Shabby Cars Run into Snobbery

In a quiet suburb north of Wellington, New Zealand, the war of appearances rages on. In August 2016, two residents of Flotilla Place, Whitby, received anonymous notes stating that the current state of the vehicles parked in their driveways was “falling short”, thus dragging down house prices. One recipient took to Facebook for clarification: “Could the person who put this note in my letterbox please clarify which ‘unsuitable vehicle’ needs to be replaced? Is it the 2013 Peugeot, the (bit shabby) 2003 Mazda 6, or the (well shabby) red van belonging to the landscaper who has been here a bit?” The local mayor even weighed in, admonishing the mystery note-writer: “In every community we have those people who spend a little too much time worrying about what their neighbours are doing.”