Charlotte never thinks her quiet neighborhood hides secrets. But when she finds out her neighbors have been secretly using her hot tub for a year, she feels shocked and angry. She decides to teach them a lesson they won’t forget. But as she digs deeper, she discovers even more surprising things about the people living next door. What are they hiding?
It was a sunny afternoon, and I was sitting in my backyard, looking at our hot tub.
Tom and I bought our dream house a few years ago, complete with this beautiful backyard and the hot tub.
We were thrilled back then, imagining all the relaxing evenings we would spend soaking in the warm bubbles.
We knew our neighbors but weren’t particularly close. Jim and Lisa lived next door with their teenage children, Emma and Jake. They seemed nice enough, but we never really got to know them well.
Normally, Tom and I would use the hot tub a lot, especially on weekends. But this year, things were different.
I had started a new job that required a lot of travel, and Tom was working extra hours to cover for a coworker who was out on medical leave. It felt like we were always busy, and our hot tub had been neglected for months.
I missed those quiet moments of relaxation we used to have together.
I sighed, feeling a bit nostalgic. We really need to make time for ourselves again, I thought. The hot tub looked lonely, covered, and unused. It was a reminder of how our lives had changed.
I decided to call Tom. “Hey, honey,” I said when he answered, “I was thinking we need to start using the hot tub again. It’s been too long.”
Tom laughed softly. “I agree, Charlotte. Let’s plan for this weekend. We could both use some relaxation.”
I smiled, feeling a bit more hopeful. Maybe things could get back to how they used to be, even if just for a little while.
But before we could enjoy the hot tub again, our neighbor Lisa stopped by one afternoon
“Charlotte, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, looking a bit uncomfortable
“Sure, Lisa. What’s up?” I replied, curious about what she wanted to say.
“I hate to bring this up, but could you and Tom keep it down in the evenings on the weekends?” Lisa said, glancing at her feet. “There was loud music and shouting coming from your backyard last Sunday as well. Look, I’ve been quiet all this while, but it’s going to be a year now. The noise is really annoying.”
I stared at her, surprised. “But Lisa, Tom and I were out of town on Sunday. We weren’t even here. We’re out almost every weekend.”
One evening, as Tom and I soaked in the hot tub, I looked around our peaceful backyard and smiled. “We did it, Tom,” I said. “We got our home back.”
Tom nodded, holding my hand. “And we strengthened our community in the process. I couldn’t be prouder of us.”
It was a hard lesson in trust and vigilance, but it made us all stronger and more connected. And for that, I was truly grateful.
What would you have done?
Car Dealers Shun EVs After Confronting Harsh Reality
According to recent reports, car dealers are informing auto manu facturers that they have too many electric vehicles on their lots and are dialing back orders until their current inventory is soId. Scott Kunes, Chief Operating Officer at Kunes Auto and RV Group, explained that his company is turning away additional EV inventory.
“We have turned away EV inventory. We need to ensure that we have a good turn on it,” he said, as reported on Business Insider. Kunes said that automakers are “asking us to make a Iarge investment….and we’re just wanting to see some return on that.”
Sam Fiorani, Vice President of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, outlined how EVs aren’t practical for many Americans as they would have to alter their lifestyle when switching from a gas-powered car. “It’s not just that these vehicles are expensive — which they are. We’re talking about a much more nuanced Iifestyle change,” said Fiorani. EVs obviously have a more constrained range than gas-powered vehicles, and charging stations can be sparsely located.
EVs are also notably more expensive than traditional combustion engine-based cars. According to Consumer Reports, the average sale price of an EV is over $61,000, or $12,000 more expensive than the overall average in the auto industry. “It’s hard for the average customer to make that leap while spending an extra $10,000,” Fiorani continued.
Electric vehicle horror stories have also plagued the news, where consumers share personaI anecdotes of the dysfunctionality of these cars. Recently, a Ford F-150 Lightning owner was forced to ditch his EV on a road trip from Winnipeg to Chicago.
The all-electric Ford pickup retails for well north of $100k. However, based on the sentiment from disgruntled consumers, it seems this truck does not live up to its price tag. The man called electric vehicles the “biggest scam of modern times” after his experience with his F-150 Lightning.
While many have lofty projections for EVs in the Iong term, it’s safe to say that these vehicles are not ready to replace the reliability of traditional automobiles. Although, this hasn’t deterred some woke, blue states in the U.S. from preemptively enacting electric vehicle mandates.
For example, California announced it would ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Such mandates have drawn concern, particularly from automakers who will be forced to play within the guidelines of these new regulations.
“Whether or not these requirements are realistic or achievable is directIy linked to external factors like inflation, charging and fuel infrastructure, supply chains, labor, critical mineral availability and pricing, and the ongoing semiconductor shortage,” John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation said in a statement. “These are complex, intertwined and global issues.”
Also, many concerns surround the feasibility of a mass transition to electric vehicles. As it stands, this could limit people’s autonomy as driving ranges are limited and charging infrastructure is insufficient. Furthermore, there couId be an affordability crisis as many Americans can’t even afford a new car, let alone the price of a new EV.
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