Handicap Plates Don’t Mean “Park Wherever You Want”

I stopped at Harris Teeter to grab two items.

Literally, two items.

As I left the store and made my way toward my car—parked in an actual accessible parking space—I noticed a car sitting directly outside the entrance.

I looked inside.

No driver. No passenger. No one.

As I pulled away, I noticed the car had handicap license plates. As someone who relies on accessible parking, I understand why those spaces—and the shorter distance they provide—matter.

But handicap plates are not an all-access parking pass. They do not mean you can skip the designated spaces and create your own personal parking spot directly in front of the store.

I might—and this is a very soft might—understand the decision if every accessible parking space had been occupied.

They weren’t.

And before anyone reaches for the classic excuse, “I’m just running in, and I’ll be right out,” let’s review the timeline.

I had enough time to walk to my car, load my two items, get inside, buckle my seat belt, back out, take a picture, and drive away.

That took at least two minutes.

The driver still had not returned.

This is not about questioning whether someone has a disability. The handicap plates already answer that question. It is about recognizing that having those plates does not excuse blocking an entrance, a fire lane, or an area intended to remain clear.

Accessible parking exists to make life a little easier for people who need it. Use the designated space. If one is available, there is no excuse for parking directly in front of the store simply because it is more convenient.

Be better, people. Be better.

Mutiny: If the Jason Statham Formula Works, Why Change It?

Jason Statham is bald.

I'm bald.

He has a five o'clock shadow. I'm apparently working on one.

Basically, we're twins—except he was born in Derbyshire, England, and I was born in Flushing, New York. Close enough.

In Mutiny, Statham once again proves there is absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to a successful formula: bad guys do bad things, Statham wants revenge, asses get kicked, and somehow he's still incredibly likable through all of it.

Critics? Not so impressed.

Regular moviegoers? MUCH happier.

Considering some critics also liked Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, I'm comfortable siding with the regular people on this one.

🎬 Is Mutiny worth watching? Check out my full movie review at NielFlamm.com/videos/moviereviews

Day 79: Wait...Did Nextdoor Just Change Its Insights Playbook?

While looking through Nextdoor's latest blog posts, something caught my attention.

On August 31, Nextdoor published a new Insights article:

New Nextdoor Research: Movers Stay in Purchase Mode for Months. Here's How They Decide What to Buy.

It's based on Nextdoor's 2026 Moving Insights Report, and the post contains plenty of numbers: 66% of neighbors update their Nextdoor address within a month of moving, 46% wished they could ask people already living in a neighborhood questions before moving, 54% bought new home décor, and 80% expect to hire professionals for renovations or repairs. Nextdoor Blog

But those numbers aren't what immediately caught my attention.

It was what was missing at the bottom.

Where Did “Contact Jacob” Go?

Historically, I've seen Nextdoor Insights posts direct readers who want the complete findings or detailed data to Jacob Chavis and the Insights team.

That's how this entire months-long adventure started.

I followed those instructions.

I requested the detailed data.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Instead, look at how this newest report ends.

There's now a section called:

“Turning this into a campaign.”

Nextdoor takes the reported findings and turns them directly into recommendations for advertisers: reach neighbors during the planning phase, emphasize local proof, focus advertising on markets receiving long-distance movers, and build campaigns around the purchasing sequence. Nextdoor Blog

Then the article ends.

No invitation to contact Jacob for the complete findings.

No “reach out for detailed data.”

Interesting.

So first:

You're Welcome, Jacob.

You're welcome, Insights Team.

You're welcome, Communications.

😂

Have my 79 days of persistence actually produced a change?

I obviously can't prove that.

Maybe Nextdoor independently decided to change the format.

Maybe this report was always going to be published this way.

But after spending months asking for the “detailed data” Nextdoor publicly invited readers to request, I find the change pretty damn interesting.

Accountability sometimes produces change—even if nobody sends a thank-you note.

But Now I Have Another Question

Nextdoor makes numerous specific statistical claims in this article.

I'm not saying they're wrong.

I'm asking how an external reader would independently evaluate them.

Because putting a percentage in a blog post doesn't magically transform it into unquestionable fact.

For example:

44% of dog walkers prefer non-biodegradable plastic bags over environmentally friendly alternatives.

There.

I just conducted the 2026 Niel Flamm Dog Poop Insights Report.

🐕💩📊

Except I didn't.

I made the number up.

See how easy that was?

Maybe somebody challenges me.

Maybe nobody does.

That's why methodology matters.

Who was surveyed?

How many people participated?

How were respondents selected?

When was the research conducted?

What questions were asked?

What was the margin of error?

What population does the sample represent?

Those details help readers distinguish research from marketing copy.

To Nextdoor's credit, this new article cites independent research from United Van Lines and Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies for some of its broader context on moving and home improvement. Nextdoor Blog

But I'm still interested in seeing the methodology behind Nextdoor's own percentages.

And That Brings Me Back to Two Other Reports

Because while Nextdoor may have changed how this newest Insights article ends, there's still some unfinished business.

What about the two previous studies I've requested?

Those posts explicitly told readers that more information was available.

I followed the instructions.

I asked for it.

The wording on a new blog post doesn't erase those previous requests.

So maybe Nextdoor learned something from this experience.

Great.

I'll even take partial credit. 😂

But accountability isn't only about changing what happens next.

It's also about finishing what came before.

Jacob, Insights Team, Communications:

I noticed the change.

Now...

How about those other two studies?

The complete continuing Nextdoor case study is at NielFlamm.com/blog.

Day 79: I’m Calling for a Change at the Top of Nextdoor

Today is Day 79.

And I noticed something familiar.

