The guy next door timed my sprinkler setup and wouldn't shut up about it

Last month I spent a Saturday putting in a drip line for my raised beds, about 40 feet of tubing and 12 emitters. My neighbor Tom comes over, watches for five minutes, then says, 'You know you're gonna waste 30 bucks a month on water with that layout.' He then pulled out his phone and showed me a calculator app for irrigation rates. I told him it's a tomato patch, not a golf course, but he kept going for another 20 minutes. Has anyone else had a neighbor who acts like a backyard auditor, or is mine just a special case?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlesanderson1mo ago

Next he'll audit your grocery bill and tell you to grow 40 feet of tomatoes.

schmidt.eva1mo ago

Tbh, this reminds me of that study I read about how people overestimate their ability to spot waste, like they think they're saving the world by micromanaging someone else's drip line. Honestly, Tom probably read one article on drought restrictions and now he's the neighborhood water czar. @charlesanderson got it right though, next he'll be counting your tomato seeds or timing your compost turns. Ngl, I'd just start watering right when he's mowing his lawn and see how fast he backpedals. Some folks just can't let a good spreadsheet go to waste, even if it's not their spreadsheet.