They say you can’t pick your family, but oh, how nice it would be if we could at least pick our neighbors. While some of them are great, sharing their sugar and the occasional gossip, others treat your lawn like their personal racetrack and always find different, creative ways to test your patience.

And one homeowner knows this all too well as her neighbors are breaking her boundaries, quite literally, every day, jumping her fence to reach their homes.

More info: Mumsnet

Good neighbors give you sugar, but bad neighbors give you a headache

Image credits: Mary Taylor / Pexels (not the actual photo)

One homeowner’s yard became the neighborhood shortcut as strangers keep jumping her fence to walk to their homes

Image credits: Nazrin Babashova / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

The woman’s house is located in a cul-de-sac and next to her lawn there is a narrow walkway which people use to reach their homes, school and supermarket, but jump her fence to get to it

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Image credits: AveryC

The woman is fed up with people walking all over her property and plans on putting up a taller fence or even planting some thorny bushes to keep people away

The OP (original poster) recently moved into a new development, nestled at the end of a cozy cul-de-sac. Sounds idyllic, right? It should be, but it’s really not. The real estate brochure forgot to mention one little detail – a narrow footpath nearby that connects the school and supermarket. Sounds harmless, until you realize the shortcut brigade isn’t content with using the path. Nope, they’ve decided the OP’s yard is a better option.

And by “they,” I mean everyone. Parents, kids, maybe even the mailman. The fence-hopping Olympics are in full swing, complete with gold-medal-worthy landings right in front of the door and casual strolls across the OP’s lawn. It’s not even subtle. It’s like her yard has become a neighborhood hangout spot, minus the invite.

Now, I don’t know about you, but if strangers were stomping on my grass, I’d be out there “watering my plants” every day. The OP, though? She’s trying to stay calm, at least for now, but she’s bracing for things to heat up, literally and figuratively.

Don’t get me wrong, I get it. I tend to choose the shortest way home also, but saving 3 minutes of walking by entering someone’s property doesn’t seem worth it. So, why do people like taking shortcuts? Turns out, we’re hardwired for efficiency – or laziness, depending on how you look at it.

Studies show that humans naturally pick the easiest option available and involuntarily base their decisions on the effort required to act on that decision, even if it means bending a few rules. So, basically, this “shortcut mentality” comes down to convenience outweighing consequences. Translation: when your lawn stands between someone and their dinner, it’s almost like an invitation to walk all over it.

So, what’s a fed-up homeowner to do? Netizens are already brainstorming solutions, from taller fences to planting thorny bushes. Whether she goes for subtle or savage, one thing’s for sure: this neighborhood shortcut might finally be dead-end.

Image credits: AveryC

To find out more about the story and the OP’s plans, Bored Panda reached out to the poster for some comments. She told us that she moved into the new place, which is part of a new development, 3 weeks ago and the trespassing issue has been going on since day one.

On the first day, there were more people attempting to cross, likely because they assumed it’s a public path, so the poster doesn’t blame them for not knowing.

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“However, a group of regulars has started crossing daily, and I know that if I don’t take any action, they will continue doing this. Recently, teenagers have also started crossing, displaying rough and sometimes inappropriate behavior, which is becoming a bigger concern,” the poster explained.

We asked the poster if there have been any damages to the property from all the traffic. She told us that there hasn’t been any major damage yet, likely because this has only been happening for a short time. Still, she’s concerned that the fence could get damaged eventually, as it’s made of delicate wood and bends when people step on it.

We wanted to know if the poster has tried speaking directly with any of the neighbors about the situation. She explained that she hasn’t, as the issue involves both locals and strangers. She continued by saying that she is worried that bringing it up with neighbors might seem like she is unfairly singling them out when the problem isn’t limited to just them.

We also asked the poster if she plans to implement any changes, like higher fences or other barriers. She told us that she is currently working with the developer to address this issue. They share her concerns and agree it’s unfair. They’re planning a meeting to explore the possibility of replacing the current fence with a taller one, though this will depend on regulatory considerations.

“I also plan to plant some bushes or other vegetation as barriers. However, I’m aware that if people are determined to cross, these obstacles might not completely stop them,” the poster explained.

What’s your take on this story? Would you raise the fence, install a sprinkler trap, or let the trespassers face thorny landscaping? Drop your ideas in the comments.

People in the comments got creative, suggesting different ideas to the woman, and some of them are pretty reasonable

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