00a0package.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always used\u00a0to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo now you\u2019re\u00a0refusing my deliveries\u00a0too?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not refusing\u00a0anything. Your deliveries\u00a0aren’t my responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
I unlocked my\u00a0apartment door.<\/p>\n
Before I went\u00a0inside, I looked\u00a0back at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to\u00a0do favors for\u00a0a neighbor who\u00a0respected my\u00a0home.\u201d<\/p>\n
For once, Greg\u00a0had absolutely nothing\u00a0to say.<\/p>\n
I went inside\u00a0and closed the\u00a0door.<\/p>\n
The funny thing\u00a0is, I never\u00a0wanted a feud.<\/p>\n
I still don’t.<\/p>\n
If Greg asks\u00a0me to hold\u00a0the elevator, I’ll\u00a0hold it.<\/p>\n
If the fire\u00a0alarm goes off, I’ll knock on\u00a0his door\u00a0just like I\u00a0would for anyone\u00a0else.<\/p>\n
But I finally\u00a0understood something I\u00a0had spent eleven\u00a0years avoiding.<\/p>\n
Being a good\u00a0neighbor doesn’t mean\u00a0putting up with\u00a0bad behavior just\u00a0because you want\u00a0to keep things\u00a0peaceful.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, constantly keeping\u00a0the peace only\u00a0teaches another person\u00a0that you’ll tolerate\u00a0whatever they decide\u00a0to do.<\/p>\n
Greg expected me\u00a0to lose my\u00a0temper.<\/p>\n
Instead, I kept\u00a0the receipts.<\/p>\n
I took pictures.<\/p>\n
I learned the\u00a0rules.<\/p>\n
And I let\u00a0his own behavior\u00a0tell the rest\u00a0of the story.<\/p>\n
The following Saturday, I sat outside\u00a0with my coffee\u00a0at 7:04\u00a0a.m.<\/p>\n
Nothing came over\u00a0the railing.<\/p>\n
No wet\u00a0tea bag.<\/p>\n
No brown stain.<\/p>\n
Just my plants, my chair, and\u00a0a balcony that\u00a0finally felt like\u00a0mine again.<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A woman tried\u00a0to remain patient\u00a0while her upstairs\u00a0neighbor repeatedly tossed\u00a0used tea bags\u00a0onto her balcony. But after he\u00a0dismissed her complaints\u00a0with a laugh\u00a0and repeated the\u00a0behavior the very\u00a0next morning, she\u00a0realized that politely\u00a0asking him to\u00a0stop was no\u00a0longer working. My upstairs neighbor\u00a0throws his used\u00a0tea bags off\u00a0his balcony twice\u00a0a day, and\u00a0they land on\u00a0mine. Usually around 7\u00a0a.m. in\u00a0the morning and\u00a0again around 9\u00a0p.m. in\u00a0the…<\/p>\n