Exactly As Planned
The lights were on all the time, through the entire day and all night. To make matters worse they shone straight through their window, this meant they couldn't get any shut-eye during the night. After two weeks he had had enough, he felt that there was no consideration.
His neighbor now stood in front of him making eye contact with a pair of pliers. He didn't look happy, but that was all part of Jack's plan.
Jack And Holly
Jack had a beautiful wife named Holly and three wonderful children. They lived in a quiet suburb while Jack spent the day as a cop.
They both worked very busy jobs which made their free time all the more special. So when new neighbors moved in and changed everything, they needed to put an end to it.
New Neighbors
Next door a middle-aged couple moved in. They seemed like sweet people at first, but Jack would learn that appearances can be deceiving.
What they were doing would soon make Jack spring into action, he would use all the knowledge he had gained in his service as a cop. They would regret messing with him.
No Sleep
After two solid weeks without any sleep because of bright floodlights shining into their bedroom, they knew something had to change. They never turned them off so Jack decided to talk to them.
The floodlights were in the perfect place just to illuminate their bedroom window. Even their blackout curtains did nothing against such a powerful light. Jack politely asked for them to turn it off. But he could never have prepared himself for their response.
Acting Irrational
The older couple flat-out refused. The wife was terrified of her own shadow and insisted that they stay on.
The floodlight above the garage always stayed on and there were no exceptions. She couldn't even see them from the house but needed them on as a "deterrent". Jack was beyond frustrated, he had to think of another way.
Hitting Breaking Point
Jack decided to wait a week and then try a different approach. He offered to buy them a timer so they could sleep at night, Then everyone could be happy at the compromise.
But yet again they weren't willing to even do that. Jack decided that he would have to try a less friendly approach. They were crazy if they thought that they were being reasonable.
Taking Action
After the couple left one night he turned their security cameras so they wouldn't see what he would do next. Then he would come back and do it all under the cover of night.
He knew how to be sneaky with all of his training as a cop. He couldn't afford to have them find out that he did it.
Loosening The Lights
Jack grabbed a ladder and loosened the lights just enough so as they wouldn’t turn on. Six months passed before the neighbors even realized they weren’t working.
Jack watched as his neighbor fixed the lights again. Then he waited two more weeks before he did the exact same thing. But this time, it would end differently.
Figuring It Out
Another 3 months passed before the neighbors noticed the lights weren't working again. Jack watched as his neighbor grabbed a ladder and tightened them once more. But this time, he could sense something was off.
Suddenly, Jack heard someone banging on his front door.
Scepticism
It was him. He still had a pair of pliers in his hands. He asked Jack if he ever had any problems with his outdoor lights.
Thinking quickly, Jack responded, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. They loosen up occasionally and I have to retighten them. I blame it on the vibration from the traffic on our street”. But he wasn’t buying it.
Confrontation
The neighbor’s eyes narrowed. “Really? Vibration from the street? Do you really expect me to believe that?”. He became visibly angry.
“It’s funny how all this has unfolded. You really wanted those lights to go and now, I find out that there's actually a problem with all outdoor lights?”. Things were reaching a boiling point.
Playing The Cop Card
“Listen man”, Jack said. He took his belt and handcuffs that hung on the coat rack beside him. “I’m a cop. If you’re accusing me of something here, I’ll be happy to take you down to the precinct and we can talk this out”.
The man hesitated. He had no idea Jack was a cop. Suddenly, his demeanor changed.
Changing Demeanor
He switched from angry and confrontational to calm and understanding in the blink of an eye. He told Jack that he wasn’t accusing him at all and it was just a misunderstanding.
Jack continued “I eventually stopped tightening my lights and just left them off. They became a real nuisance”. Jack smiled and waved the man off. But was the ordeal finally over?
A Party Piece
Eventually, the man did the exact same thing and left the lights off. Jack wondered how heated the situation would have gotten if he didn’t play his cop card.
Overall, he was happy with how the situation played out and had quite the story to tell to his family and friends at dinner parties.
Peaceful Ever After
They managed to avoid disrupting the peace in the neighborhood and learned to live with each other thereafter in peace.
The new neighbors never bothered them again but remained civil and would say hi and wave any time they passed each other. Thankfully, no one needed to get the cops involved because Jack already was one!