An ongoing dispute between next door neighbours in Watsonia has reportedly reached fever pitch after a passive aggressive nature strip mow was spotted on the border between the two warring properties. While tensions have existing between the occupants of the two local houses for close to three years now, the latest lawn snub has been described as a clear statement of intent, representing arguably the post petty act a suburban person can commit.
The act involves a form of tribal suburbanism, where one neighbour refuses to mow an extra square metre of nature strip because it’s not technically theirs, clearly marking their territory in the process. The odd demarcation technique is actually not uncommon in suburban Australia, despite the fact it prevents the offender from administering the ultimate boss move of mowing your neighbour’s tiny patch of grass and letting them know that you:
a) mowed it so you own it
b) care more about the presentation of your property than your neighbour does.
In this specific case, tensions are seemingly so high between the two feuding households occupants from neither home agreed to be interviewed for this story. Instead, we had to rely on secondary evidence from a neighbour that lives across the road. They said, “Things have been a bit off between those two for a while now. Ever since old mate starting parking his car right near whatshisname’s driveway. Those tensions just seemed to simmer away for a while, but this latest act is sure to ignite the whole situation. I’m not sure what will happen, but I’ll be watching closely.”
The Watsonia Bugle 