# What is it with people?



## MClaine55 (Feb 16, 2018)

I would like to have a virtual rant about next door.

We live down a private driveway of five properties about 60 meters from the main road. Emerging into the road is slow due to pedestrians passing the drive entrance and massive hedges either side of it. Speeding up the drive just isn't an option. I only give the car some reasonable revs (traffic permitting) once the oil temperature is 85 degrees. It can't be revved much when started up due to a soft limiter.

I barely use the TT as it's a guilty pleasure toy! This week I made a trip and the following day a dreaded service was due. Cold starts are always a bit noisy to start with until the revs subside. It is amplified a bit by walls, but is on the opposite side to our closest "neighbour".

So, car started and revs down, off I go. Next door the wife is pulling up weeds, not standing in the driveway but on their flower bed and their own off driveway. Plenty of room to pass. OK, reality check, the valves were open. I give her a nice smile before I pass her, but instead of reciprocating, she looks like she is chewing a wasp. You know pursed lips etc. Moving past her and pickIn up a little from walking pace, I notice in the rear view mirror she turned to watch me go. Concentrating what's in front and mindful of passing pedestrians, I notice she is mouthing something and throws her arm up like she is angry. Could not see if I was getting "the finger" or was it a fist? Flipping rear view camera didn't capture this, thank you blackview!

Now they are a typical white middle class family, and they have much more income than our family. She is her late 40s and judging by her recent weight gain, my OH reckons she is menopausal. What on earth is her problem? They haven't been great neighbours since we moved in:

1. When our Sky dish was installed, she raced round saying they don't like looking at technology and could it go somewhere out of the view from their window. We oblige and she gives us a cheap bottle of wine. Due to the dish's new location, it vibrated in strong wind causing me Insomnia for some years.

2. The handy person from the developer calls and speaks to my OH while I'm at work, saying he can't fit the third hedging bush requested by next door as there was no space in the hedgie across from them. He offered it to OH and planted it in our back garden. Later next doors husband knocks complaining we have "their" bush. He was rude and threatening to a lone woman. So I dig it up and plant where they wanted....no thank you or anything.

3. They seem to be paranoid about privacy. On top of Roman blinds, about 5 years ago they get installed some kind of privacy roller blinds in all windows. These are down most of the time. What do they think, I am jerking off when she is in the garden?

4. Quite a few of us engage someone to plan our rear gardens. Eventually they used the same designer, but a different contractor. During the works, he calls to complain about our BBQ smoke as I cooked close to their fence and house. I agree to cook further away (they are small gardens). As a prid pro quo, I ask that they don't put their trampoline next to the fence as their kids and friends bounce above fence height, peering in to our lounge, giving us no privacy.

5. I also ask him how the garden work is going and what are their plans. He gives no reply and it soon became clear why. Against their fence was built a full length, narrow raised bed. Then semi-mature photinia bushes are planted as a hedge in the raised bed. More privacy for them but as it's grown we have less sunlight that side, even though they know we are keen gardeners and tend to a flowerbed next to it. Don't get me started on those awful red leaves it deposits in our garden 

6. More complaints about our BBQ smoke. We have a normal bbq while theirs is gas powered.

7. We notice from looking out of our bedroom window that they have a new dark coloured large cantilever parasol. It's in the rear corner away from us on the new patio.

8. Next up we notice on their back fence a verticle pull out screen is installed. So this screens them off if we happen the look out of the window. It's hilarious as they are effectively hemmed in under the parasol and on 3 sides. No chance to use their new designer chimea without setting fire to things.

9. More moans about the bbq, so we buy charcoal that's sold to restaurants etc. Generally there is a lot less smoke than supermarket charcoal or briquettes. Only thing is it's more expensive.

10. We find a person to do some maintenance on the communal areas. All home owners are happy we arranged this and contribute an equal share of the cost. On the day, my OH keeps a close eye on what the gardeners do, gives refreshments etc. A different neighbour notices and presented my OH with a lovely bottle of wine. Next door all we hear from them are moans that the weeding part of the job wasn't good enough.

There you have it. We aren't spying on them, and have a right to look out of the window (we love watching wildlife in our garden, and that's been something good during Covid). Quite mild really and not like some awful neighbours others have to suffer.

Are we being reasonable?

What irks you about your neighbour's behaviour?


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

They are swingers, you just haven't invited them over for a sharing is caring evening.


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## jjg (Feb 14, 2010)

Lol

Either that or they haven't done it in ten years and are full or bitter envy.


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## MClaine55 (Feb 16, 2018)

I think you guys are probably right!


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