Confession: Nosy Neighbor? Vigilante Conservationist?
Never did this before: last night, walked up and turned off the faucet in front of a stranger's house.
If there was any premeditation, it was only for an instant, before I acted. The rest was instinct - or insanity.
But NO! What I saw was insanity!
Setting: walking at 11 p.m. Rounded a familiar corner, heard the sound of rushing, splashing water. Thought: Oooo, maybe there's a new pond and waterfall up ahead - I know there's already a nice one a few houses further along. But no: 3 to 5 gallons per minute was running along the curb, pouring into the gutter drain. Run-off from someone's sprinkler.
Now, this was not your ordinary sprinkler set-up. This was one of those oscillating kinds that wave a fan-shaped fountain of little streams back and forth, projecting each little stream 15 to 20 feet. The sprinkler was set SMACK in the middle of a double-wide driveway, set on "full arc" oscillation. So it was watering both sides of lawn on either side of the driveway. But it was also expending about 50 percent of the water supply on the CEMENT! Plus, the lawn was already saturated. After all, it had rained only a few days before. The clay soil holds onto water a good, long time. So at the moment I happened upon the scene, EVERY DROP that was coming out of that sprinkler was lining-up in the wasteful runoff train.
The only stupider arrangement would have been to set the sprinkler in the middle of the street.
No one else was outside. All lights inside looked to be off. No cars in the driveway. No cars, or people, or other sounds anywhere in the neighborhood. I felt it inappropriate, too risky for being unnecessarily upsetting, to walk up to the door at such a late hour. Call me nosy, presumptuous, arrogant, sanctimonious, too quick to look for trouble, whatever - but I was NOT going to just walk on by and suffer that stupidity!
I think my afterthoughts as I stormed away, continuing my walk, were like: (imagining being confronted by someone) Dare ya, TELL me to mind my own business! Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I was doing! Preventing wastes of water like that IS my business...next time my water bill goes up, I'll sue the plumbing right out of your walls, Jack!
Then...(imagining that I had walked by while the sprinkler mis-manager was standing outside, and had the chance to initiate the confrontation)..."You know, the water running down the street there to the drain is as much as is coming out of your sprinkler right now. If you're trying to water the grass, it's got all it's gonna take. I would turn it off, if I were you." [Waiting a moment, then if no favorable response, DefCon 2] "Do you appreciate how much water you are WASTING here?! I do, and I would appreciate it if you would TURN YOUR SPRINKLER OFF!"...[if, after being flipped-off or otherwise ignored further] "I'm going to find out where I can lodge a complaint against you for this waste!" and then walk away.
I did not search this forum or any other for similar occurrences or situations. But I am curious to read of anyone else who might make a similar confession. As always, I can appreciate a diversity of views on what-to-do in situations like last night's - you have read mine.
mudbugtx
jmwb
Related Professionals
Towson Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Aloha Landscape Contractors · Alpharetta Landscape Contractors · Brunswick Landscape Contractors · Cliffside Park Landscape Contractors · Indianapolis Landscape Contractors · North Canton Landscape Contractors · Welby Landscape Contractors · Hawaiian Gardens Landscape Contractors · Selma Landscape Contractors · Maple Heights Landscape Contractors · New Lenox Siding & Exteriors · Klamath Falls General Contractors · Troutdale General Contractors · University City General Contractorsnomadh
conniecat
westtxteach
big_kitty
Linda_8B
tuanh
Jeanine55
thedogwoods
spiros
Aaron__IN
Luv2gardn2
mikie_gw
cindy_ash
ecocentricsolutions
eveningblooms
madspinner
midnight_jasmine