My lazy neighbours keep using my driveway as a shortcut…I’m so annoyed, people urge me to plant a cactus to trip them up

WHILE some people are super close to their neighbours, for others, they seem them as nothing short of a nightmare.

And unfortunately for one frustrated homeowner, they told how their next-door neighbour falls into the latter category after they started thinking her drive is a "right of way."

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Taking to Reddit, the annoyed woman, who lives on a row of terraced houses, shared a drawing detailing the layout of her house and explained: "My house (1) has a path to the front door and a drive way next to my house.

"Houses 2-5 share a path that leads to the road. There is a strip of grass in front of their houses and then their parking spaces."

She goes on to say how her neighbours in house two have started walking over the grass to their front door just to "avoid going the long way up the path."

The homeowner continued: "They (and their guests) have now taking to walking down my driveway along my path and jumping over the flower bed in the middle to get to their door.

"It's really p***ing me off!"

Not only is she frustrated that her property is being used as a right of way, but she also noted how they walk right past her living room window, so there's "no privacy."

However, despite being frustrated, she pointed out that it's "not causing any damage or inconvenience," adding that it's just "annoying as hell."

They (and their guests) have now taking to walking down my driveway along my path and jumping over the flower bed in the middle to get to their door. It's really p***ing me off

Frustrated homeowner

The homeowner concluded by asking social forum users whether she should ask her neighbours to stop using her property as a public footpath or just "suck it up."

And many rushed to the comments section with the same suggestion - to plant something spiky to stop them from being able to step over so easily.

"I'd ask them to stop (and plant something tall and spiky) as otherwise I'd be worried about them achieving right of way through general usage (though no idea what the law actually is on this)," wrote one.

A second advised: "Rose bushes on bamboo steaks all the way down."

A third commented: "Plant some Berberis. That'll stop them, but not until the big prickly bits have stabbed them a few times."

Meanwhile, a fourth agreed: "Put something in the flower bed that requires some substantial support eg trellis, bamboo canes, or similar.

"Anything that would be really tricky to get over/through without damaging.

"It needs to be easier for them to go around than it is to try and get over."

In response, the woman explained how she had planted some bits in the flower bed but to no avail, adding: "Now they just jump a little higher on their way past."

Elsewhere, others shared their alternative pieces of advice.

"For me, it would depend on how I got on with those neighbours. If I didn't, I'd get a wall built. If I did, I'd ask them nicely not to do it," advised one.

Another urged: "You need to fix this asap. A fence would be best."