Dear LJ Ms. Manners:
A few weeks ago, I borrowed our neighbors lawn mower to mow my lawn (our push-mower buckled under the inhuman toughness of our grass). Last Sunday I borrowed it again. The mower ran out of gas, but the neighbor had a small gas can in his shed which I used to fill up and keep mowing.
When I returned it, I said, thanks so much and I had to put more gas in.
Now -- I am contemplating leaving them a thank you note that says "Hi, thanks for letting me use the lawn mower, sorry for using up your gas, here's $5 to cover it." (possibly worded with a bit more savoir faire, but that's the gist)
On the one hand, this seems appropriate. I used up some of his gas and I'm paying to replace it. We don't interact with our neighbors a huge amount and I don't want to be that annoying neighbor who always borrows stuff, but never seems grateful for it.
On the other hand, there seems something...crude about handing the guy a fiver. I can't explain why...maybe I feel it conveys a sense of "You're not a neighbor, you're just a lawn mower rental service" or something. It might be bound up in my anxiety that the neighbors think we're crazy and anti-social. They're right on both counts, but in neither case are we dangerously so.
On balance, I lean towards chipping in for gas, but if you, LJ reader had a not-frequently-interacted-with neighbor borrow your mower and then send you a thank you card with some gas money a couple days later...would that be weird or off-putting?
later
Tom
ETA: Yes, refilling would've been the thing to do, but I just wasn't able to at the time and the can is now behind locked shed doors so...oops. But the masses have spoken and it shall be a card, gas money, and three cookies (one for each of them). Thanks!
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