So I got into a confrontation with my neighbor today. Her son had left his bike in my driveway behind my son’s car. My son didn’t see it and ran it over. She comes running over and starts yelling at my son about how he needs to pay for it, and asking what he’s going to do to make it right. He was obviously a little intimidated (he’s only 19 and has never been in a situation like this), so he came in and got me. The lady starts screaming at me, saying the bike was in the neighbor’s driveway (we live in a duplex with connected driveways), despite the fact that the scrape from the bike dragging was very clearly in ours. She continued to aggressively yell at us, and we eventually got into an argument where, admittedly, we said some not-so-nice things to each other (nothing threatening, just a lot of name calling.) She then tells me she’s going to get her husband/boyfriend. I don’t think much of it, and figure the argument is over, until my doorbell goes off. I check the camera and see it’s the lady with some guy. When I open the door, he tells me he’s going to knock me out for disrespecting his woman and flinches at me like he’s going to do something, so I pulled my gun out of my back pocket ( I did not point it at them), and told them to get off of my property, which they did very quickly. AITA?
AITA For Pulling a Gun on My Neighbor for threatening me?
r/AITAH
Comments
NTA should’ve blasted
You were well within your rights!
NTA. Bro fucked around and almost found out. Hope he learned a lesson.
What he said to you is a crime called “assault” threatening to hurt you with physcial force call the police and have him charged with this ceome
NTA You were protecting yourself and family.
To your self if you didn’t call the cops (in part for the insurance claim because running over something metal can do a number on your undercarriage. So can being dragged out of your car at gun point by the coos for trying to run her kid over then threatening them with a gun when they said something. Remember, first person to tell the story is the first person whose right.
Also, would have attempted to deescalate by taking pictures and offering to take it to insurance. Yours should to cover the bike after her homeowners pays for the damages to your car.
Would also point out her negligence, what if her kid had been on that bike? Maybe teach him to not trespass next time…
Lmaaaaaao guns are illegal in my country so it sounds like a wild reaction but also nta, he was threatening you on your property, so in my very uneducated opinion I’m sure you were within your rights there. I don’t think many people would stand there and let somebody threaten them like that
Also im only laughing because it’d be a stellar way to end some arguments 🤣
I do think you should be wary of potential tit-for-tat backlash but I may just be a pussy lol
Nta. Don’t listen to these people. You meet force with force. If you would have shot that guy you’d be in jail as we speak. Next time just call the cops
Well buddy, I know what you’re doing this weekend, putting up security cameras, might want some of those “smile” signs to put just short of her yard
Everyone except your son is an asshole.
The kid who left his bike, his entitled mother, the belligerent boyfriend and the person who already had a gun in their pocket, and decided to pull it out.
Obviously, you live in a jurisdiction with loose gun laws. Where I live, the guy would have been charged with threatening, and you would have faced the more serious charge of weapons dangerous.
So you carry a gun around in your own house. Yeah, you’re the asshole.
But I don’t believe your story. People don’t carry deadly weapons around in their own homes, in the back pockets.
NTA. You saw what came to your door and everyone has the right to protect their home (castle doctrine). Granted you didn’t need to answer the door but keep and eye on that wacko neighbor and her crazy man who wants to fight a woman.
People who say you’d get arrested for having a weapon in your house are clueless of the laws and that the 2nd Amendment grants you that right.
Your neighbor is TAH and she can fix her own kids bike. If you have a landlord, you should inform them of this incident. You should have also called the police to get an incident report too.
You used a home defence option in the way that it is intended to be used. If he went to a police station and said that to police, they would’ve drawn too.
YTA for pulling a gun over an argument about a kid’s bike. wtf is wrong with people
Nope, way to play. The bike is not you responsibility either. File a police report and restraining order. God bless!
NTA!!!
I live in a stand your ground, don’t even need a waiting period, here have your gun state. So i’m obviously biased. That being said: should’ve emptied the mag.
Ugh neighbor feuds are the worst. Yeah if they threatened you but I always tell people if you’re going to pull it be sure you’re going to use it because had that man had a gun and got a shot off first you or someone you love could’ve died. I would have never answered the door. People do stupid things when they are angry. Hopefully you can hash it out when everyone cools down. Sorry you had to go through that and especially for your son.
Yes YTA.
That situation could have been completely avoided. She threatened to get someone to sort you out. You were behind a closed door and did not need to intervene.
