Reddit Users Rally Around A Woman Who Refused To Pay Neighborhood Kids For Shoveling Her Driveway
The kids were trying to hustle up some business, but it turned out they didn't have all of their ducks in a row.
Some neighbors help out, and some neighbors turn a snowy driveway into a full-blown dispute. In this Reddit story, a woman known as beaversm26 found herself dealing with a messy situation after neighborhood kids shoveled her driveway and then demanded payment she never agreed to.
What started as a simple winter chore quickly escalated when the kids made a scene, their mother stepped in, and the pressure spilled over into neighborhood gossip. The woman said she had not asked for the help, but the kids and their mom saw it very differently.
She brought the whole thing to Reddit, and the response was swift. Now the question is whether she was being unfair, or just refusing to pay for something she never ordered.
The neighbor kids shoveled the snow but there was a little twist
Things took a slight turn and became something they never expected. Here's how the story goes.
julie corsiThe story starts with a snowpocalypse
The OP lived in a cold place, and at the time, there was 14 inches of snowfall. She didn't know what awaited her.
u/beaversm26No experience with kids
Having little experience with kids, she doesn't really like them and also doesn't have kids of her own.
u/beaversm26
The surprising payment demand
The kids shoveled her driveway, but she never asked them to. They demanded money even though no one had said they would get paid for shoveling the driveway.
u/beaversm26
She was going to do it herself
Perplexed by the sudden situation, she said she didn't have any cash. Moreover, she never asked them to do it or agreed to pay.
u/beaversm26
Kids created a scene
The kids started to demand money for the work they did. But the OP, who didn't ask them to do anything, shut her door.
u/beaversm26
Enter the mom
After two hours, their mom came over and started screaming, as if the kids hadn't already created a scene.
u/beaversm26
The mom came prepared
The mom tried to make the OP feel bad. She said that her kids helped her and that she was being ungrateful for not paying.
u/beaversm26
Things started to get out of hand
She was getting irritated because she never agreed to pay them. Moreover, the kids should have first asked her.
u/beaversm26
She put her foot down
Even though they were kids, the OP didn't want them to get away with it and let them do whatever they wanted in the future. So, she refused to pay.
u/beaversm26
She was ill-treated for not paying
Many rumors started, and she was called a heartless monster who took advantage of kids. She turned to Reddit to see if she was the bad person in this situation.
u/beaversm26
Reddit users supported her decision
Many people commented that she wasn't wrong and appreciated her decision. This is what fellow Redditors had to say about the whole situation.
This also echoes a neighbor refusing vet bills, while someone kept the lost pet.
This looked less like a favor and more like a demand.
This is a legit shakedown
It's better to look into the matter more seriously. Warning the neighborhood is also important.
saintjimmy43
Helping or scamming?
Firstly, she never asked them to do the shoveling for her. Secondly, they were on her property without her permission.
shadow-foxe
Yeah, it was totally uncalled for
The kids were not invited there and didn't have any business with someone else's problems. The same goes for their mother.
SaikaTheCasual
It could also turn ugly
Being cautious is crucial, as you never know what other allegations they might come up with. Yes, a trespassing complaint would keep them off your property.
nolan358
It was manipulative
They were most likely trying to scam her. Acting like they were helping her, they were actually trying to help themselves.
ButAlice
Thanks for the volunteer work though
They might come back with something else. It's better to be prepared.
Smuff23
Yeah, the mother should do it
If the mother really were pro-helping, she would have paid the kids herself or appreciated the girl's decision.
_teddybelle
It's actually fishy
Maybe things are entirely different deep down with the kids.
Full_Worldliness1480
Who would take the responsibility?
Even if it was a small thing like shoveling, they were trespassing on someone else's property. It could easily become a big problem, and then whose responsibility would it have been?
GrowCrows
The regard for consent and boundaries
Absolutely, people need to know their boundaries. They don't have the right to interfere in the matters of others.
Andante79
This was a weirdly interesting story, and you can surely take away a thing or two from this. A lesson and a laugh, it's on you.
People wholeheartedly supported the OP, and you would also agree it was not her fault and she didn't deserve the hate she was getting.
Nobody wants to be billed after the fact.
Wait until you read about the $600 snow-cleanup deal, and the demand that followed.
