A man has been left mortified after realising he has been calling his next-door neighbour by the wrong name for 10 long years. Wanting to 'pack his bags and move out', the man has taken to Reddit to share his embarrassment over the mix up.
He explained how he has been greeting his neighbour Joe when he catches him in the driveway since he moved in - but has now come to realise he might actually be called Jeff. He said: "I'm friendly with my neighbour to the extent we'll say 'Hi' or wave, and we've talked a few times briefly. We're always cordial. I've been in my house for 10 years, and he's been in his for 30 plus years.
"I swear he introduced himself as Joe, and that's what I've been calling him. He knows my name for sure.
"I wasn't sure what his last name was so Googled the address and I think his name might be Jeff."
"What do I do? I've been wrong this whole time, he's been too polite to say anything. Now I feel like a jerk."
While most users couldn't help but laugh at the mix up, others shared their suggestions on how he could try to resolve the situation.
One user said: "Own up to it and apologise. 'Hey, random question: Is your name Jeff?' If yes, then, 'Geez, I've been calling you Joe this entire time, and I feel so bad about it. I had no idea, I'm so sorry'."
Another user added: "Does he have a good sense of humour? Might as well have fun with it now. Start rotating names over the course of a few weeks to gauge his reaction.
"'Morning John', 'Hey there Jim', ''How's it going, Josh?' Then throw in a Jeff to see if he responds positively or offers any confirmation that it's his actual name, like "hey, you finally got it'."
A third user said: "Just ask his neighbour on the other side or own up to it and make a joke about it. It could be a bonding thing."
Do you have a funny story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