Don’t answer the door, and if needed, call the police.
Unless you have fantasies about murdering people, there was no reason to open the door WITH a gun. You put yourself in that situation, and it could have escalated to someone dying over a fucking bike!!!
You better watch all your valuable and property, report this to your rental company as well if you do rent part of a duplex. File a police report that you were threatened with violence on your own property.
No wonder there’s so many shootings in America.
From a broken bike to death threats. What a bunch of macho sicko’s
If someone comes to your home with intent to harm you, I wouldn’t call you the AHole for doing this.
Some states, require you to retreat to the point of no retreat with fear for your life before you can use it..
But In my book you’re all good.
No one should ever think they can come to your home and harm you because you disrespected of of theirs, or for any reason imo.
NTA. You just warned him that you are capable of defending yourself. It’s not like you pulled it out during the initial argument; only when physical threats of harm were made. You have every right to defend yourself and your family from unhinged people.
You might want to look into moving. I’m feeling nervous for your son.
NTA. Glad you did call the police. Even happier you had it recorded! Save that video! You probably will have some kind of retaliation so extra cameras is a smart idea on your part. I hope this blows over for you soon! But if they do retaliate, prosecute to the hilt.
Nta well played
Fuck them. You are not the AH. They are. You also have more constraint than because I would’ve started blasting.
You were not in the wrong but next time he will come with a gun also, so what next? Are you heading towards a shoot out or have – like in areas in the world where people do not randomly walk around with weapons – sit down a discuss the matter? In the end she / he is and will continue to be your neighbour and do you really want to feel unsafe in your own home all the time? You pulling your gun was your right, but now you have escalated into a whole new level.
YTA. Never pull a weapon unless you’re ready to fire it.
YTA only bc I know you said something really rude and probably racist.
This thread is like a snapshot of the true nature of what one might call a gun problem in this country.
On the one hand, you have the neurotic types, calling you an AH for nothing other than owning a firearm in the first place. Now that you came close to using it as intended, they are losing their minds.
On the other hand, you have the raging dimwits with their “should have emptied the mag” rhetoric. Which is something they’d never do themselves. Because people who are capable of making a decision like that never talk about it.
And somewhere in the middle you have a small percentage of rational folks. Unfortunately, with the Great War on Common Sense being in full swing lately, there seem to be fewer and fewer of those who tend to think before they speak.
NTA. He threatened violence and you responded with “I’ve got a gun, please back off”.
No nta you were simply defending your private property simple
NTA. Next time point it at him.
> told them to get off of my property, which they did very quickly
And that tells you that you were NTA for pulling on the asswipes. lol
>flinches at me like he’s going to do something
The fact that he is still alive shows that he is lucky.
Are you American? Because pulling a gun out over a silly argument is the most American thing.
Have you not seen the video of the neighbours arguing over some snow and one of them gets his gun out, murders his two neighbours and then shoots himself? Use your words next time or you’ll end up dead.
NTA The only thing I would add since you did brownish a gun hopefully you’ve called the cops. In my opinion it is better to get ahead of this narrative before they can set their own story. They showed that they were a physical threat and you showed you at a weapon to deal with that threat.
Americas answer to everything
You should have called the police… I (54M) have a personal policy that if I draw my weapon I use my weapon. I’m not saying this should be your policy because of my size and background if I have to display my weapon then the threat is real and needs neutralized …all other methods of deescalation have failed. I don’t think you are the AH and they will definitely think twice before confronting you again but you have put things to a 0-10 scenario. There no in between at this point. What you did is called ‘brandishing’ …now you did so out of self defense because of a perceived threat, but did you play out the scenario before you drew? He was obviously within arms reach otherwise a ‘flinch’ wouldn’t have been effective so NOT aiming your weapon at the threat only put you jeopardy because he could have grabbed you and possibly disarmed you. I would contact a lawyer and upon receiving their advice consider making a report regarding the incident so there is a record of their aggression and harassment.
Yta. You never mentioned this man having a gun. I’m not this scary therefore I cannot relate. I would have just not answered the door and called the police if I was really that fearful of my life.
NTA fuck that Karen and her psycho boyfriend probably named Kyle or some shit
What did the police say?
Thought you were going to be in the wrong. But NTA.
I know that you are not gonna like it but this is what we British see as wrong with your gun ridden society. Here, such disputes are rarely escalated to fisticuffs.
NTA
YTA you should only pull your gun if you intend to shoot.