A row between residents over who owns the flowers on a public pavement has gone viral – and been branded the ‘most middle-class argument ever’ on socia media.
The floral fracas, which took place on a street in London, was sparked after someone left a note on a tree asking members of the community not to pick their flowers from the bed below.
Clearly irked, a fellow resident left an additional note, also in a plastic wallet, beneath which criticised the original letter writer for claiming ownership of the blooms.
A bright pink Post It note was then added below, claiming flowers on the public pavement are owned by the entire community.
A row between residents over who owns the flowers on a public pavement has gone viral – and been branded the ‘most middle-class argument ever’ on socia media
But this angered another resident, who pinned another letter – this time written on yellow paper – pointing out that the original note was intended to stop people stealing the plants.
A bemused local took pictures of the notes and posted them on Twitter, where the row notched up more than 13,500 likes and hundreds of comments.
Writer Rachel Thompson, who shared the images, tweeted: ‘People on my street are having an almighty row over who owns some flowers. There have been no raised voices, just handwritten notes placed inside plastic wallets and pinned to a post.’
She added: ‘It all began a few days ago when someone put up a note saying “please don’t pick my flowers” next to a lupin. A few days later, I see a literal war of words has begun.’
A bright pink Post It note was then added below the original note which claimed flowers on the public pavement are owned by the entire community
This angered another resident, who pinned another letter – this time written on yellow paper – pointing out that the original note was intended to stop people stealing the plants
Rachel then posted an update, revealing that the argument had ended rather sourly, with the original note-poster ‘digging up the flowers to take them elsewhere’.
In response, one Twitter user joked: ‘Don’t worry, at the end of October we’re taking back control of our borders.’
Another exclaimed: ‘This is the most middle-class argument ever,’ while one pointed out: ‘It’s like Twitter if there were no internet (sic).’
In response to the original note, which read: ‘Please don’t pick my flowers, thank you,’ a resident using a green marker pen wrote back: ‘In an area massively affected by gentrification it’s sad to see people claiming ownership of even the flowers.’
Sadly the argument had ended rather sourly, with the original note-poster ‘digging up the flowers to take them elsewhere’
A more official typed letter was then posted to the tree by the neighbourhood organisation behind the flowers, which pointed out that the council does not pay anything towards the ‘planting or watering’ of the flowers
Another local followed up with a pink Post-It note, on which they wrote: ‘Flowers on the public pavements are owned by all the community, not just the house they happen to fall in front of,’ complete with some doodled blooms.
A fourth note is added by a resident who appears irritated that the sentiment of the original letter has been lost.
They wrote: ‘Are you serious? This is not about ownership or gentrification, this is about someone trying to make the street a nicer place for everyone by planting flowers and people stealing them and stamping on them. How can you try and justify that?’
A passerby scrawled on the bottom of the letter: ‘Totally agree. This was done with love and a spirit of community for Heaven’s sake!’
Rachel Thompson, who shared the debacle on social media, tweeted: ‘People on my street are having an almighty row over who owns some flowers. There have been no raised voices, just handwritten notes placed inside plastic wallets and pinned to a post’
Rachel provided updates to the thread and revealed the argument concluded with the original planter removing their blooms
A more official typed letter was then posted to the tree by the neighbourhood organisation behind the flowers, which pointed out that the council does not pay anything towards the ‘planting or watering’ of the flowers.
It revealed that a team of gardening enthusiasts were behind the blooms and said it was ‘sad for donors/volunteers to see their work undone’, adding that ‘messages like the below are not helpful’.
The group, called Father Nature, concluded with contact details for any residents who wished to get involved.
In response, one Twitter user joked: ‘Don’t worry, at the end of October we’re taking back control of our borders,’ while another exclaimed: ‘This is the most middle-class argument ever,’ while one pointed out: ‘It’s like Twitter if there were no internet’
Many Twitter users expressed disdain for the resident who used the green marker pen, with one joking: ‘Watch out for green pen owner. They’re always nutters.’
Another wrote: ‘It’s funny that green pen is focused on the ownership claim of the person asking people not to STEAL the flowers. Thiefs have a bigger problem understanding ownership. I think race is what green pen was really writing about.’
But while one dubbed it ‘a very British civil war’, another branded it ‘peak British nonsense’.