AITA for not taking neighbour's parcel?
In a quiet street lined with just a handful of homes, a simple act of kindness sparked an unexpected connection.
A man, quietly navigating the complexities of shared custody and single parenthood, found himself drawn into a neighbor’s world through the routine delivery of a heavy package.
What began as a casual gesture unfolded into a delicate dance of companionship and unspoken desires, revealing the profound need for human connection amid the solitude. As months passed, the boundaries between neighborly courtesy and something deeper blurred.
The woman’s persistent invitations and heartfelt conversations transformed fleeting moments into meaningful encounters, stirring emotions and vulnerabilities neither had anticipated.
In this small community, beneath the calm surface, a story of longing, strength, and the search for understanding quietly blossomed.
I (33M) have one child (5M), for whom I share custody with my ex. I currently live in a 2-bed rental on a quiet street with a row of only 5 other houses along our road. I live on the end of the row.
About 6 months ago, I took in a package delivered for the house at the other end of the row. The package was a heavy box, containing a bag of dog food.
Later that evening, the neighbour (38F) came to pick it up. I know she lives alone and offered to carry it for her.
She accepted the offer and thanked me, and as I carried it to hers she kept commenting on the fact that I was being a 'gentleman' and it was good to see a 'big strong man' in action.
Bit weird but whatever - I'm not that big/strong, although I do go to the gym a few times a week to keep myself in shape.
When I got it to hers, she insisted I come in for a glass of water and kept me there for an hour, just chattering on. The same delivery has come (to me) every month since then.
In the evening, she comes to collect, and I carry it over to hers.
Each time, she will try to chatter away at me (inside the house, if she can coax me in; or on the doorstep if I can find an excuse not to go in).
Then last month, when she came to collect the package, my son was home with me. I couldn’t take the box up to her as I was making his dinner.
She complained that it was too heavy to carry herself and that it would only take a few minutes. I refused, but offered to bring it up later that evening. She pouted and huffed and went home.
Half hour later she posted a note through the door with her mobile number on it and asked me to message when I could bring it.
I had to feed my son, give him his bath, play with him, put him to bed… Once I’d done all that, I finally messaged her. She didn’t reply until the next day, telling me she had been tired and fallen asleep.
Then a few hours later she sent through a long, rambling TIRADE.
She told me I should have helped, that I was selfish, that I obviously hadn’t wanted to help her as I could have asked her to stay with my son while I carried it (fair point, though it just didn’t occur to me in that moment), and that if I really wanted to help her I would have messaged her earlier.
This was all sprinkled with some very colourful language. I was in complete shock. I apologised and said I would bring it to her that evening, which I then did.
Last week, the day came again for that parcel to arrive. And this time I refused to take it.
She came banging on the door later in the evening and screamed at me for not taking the package, that she now had to find a way to get it from the company depot and that it was going to cost her a fortune.
Now everyone along the street knows about it. Another neighbour (58M) has made it clear that he thinks I’m the AH and has threatened to complain to my landlord about my “un-neighbourly behaviour”.
I really don’t think I’m in the wrong here. AITA?
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THIS STORY SHOOK THE INTERNET – AND REDDITORS DIDN’T HOLD BACK.:
The crowd poured into the comments, bringing a blend of heated opinions, solid advice, and a few reality checks along the way.
LamzyDoates - :- She seems to want your parcel, and seems to think being an entitled pouter is the way to go about it. NTA, and no more favors for the weirdo.
Espeonaged - :- I would send screenshots of her obscene text message to anyone who gives you crap about not taking in her package. NTA at all
Pashley86 - :- NTA she's unhinged and if the other neighbor tells the landlord you can show them the messages between you two to show how crazy this lady is
PicardNCC1701D - :- NTA - At first it sounded like she had a crush on you, now she sounds a little on the ungrateful and possibly obsessive. I would be careful with her, I'd be careful she may cause more problems for you.
imakesawdust - :- NTA. It doesn't sound like your 58M neighbor stepped up to volunteer to accept and deliver the parcel, though, did he?
DaddyDom0001 - :- NTA. Tell her to have it delivered to her house after demanding you abandon a child at home to themselves to help her.
Oddveig37 - :- NTA and reverse the roles here. Wouldn't this give you the ick if this was a dude and you were a woman? (Regardless of the task asked of you)
The individual in this situation initially offered help based on a perceived need, which then escalated into an ongoing, expected service that led to conflict when boundaries were finally asserted.
The core tension lies between the initial, positive social gesture and the subsequent neighbor's growing sense of entitlement to that assistance, creating a difficult social dynamic.
When does a neighborly favor transition into an enforced obligation, and at what point is it acceptable to refuse repeated demands for assistance, even if it risks social friction on a quiet street?