People divided over homeowner's 'mean' method to stop people walking across his grass

Taking a shortcut across someone's garden is a situation so common that it's become a stereotype: the grouchy homeowner who comes to their front door and yells 'get off my lawn!'.

I'm sure the majority of us are guilty of cutting across someone's garden at least once in our lives while desperate to shave a couple of precious seconds off our journey, but there's no denying that traipsing across someone's property is pretty rude.

From the homeowner's perspective, it could cause damage to your garden or even just because you get nervous every time you see a stranger on your land, which you shouldn't have to deal with in your own home.

But if you don't want to put up a fence, then how can you stop people from doing it?

Well, one TikTok user thinks they've got the answer.

In a series of posts, the homeowner shared footage from security cameras at their home which showed people cutting across their land at all hours of the day.

TikTok/@tgunz81

It would have taken a lot of effort for them to get up and shout every time someone stepped foot on the grass, so instead they installed an automatic sprinkler system which set off whenever someone got too far into the garden.

The result was a lot of damp and panicked strangers, all of whom quickly realised their mistake and were sent running off back to the public footpath.

The poster revealed that they weren't only hit with a sprinkler, but also the sound of an alarm which would have alerted pretty much everyone in the surrounding area to their presence on the grass.

"When people won't stop cutting across your lawn, set up an automatic sprinkler," the TikTok video explained.

The responses to the sprinkler obviously show that the method works, but viewers have been left divided on whether it's too harsh of a punishment.

TikTok/@tgunz81

One person in support of the surprise sprinkler commented: "I think this is absolutely genius!! why on earth should ANYBODY think it appropriate to trespass on your land?!? Well done Sir."

Another agreed, adding: "This is a great idea!! I was always taught that it's rude to walk on someones [sic] lawn."

A third described the sprinkler as 'mean', but obviously wasn't too critical as they added: "do it again".

Others hit back with very different opinions, however, with one suggesting: "If you care that much about your property line then put up a fence."

Another wrote: "Why are you getting mad because ppl are walking on your lawn [it's] not like it’s going to kill the grass," while a third added: "Literally how is this hurting you? It's grass. Chill bro."

Though the reaction is mixed, we know one thing for sure - those people certainly won't be walking on that grass again.