AITA for asking my neighbor to move her Halloween decoration away from the curb?

I thought I was making a polite request — but apparently asking my neighbor to move her axe-wielding zombie a few feet back turned me into the villain of the block.

I (33F) live on a busy four-lane road with lots of foot traffic between a park and a K–12 school. My neighbor, “Maria,” is known for her over-the-top Halloween displays. This year, she set up a life-sized animatronic zombie holding an axe — right at the edge of her property line, practically hanging over the sidewalk. It’s motion-activated, so even if you walk far to the curb, it suddenly jumps, swings, and cackles like something out of a haunted house.

I only asked her to move it a few feet back for safety — now she’s doubling down with even more jump-scare decorations out of spite.

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The problem isn’t just aesthetic — it’s safety. My larger dog is anxious, and the combination of sound, motion, and the axe-swinging makes him panic. On a four-lane road, a startled 70-pound dog jerking on a leash is dangerous. Even without the dog, anyone walking by triggers it: students from the nearby school, families heading to the park, joggers — everyone. You can literally see kids walking at the edge of the parking lane near traffic just to avoid setting it off, and it still triggers.

“Could you move your animatronic guy a little further back? It really scares my dog,” I asked nicely one morning.

Maria just stared at me, laughed, and walked inside without saying a word. I thought maybe she brushed it off — until the following weekend, when two new jump-scare decorations appeared: a grim reaper and a screaming skeleton, both right at the curb. Later, another neighbor, Angela, told me Maria bragged about putting them there “to mess with the bitch who hates Halloween.” Apparently, that “bitch” is me.

She literally called me a “K-name-for-uppity-white-women” for asking politely about a safety issue.

Now I feel caught between embarrassment and frustration. I didn’t mean to kill the Halloween spirit — I just wanted people (and pets) to safely walk past without stepping into traffic. But part of me wonders if I should apologize just to defuse the situation, even though she’s clearly taking it personally.

🏠 The Aftermath

Since that talk, the sidewalk showdown has turned into a neighborhood sideshow. Kids love the chaos; parents are divided; my dog now refuses to go near her house at all.

Maria hasn’t spoken to me since, though she’s been out front fine-tuning her display — the zombie now has glowing eyes. Angela told me Maria laughed about “upping the scare factor.”

I’ve started crossing the street entirely on walks, even if it means dodging traffic. It’s exhausting, but I’m not interested in escalating drama over Halloween props.

Who knew a fake zombie could cause real tension on our street?

It’s ironic — Halloween is supposed to be fun, but it’s turned into a petty neighborhood feud where no one’s laughing anymore.

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💭 Emotional Reflection

At its heart, this isn’t about decorations — it’s about boundaries and basic respect. A neighborly request shouldn’t turn into mockery or retaliation. I didn’t demand she take down her display, just move it back a few feet for safety.

Her reaction says more about her than it does about me. When someone takes offense to polite feedback, it’s often because they see compromise as control. That’s not my problem to fix.

Reasonable people can disagree about Halloween enthusiasm — but no one should risk a startled dog running into traffic just to protect someone’s “spooky aesthetic.”

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Reddit had plenty to say about whether the OP crossed a line or not.

You didn’t tell her to take it down — you asked for safety and sanity. She chose to be petty. NTA.

If kids have to walk near traffic to avoid her display, that’s not festive, it’s irresponsible.

Her “revenge decorations” say it all. Some people need to chill with the Halloween ego.

Most commenters agreed OP wasn’t the AH — she made a reasonable safety request and got met with immaturity and spite. A few suggested ignoring Maria and waiting until November 1st for peace to return.

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🌱 Final Thoughts

Halloween should bring neighbors together, not turn sidewalks into haunted obstacle courses. Politeness shouldn’t be punished with pettiness.

You can love spooky season and still respect shared space — after all, it’s the living who have to walk there every day.

What do you think?
Was I right to ask, or should I have just gritted my teeth until November? Share your thoughts below 👇

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