My neighbor is drivng me crazy!
By ctrymuziklvr
@ctrymuziklvr (11057)
United States
November 21, 2007 1:40pm CST
I live in a building where everyone is on a fixed income of one type or another. Most of us are on Social Security and I work a small one day a week part time job to help myself get by. I smoke and it's a very expensive habit that I can't break but I do it anyway.
There is a man who lives down the hall from me who is always trying to quit smoking. Yeah, he's quitting..he quit buying them is what he's done. He is at my door first thing in the morning and every couple of hours through the day and has even knocked at my door as late as 11:00 at night. I fall asleep with my tv on and think he should know that by now but he knocks anyway. Sometimes when I feel like I've really had it with him I will tell him I quit smoking...lol...but I always end up going back of course. I have to admit though he has gone to the store for me if I'm out of them and around check day he will give me .25 for one so it's not always just a hand out. He's basically a nice guy and I don't want to hurt his feelings by saying no. Today really got me though because I know you can hear my shower from the front door and he was knocking and sounded like he wasn't going to stop. Luckily my bathroom is small so I stepped a foot out of the shower and opened the bathroom door and yelled out "I'm in the shower"....he left of course but was right back about ten minutes later....grrrrr!
Thanks for letting me vent. I'll still give him those cigarettes because I know how it is to try to quit smoking but it gets old after awhile.
5 people like this
10 responses
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
22 Nov 07
Maybe its more than just the smokes and he actually likes to visit with you too LOL
My husband is a smoker and there are several people in his office that always bum smokes off him. Instead of a carton of smokes lasting a week and a bit, its all gone within a few days because he is constantly giving two other people his smokes. So last week he told them both that he will no longer be giving out anymore smokes because he is now on a budget and has to make his smokes last. They both said they were quitting but everytime he goes out for one, they follow him LOL not anymore haha
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
21 Nov 07
i hate to say this but it seems like you are facilitating his bothering you. maybe if you stop giving him smokes and get him to stop going to the store for you, you can complain to your super, but i kinda think you are partially to blame here (sorry, just my opinion!)
2 people like this
@ctrymuziklvr (11057)
• United States
22 Nov 07
You don't have to tell me that...of course I know it's my fault. That's why when I've had it I tell him I've quit but then I'm afraid he'll bump into me at the store buying them and I would have to explain myself and don't want to deal with all of that. It's my fault ...I know it.
1 person likes this
@armywifey (883)
• United States
22 Nov 07
If he is trying to quite you should be supportive and not allow him to bum off of you. You should tell them that you are just facilitating to him not quiting and you would like to see him quite and you are just not going to give him anymore smokes.
2 people like this
@violeta_va (4831)
• Australia
22 Nov 07
I had the same thing with my neighbour. She drives I dont, she workes I dont, she had more money than me. I had a small baby then my husband was in the army (they dont pay much in Macedonian Army only about $50). And she would come at least 3-4 times a week to ask me for smokes. I used to give them to her (she would take at least 4) I was living of whatever money my parents could send me because I got about $100 a month from social security and my baby was costing me at least $200 a month. So The way I made the whole thing stop was I had 2 packets with smokes one that I smoked from and 1 that I had 2-3 smokes (somethimes more somethimes less) when she droped in I would take the one that had less smokes and show it to her. She eventually stoped asking.
2 people like this
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
22 Nov 07
I smoke, ctry, and with the prices being what they are, and also on a minimum budget, I would at least try and tell him sorry, you only have a few left. He might be a nice guy but mooching is mooching.
Or, tell him to buy a pack for himself and give it to you to hold, then you can leave one every few hours outside your door, haha. But at least he's paying for his own.
I know how hard it is to quit, I've tried twice myself, but never did I ever borrow any from my friends. That would be way toooo annoying to me.
After a few days or so and he's low on cigs (the one's he bought himself mind you), just let him know the pack is getting low again and he'll have to buy another one.
I would only put up with this for a week or so, and then tell him you just can't keep coming to the door like that, or each time he does, tell him you're on the phone.
Good Luck.
2 people like this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
26 Nov 07
Tell him to buy a pack and leave it with you, but when he runs out, he will no longer get some unless he buys another pack.
Explain, you are on a budget and can't afford your habit, much less his.
And also set up rules. No coming by before or after a certain time or at meal time etc. Make him work for it too. 'Oh, thanks for coming by, as long as you are here and dressed could you please take out my garbage' Make the visit a bit annoying.
1 person likes this
@wisedragon (2325)
• Philippines
22 Nov 07
He was able to quit buying it. You should be able to do that too. That's the best way to put a stop to this. You won't have anything to give him. You'll be saying the truth when you tell him you don't have any. Eventually he'll stop knocking at your door. Both of you will be healthier.
2 people like this