Nirav Tolia is on the podcast prowl again.

Another microphone. Another conversation about Nextdoor, leadership, technology, human connection, community and the future.

Nirav recently appeared on Success Story with Scott D. Clary, discussing everything from AI and loneliness to trust, privacy, growth and building a company that can survive the AI era.

Meanwhile, I'm looking at something much simpler:

The stock price.

As of the time I'm writing this, NXDR is down another $0.02 to approximately $2.24 per share.

On August 10, NXDR closed at $2.68.

That was 22 days ago.

From $2.68 to $2.24 is a decline of:

$0.44 per share.

Or approximately:

16.4%.

That's not a number from a podcast.

That's not corporate messaging.

That's not a LinkedIn post.

That's the market.

I'm No Longer Just Asking Questions

I've spent 79 days documenting what I'm seeing happen at Nextdoor.

I've questioned communication.

I've questioned moderation.

I've questioned transparency.

I've questioned the treatment of small businesses and what I see as increasingly aggressive attempts at monetization.

I've questioned whether Nextdoor actually listens to the neighbors, businesses and shareholders it says are important.

I've requested detailed research. Nextdoor itself publicly tells readers to request it.

I've watched Communications respond without answering what I actually asked.

I've watched the CEO talk publicly about the importance of human connection.

And when I commented critically on his LinkedIn posts?

I was blocked. Again.

At some point, as an investor, I have to move beyond asking:

“What's going on?”

And say what I believe needs to happen.

I'm Calling for an Immediate Change at the Top

I'm a small shareholder.

I don't speak for every investor.

I don't speak for Nextdoor employees.

And I certainly don't control the board.

But I can speak for myself.

I no longer have confidence in Nirav Tolia's leadership of Nextdoor.

And as a shareholder, I'm calling for Nextdoor's Board of Directors to make an immediate change in leadership.

Yes, there are positive numbers.

Q2 revenue increased 15% year over year.

Adjusted EBITDA reached approximately $10 million.

And the GAAP net loss improved dramatically—from approximately $15 million a year earlier to approximately $2 million.

I acknowledge all of that.

But financial improvement doesn't automatically equal confidence in leadership.

Not for me.

Why I've Lost Confidence

It's the accumulation.

The decisions.

The communication.

The monetization choices that I believe risk alienating the very small businesses Nextdoor should be cultivating.

The moderation issues I've documented.

The questions about transparency.

The customer experience.

The inability—or unwillingness—to answer straightforward questions.

And now I'm watching a stock that closed at $2.68 on August 10 trading around $2.24.

Down roughly 16.4% in a little over three weeks.

Does Nirav Tolia personally control the daily stock price?

Of course not.

Markets don't work that way.

And I'm not suggesting a 22-day stock movement, by itself, proves whether a CEO is succeeding or failing.

But stock performance is one piece of the picture.

Investor confidence matters.

And this investor's confidence is gone.

Less Podcasting. More Fixing.

Maybe that's unfair.

CEOs promote their companies. Media appearances are part of the job.

But after watching this unfold for 79 days, every new podcast appearance makes me ask:

Who's minding the neighborhood?

I'd like to see the same enthusiasm devoted to listening to criticism.

Fixing the customer experience.

Supporting small businesses.

Improving transparency.

Examining moderation.

Answering shareholders.

And building confidence that Nextdoor's strategy is actually working.

Because there's a point where telling the story isn't enough.

The company has to deliver the story.

Day 79 Is Different

I'm not asking Nirav another question today.

I'm stating my position.

I believe Nextdoor needs new leadership.

I believe the Board should begin that process immediately.

Find someone who can take the progress Nextdoor has made financially and combine it with better communication, better execution, better stakeholder engagement, and a strategy that restores confidence in the company.

Someone who doesn't just talk about listening.

Someone who demonstrates it.

Maybe other shareholders completely disagree with me.

That's fine.

That's what markets—and shareholder discussions—are for.

But I'm putting my position on the record.

Day 79.

NXDR: approximately $2.24 as I write this.

Down approximately 16.4% from its August 10 close.

Still waiting for the detailed data.

Still blocked by the CEO on LinkedIn.

And now, as an investor:

I'm calling for a change at the top.

Read my complete continuing Nextdoor case study at NielFlamm.com/blog and subscribe at NielFlamm.com to follow what happens next.

Apparently, My Eye Is Climbing Now

Another day, another update from the cockpit of Left Eye Airlines.

Yesterday, I discovered that my vision now comes equipped with what looks like an airplane’s horizon indicator.

Today?

Apparently, we’re climbing.

The line across my vision is no longer level. It’s tilted, making the view through my left eye look like an aeronautical instrument telling me the aircraft is headed upward.

This would be significantly more exciting if I were actually flying somewhere.

Instead, I’m sitting here looking through an eyeball that has apparently decided it wants its pilot’s license.

The view itself is still divided into two distinct classes of service.

Above the horizon: blurry and out of focus.

Below the horizon: we are STILL serving vinaigrette. 🥗

So, if my eye were an airplane instrument panel, I believe the current message would be:

CLIMBING. VISIBILITY POOR. SALAD DRESSING BELOW.

Meanwhile, my arm continues healing from my disagreement with my prosthetic, gravity, and the carpet. It still looks considerably worse than it feels, but it appears to be moving in the right direction.

The eye is looking a little less dramatic from the outside, too.

From the inside?

Captain Niel is apparently gaining altitude.

At this point, I'm just waiting for my eye to announce:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our cruising altitude. You may now move about the cabin."

Until then, tray tables upright, seat belts fastened, and please keep the vinaigrette securely stored below the horizon.

✈️👁️🥗