Neighbours

tuttle88

I think it is important to know your neighbours on some level. It means that you know that whatever happens there is somebody nearby who you can call on if anything happens. I live with my grandmother who is 84 and I know that if she gets into trouble while I'm out that she can call on the next door neighbour to help. If I run out of sugar I can go to my neighbour and get it.

Just because you know your neighbours doesn't mean that they come bother you every day asking for stuff. Its really only when they need something or if you both happen to be outside at the same time. I've got two examples one more serious than the other.

1) My grandmother and her brother decide to walk home from a party around the corner at night (idiots, I know). Halfway down the street his legs give way, a couple of guys who live up the street who I've never met, help him to the house, they go home. I manage to convince my great uncle to go to the hospital, I need help getting him into the car, I see the light is on across the road and I know that I can go over there and ask for help.

2) I'm driving home and I notice that the guy two houses up has parked his car on the street and left his lights on. Because we vaguely know each other I know that it is his car and go and tell him he has left his lights on.

You don't have to have people over into your house, you don't have to talk to them every day. So what if you have to small talk once in a while. Does it really hurt that much? Knowing your neighbours is about safety and security, plus if you know them and are friendly they are less likely to call the police if you make a loud noise.

Rym

The thing is, everyone still looks out for everyone else even if they don't know or directly care about eachother. Not long ago, I was running and saw a man's truck top open, spilling belongings into the street. I helped him gather it all back together and went on my way never knowing his name. People offer me rides all the time when I run (they seem to think my car has broken down: why else would someone be out on the road on foot?) If asked, people jump to give directions or suggest restaurants.

Everyone looks out for everyone else just the same, but we don't have to know eachothers' names. I rarely give my name to anyone unless asked for it or introduced, and I'll admit that I bristle if some stranger interrupts my reverie at the train station to comment about the weather.

Everywhere I've lived (except my early youth in Detroit), neighbors didn't know eachother, but they still came together when someone needed help.

Andrew

My neighbors always go on trips to Europe and stuff. Almost 100% of the time they bring me back free things cause I get their mail for them. I like free stuff...mmmmm

Silly Aussies and their silent "u"...I suppose its colours as well. eh, mate?

tuttle88

Silly Aussies and their silent "u"...I suppose its colours as well. eh, mate?

Yup, and harbour. We also have centre and theatre and all that other crazy shit.

Apreche

People offer me rides all the time when I run (they seem to think my car has broken down: why else would someone be out on the road on foot?)

It's because you aren't wearing fancy athletic running clothes. If you had an iPod and wore some brightly colored, overpriced, unecessary athletic wear, then nobody would ask if you needed a ride.

Rym

If you had an iPod and wore some brightly colored, overpriced, unecessary athletic wear, then nobody would ask if you needed a ride.

The point was that people assume I'm in trouble and offer to help. ^_~

Apreche

See, there's more to it than just helping. Most people are generally good and will help complete strangers in need. The media will try to convince us otherwise, but they're wrong. What I was pointing out in the video was how the whole community was celebrating a great achievement together. What's more awesome, two kids playing basketball in the backyard or a neighborhood basketball league where people spectate and cheer? I just wish that people would come together more in the good times, and not just the bad times.

TheWhaleShark

Aside from the good feeling and sense of community, there can be some tangible benefits to being friendly with your neighbors. I was out with a friend one night, hanging out in a local tavern and having a couple of beers, when the bartender plops a fresh pint in front of me and says, "This is from Josh." Looking around, I see my next-door neighbor Josh behind the bar, washing glasses.

So, get friendly with your neighbors. You never know when you might get a free beer out of it.

crowe

I guess to start, I'm mostly just like Rym in terms with my relation to the rest of people. I like hanging out with people that I choose to hang out with, and tend to avoid the rest of folks; small talk irritates/bores me entirely, talking about common interests is much better, &c. What hasn't been mentioned however, is that the accumulation of small talk over time (ie. just taking a little extra time at the Farmer's Market, showing up at the local pub for trivia night, that kind of thing) eventually turns into common interests over time, that being the shared history. You definitely only get out what you put into a community though, just like any other relationship. (For example, I don't put a dang thing into it, and I'm ok with that.)

It would also be interesting if towns started to develop over time to harbour specific cultures (almost along the lines of what Neal Stephenson proposes in Snow Crash and The Diamond Age). What if a town started pushing itself as a geek town the same way that towns nowadays might push themselves as a football town? What if instead of trivia night at the local bar, there were board game or sci-fi nights? What if you could move to a town in which everyone was mostly just like you in terms of values and interests? It's a bit of a shame that these are also the sort of shifts that take generations to happen.

Andrew

It would also be interesting if towns started to develop over time to harbour specific cultures (almost along the lines of what Neal Stephenson proposes in Snow Crash and The Diamond Age). What if a town started pushing itself as a geek town the same way that towns nowadays might push themselves as a football town? What if instead of trivia night at the local bar, there were board game or sci-fi nights? What if you could move to a town in which everyone was mostly just like you in terms of values and interests?

Let the migration to Beacon begin...

La Petit Mort

I'm imagining an stampede of massive magnitude composing of nothing but people who speak native l33t.

MagL33To

My neighbours on one side are cool, and always have been. We arent like best of buddys or anything like that, but we'll chat if we see eachother etc. My neighbour on the other side used to be nice, but since she's gotten older she's got cranky and moany. I really don't like her anymore...

Cremlian

Aside from the good feeling and sense of community, there can be some tangible benefits to being friendly with your neighbors. I was out with a friend one night, hanging out in a local tavern and having a couple of beers, when the bartender plops a fresh pint in front of me and says, "This is from Josh." Looking around, I see my next-door neighbor Josh behind the bar, washing glasses.

So, get friendly with your neighbors. You never know when you might get a free beer out of it.

if only Scott drank he would have been able to use this argument and Rym would have lost.

The sucky part about this argument that Rym and Scott had was that while I agreed with Scott, he was in such a bad position because of his lack of effort and his inablity to talk about why community is important because he had no recent first hand experience with it. God, next time you guys talk about living in a community put someone with some experience on.