When my neighbor, Susan, insisted on keeping her bright floodlights on all night because of her fear of the dark, it quickly became a problem for my wife, Gia, and me. The blinding lights shone directly into our bedroom window, ruining our sleep. Despite polite requests to turn them off or install a timer, Susan refused, saying the lights made her feel safe while her husband was away on work trips.

After trying blackout curtains and even rearranging our furniture, nothing worked. Frustrated but wanting to avoid conflict, I decided on a clever but harmless solution. While Susan and Gia were out, I carefully unscrewed the bulbs just enough to break the connection, causing the lights to flicker and go off at night. It gave us peaceful, dark evenings again.

This game of back-and-forth lasted months every time Mark tightened the bulbs, I loosened them again. Eventually, Mark approached me, mentioning the mysterious issue with their lights and joking that vibrations must be causing it. I played along, suggesting they just keep the lights off for less hassle.

In the end, Susan’s floodlights stayed off, and peace returned to our nights. It was a quiet victory that preserved good neighborly relations and restored our sleep proving sometimes the best solutions don’t involve direct confrontation.