There are few things in this world more troubling than passive aggressiveness. (Miley Cyrus's career and the Tunguska Event are the only two that come to mind.) It's just all so ... pointless. It's a waste of time and amounts to nothing more than both parties getting increasingly frustrated. But when you get to witness passive aggressiveness as an outsider, that's where the beauty is. My apartment building has been suffering through the "Newspaper Slippage of 2009". In a nutshell, one of the residents receives the Wall Street Journal and it's often left on the stoop leading into the brownstone. Sometimes, these get wet and can become potential slipping hazards for residents and visitors to the building. Notes were placed on the front door by an anonymous resident explaining how they'd throw out the newspapers were they to find them on the stoop again. This, as most things do, spiraled out of control. I snapped some photos of the notes and blatant ridiculousness as they unfolded on our front door.
Note #1, explaining the situation and the steps one resident was willing to take (throwing out the papers) should they continue to be placed on our steps.
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The second note, no doubt from the subscriber of the Wall Street Journal, with a retort.
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Feeling that note and solution wasn't good enough, the author of the original note created a longer and curiously non-capitalized note for all to see.
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Realizing that this had just become so hilarious in terms of the effort both sides were putting out to fight this incredibly stupid issue, I crafted this note and placed it on the door:
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As of this morning, all notes have been removed from the door and I noticed a copy of the Wall Street Journal placed in the shelves above our mailboxes.
The second note, no doubt from the subscriber of the Wall Street Journal, with a retort.
Feeling that note and solution wasn't good enough, the author of the original note created a longer and curiously non-capitalized note for all to see.
Realizing that this had just become so hilarious in terms of the effort both sides were putting out to fight this incredibly stupid issue, I crafted this note and placed it on the door:
As of this morning, all notes have been removed from the door and I noticed a copy of the Wall Street Journal placed in the shelves above our mailboxes.
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I'd pee all over them and then stick the paper in the wooden slot. Of course, that's just me. I tend to be agressive-agressive.
And in the future, I wouldn't bother with the note, I'd have just chucked 'em in the trash and gone about my day.
Fukken neighbors. Least yours are (perhaps excessively) literate. In my building some people like to prop open the outside doors with rocks. I like fresh air too, but, hey assholes! it snows every once in a while. I'm not into walking through a snow drift on my way to pick up the mail. Leave the thing closed.
Dont get me started on car alarms either. Those things should be illegal.
In this case I'd say the guy getting the paper was at fault. If you must get the WSJ, just get it via the interwebs. Dead tree is so over. Futhermore the WSJ is a bunch of hacks. They were probably telling this dumb shit to invest in Lehman right up until it went tits up. Fuck em.
NEVER, underestimate "Puppy Power!"
I would have been so tempted to correct the spelling in the e.e. cummings style one...it's exacerbated...unless the situation was just so completely frustrated with its inability to resolve itself!!!
I love the ridiculously adorable puppy...and think the whole thing needs to be forwarded to passiveaggressivenotes.com...where I enjoy reading about other people's petty arguments, because I am not roped into playing referee.
that puppy IS damn cute...
PUPPY!
What's frustrating about this exchange is the unfocused self-righteousness of the person who is threatening to throw away the paper. It solves nothing.
Is the first letter addressing the subscriber? If so, sticking instructions for the deliverer (put in slot!!) in the middle of the note is ineffective. The deliverer, if the deliverer bothers to read the note, probably doesn't give a rat's ass if the paper gets thrown away or smoked or shat upon.
Also, what difference does it make whether complainer throws away the paper or sticks it in the mail slot? I guess he/she wants to penalize the subscriber.
Complainer has a point about hazard, but continuing to be combative even after the subscriber has made efforts to remedy the situation is just inviting a delicious passive aggressive attack!
Think you should post something that says:
I know who posted the paper about throwing away papers.
If I have one paper missing I will beat your ass to a pulp.
Post the picture of the puppy below the statement.
Sorry, Dave.
I owe you an Apology , I thought, you were going to say, "Beat up the puppy and put up that picture" with a note saying, "I know where you live, mofo."
Just another example of what they say about, "assume."
Sincerely apologize.
I'd leave my door open and put the WSJ in the hallway, then when the guy steps over my threshold I'd bash his head in with a baseball bat and say I thought he was a burgler, that way I'd be both legallay and morally in the right and no one would ever slip again.
Try that out Echo.
Echo, I'm glad you live in a neighborhood where the hazard you have to step around is the Wall Street Journal and not condoms and bottles.
SO, thanks for the link - passiveaggressivenotes.com
funny stuff.
Echo, when did you move to Seattle?