People Kept Cutting Across His Lawn, So This Man Hatched a Master Plan
Thomas Lyons achieved the American dream by purchasing a home with a sprawling property for his family to enjoy. Sadly, it had a downside: people wouldn't stop cutting across his yard.
When politely asking them to stop didn't work, Thomas hatched a master plan that no one saw coming.
Thomas Lyons and the American Dream
Thomas Lyons was excited; he'd just purchased his first home. It was a beautiful three-bedroom with a sprawling yard.
The space was amazing, giving his kids room to run around and his wife a place to garden.
The Front Yard Was a Point of Pride
While the house was lovely, Thomas was most excited about having a vibrant front lawn, something he would take care of and maintain.
Little did he know that the people in town had different plans.
People Were Cutting Across His Lawn
Not long after moving into the residence, Thomas noticed something strange: people would cut across his yard, making a little shortcut for themselves from one side of the sidewalk to the other.
His Lawn Was Along a School Route
Thomas began noticing kids cutting across his lawn coming to and from school every day.
His house must be along a school route and, clearly, kids cutting across this lawn was accepted as part of that.
He Had to Do Something
Honestly, Thomas wouldn't have been bothered by it if it wasn't for the fact that so many people crossed his yard on a daily basis. Because of this, he knew he had to do something.
He Installed a Security Camera
Firstly, Thomas had to make sure he wasn't over-exaggerating the number of people using his yard as their own personal shortcut, so he set up shop, deciding to install a camera and count the number of people.
30 Pedestrians, Eight Bikers and Two Strollers
Thomas was amazed that, in one day, 30 pedestrians, eight bikers and even two people pushing strollers crossed over his front lawn.
He couldn't believe it, considering there was a sidewalk they could use.
Even Motorcross Bikes!
As if bikes weren't bold enough, people were dirtbiking on Thomas' property!
There's a reason people take those bikes to the trails; they tear up any grass underneath of them.
His Lawn Was Becoming Bare
Due to the daily corner-cutters, one side of Thomas's front yard became bare and void of grass.
This was his and his family's dream, and Thomas wasn't going to stand by while people ruined it with their laziness.
First Solution: Thomas Asked People to Stop
Thomas decided to take the diplomatic route and politely ask people to stop cutting across his front lawn. It didn't work; people outright ignored his request, continuing to walk across the grassy expanse.
His Friends Suggested a Fence
Thomas told his friends about the issue and they recommended putting in a fence. It was a great idea, but way too expensive of an option, thanks to the supplies, time and paperwork he'd need to complete.
Thomas Needed Another Option
Since fencing was off the table, Thomas needed to figure out another solution to ensure people stopped ruining his lawn.
Days passed, and he began to grow aggravated as he watched individuals use his yard as their own personal sidewalk.
A Plan Started to Emerge
While watching the corner cutters, Thomas began to hatch a master plan that satisfied both his lawn and his need to get back at everyone.
With his trusty security camera in place, he got to work.
First: A Motion Sensor
The first order of business was installing a sensor that would blare an alarm if triggered. The second thing was too good to say, and Thomas just sat back and watched everything unfold.
Thomas Waited in Anticipation
Bright an early, the first person came to cut across Thomas's lawn. This time, he didn't sit back in anger, but, instead, watched with a smile because he knew what was just about to happen.
The Alarm Blared!
The corner cutter moved across the lawn, setting off the sensor and making the alarm blare at full volume. If that wasn't enough to get her off the yard, then the next thing definitely did the trick!
Next: The Sprinklers Went Off
After the alarm went off, so, too, did the lawn's sprinkler system! Thomas had it set at the highest level, soaking the cutter in cold water.
He sat back and watched as the woman fled, screaming.
School Girls Cut Across on Their Way Home
This wasn't the last person to fall into Thomas' trap. A group of middle school-aged girls was the next to meet the sprinkler, cutting across the yard, only to leave screaming as they were soaked with water.
Another School Group Got Caught
This group was luckier than the first because they were a bit closer to the sidewalk, so they had less time in the spray. Still, walking on the sidewalk would've kept them completely dry.
They Followed People All the Way to Thomas' Driveway!
You can't say Thomas isn't a thorough person because he set up the sprinklers to follow people all the way until they hit his driveway.
Clearly, he wanted them to know he was serious about this.
Thomas Shared the Videos on TikTok
Thomas was more than thrilled with how things ended, especially considering he had every shriek and squeal recorded on his camera.
What did he do with the footage? He went to TikTok, wanting to share his brilliance with the world
"Take a Chill Pill"
While a lot of people found the events amusing, some users actually criticized Thomas and how he approached the situation.
One person wrote, "It's just a couple of people walking. Take a chill pill!"
Some People Were All About the Trap
Of course, Thomas wasn't going to stand for it. These people were trespassing on his yard, after all. One user came to his defense, saying, "It's not one person, it's MANY (every day), and it costs money to fix a lawn, especially if you live in an area that MAKES you have a certain look to your yard and home."
One of the Kids Had a Choice Gesture for Thomas' Camera
As if he knew someone was watching, just as he got sprayed by the sprinkler, one kid flipped off Thomas' camera. If he knew someone was watching, then why cut across the lawn in the first place?
Clearly the Kid Knew How Thomas
Since the kid was bold enough to flip Thomas off, you could assume he was probably asked by Thomas not to cross the lawn before.
Was his retaliation all fair in love and war, or was Thomas dealing with a lack of respect, as commenters were quick to point out?
"My Job Is More Important..."
Another person shot back, saying, "When someone is racing to the bus, every second counts. My job is more important than your stupid lawn."
Thomas wasn't having it and his response was spot on.
"There's No Excuse"
Thomas wrote back, saying, "Then leave 5 minutes earlier. There's no excuse. Would you let someone run across your backyard when there literally a full sidewalk only 5 feet away?? No. Stop being such an idiot."
There Was Also a Legal Issue
Then, someone came up with a very valid point: people could sue Thomas.
The comment read, "When someone gets hurt on your property, they can sue you. Plain and simple. He has every right to keep people off his land."
What if the Sprinkler is the Reason Someone Gets Hurt?
As some commenters pointed out, while it's just water, to some people getting sprayed with water all of a sudden could cause an injury. If someone had heart troubles or difficultly with balance, then a sudden burst of water could potentially cause a fall or a medical issue.
Millions of Views
Thomas' videos garnered millions of views. Thankfully, the traffic of corner-cutters dwindled.
People finally seemed to understand that they shouldn't walk across someone's lawn, especially Thomas', or else they'd be in for a cold and wet surprise.
