Trick-or-Treat Turnabout: How One Petty Neighbor Got Revenge (With a Little Help from the City)

Halloween. The one night a year when the streets are alive with the sound of giggles, the crinkle of candy wrappers, and—if you’re unlucky enough to have that neighbor—the blaring of a car horn at innocent children. But what happens when a neighbor’s grinchy behavior gets caught by a watchful trick-or-treat host? Well, on Reddit’s r/PettyRevenge, user u/Icy-Engineer-4706 shared a story that’s equal parts justice, mischief, and satisfying schadenfreude. Grab your fun-size Snickers and settle in—this is a tale of neighborly pettiness at its finest.

Spooks, Sweets, and Sour Neighbors

Picture this: It’s Halloween night. The air is crisp, the jack-o’-lanterns are glowing, and a line of sugar-fueled kids are parading down the block in search of their next chocolate fix. On this particular street, one young trick-or-treater hops on his bike after collecting candy and joins his friends on the road—nothing unusual for a night dedicated to childhood fun.

Enter: The Grumpy Neighbor. Instead of proceeding with caution, this driver speeds up and lays on the horn right behind the kid. Talk about a buzzkill. Redditor u/Icy-Engineer-4706 and their husband witnessed the whole thing, noting the neighbor’s “aggressive” and frankly unnecessary show of road rage. On Halloween, no less!

But as any seasoned petty avenger knows, sometimes the best revenge is served with a dash of local bureaucracy.

When Petty Revenge Parks on Your Doorstep

Now, here’s where things get delicious. Our Reddit hero noticed that the honking neighbor had a habit of parking their extra vehicles on the street—sometimes for weeks on end—right in front of other people’s homes. Normally, this minor annoyance would have slid by unnoticed. But after the Halloween horn incident, u/Icy-Engineer-4706 decided it was time for a little trick to go with the treats.

With a quick call (or online report) to the city, they flagged the neighbor’s unmoved vehicles, which were in clear violation of local parking ordinances. The next morning, the city responded with orange warning tags plastered to the offending cars: Move it, or lose it (to the tow yard). Like magic, the neighbor scrambled to relocate their cars—far away from the scene of their Halloween misdeeds.

The Sweet Satisfaction of Petty Justice

There’s something universally satisfying about stories like this. Maybe it’s the idea that the universe (with a little nudge) sometimes gives people exactly what they deserve. Or maybe it’s just the knowledge that you can fight back against bad behavior without descending into all-out neighbor warfare.

Let’s be real: confronting a neighbor over bad driving can get awkward fast. But reporting a parking violation? That’s just following the rules. And when the city gets involved, it’s like having a referee step in to say, “Nope, not on my watch.”

Of course, the real lesson here isn’t just about the letter of the law or the pettiness of revenge—it’s about community. On a night meant for kids to feel safe and joyful, there’s no excuse for adults acting like villains in their own Halloween special. If you can’t have patience for a costumed kid on a sugar high, maybe it’s time to reevaluate your priorities—or at least where you park your car.

What Can We Learn from This?

Don’t be a jerk to kids. Seriously, it’s Halloween. Let them have their fun.
If you’re going to push your luck, maybe don’t do it in front of the neighbor with a keen sense of justice (and access to city ordinances).
Sometimes, the most satisfying revenge comes with a splash of orange and a city official’s signature.

Next time you’re tempted to honk at a kid (or anyone, really), remember: you never know who’s watching—and who’s got the city’s parking violation hotline on speed dial.

Have You Ever Served Up Your Own Petty Revenge?

Now it’s your turn! Have you ever gotten sweet, satisfying revenge on a neighbor (or anyone else) in a way that was perfectly petty, but oh-so-justified? Share your stories in the comments below, and let’s revel in a little harmless mischief together.

After all, life’s too short to let the grumps win. And on Halloween—or any day—a little neighborhood justice can be the sweetest treat of all.

Original Reddit Post: A neighbor honked at a kid, so I reported them to the city