Nosy neighbours

catkins

Where I live we seem to have a surplus of nosy neighbours. There are about 4 woman (all over 70) who are always looking out their windows or going outside to look at things and always wanting to !!!!! about others. Three of them are married so nothing to do with being lonely.


One of them lives to the side of me and almost every time me or OH are outside, whether gardening or even going to the garage or car, she seems to be looking out her upstairs window. She makes no secret of it and in fact pulls her net curtain to one side to peer out. We have taken to waving at her now. I don't know what she thinks we might be doing that is worth watching!


So to a point they all drive me mad and I wonder why none of them have got a life (I don't really talk to any of them but I hear from other neighbours all the gossip they give out) but I just ignore them and get on with my own life.


Yesterday I was walking my dogs and I bumped into someone I vaguely know (only through her walking her dog). She lives a couple of streets away so not even an immediate neighbour. Anyway we chat for a bit about the dogs and I am trying to get away as I am in a hurry and don't even really know her when she says "what are you doing about your wall". I was puzzled and didn't have a clue what she was talking about. I must have looked puzzled because she said "Your garden wall. It's got a big crack in it and it might fall down".


Now I didn't even realise she knew where I lived but what gives her the idea she can just ask such a question? I actually rent my house although she does not know that. I am not ashamed of that but I see no need for people to know so I just ignored her question and said "Must go as I am in a hurry". She didn't seem happy with that.


My landlord is not the slightest bit concerned about the wall although me and OH have mentioned it often enough. I must admit it has been like it for the 10 years we have lived here so hopefully will be ok for a while yet.


We can't people mind their own business?

fivetide

Not worth you worrying about either though? So you have twitchers, who doesn't? Helpful if there is a crime....

The wall, if you've mentioned it then there is at least some concern, perhaps others think it looks quite bad now? Worth saying you've had complaints from the neighbours and get the landlord to spend some of your money fixing what you pay them for?

balletshoes

my dad was a bit of a curtain-twitcher in his later years - we all used to have a giggle at him when he was at his window, commenting on who was passing by/parking where etc.

One comfort with nosy neighbours is they're a very good neighbourhood watch .

People ask questions for all sorts of reasons - maybe just to make conversation? I'm sure your dog-walking conversation will stop that particular person asking you about it again.

I don't really see the problem with nosy people to be honest - I keep myself pretty much to myself and if I don't want to tell my neighbours anything, I just don't. I get on well with both sides though, I do chat in passing with them, I don't see any reason why I wouldn't.

BucksLady

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” (Socrates)

aggypanthus

One of my , now ex, neighbours had the cheek to ask me why we had or needed 2 cars!

I said , ours are old, but paid for!

Luckily I dont have nosy ones now.

Tropez

When I was a teenager and still living with my mum we had a neighbour on one side who was incredibly bloody nosey. My mum was away for a couple of weeks so I had the house to myself and would have some friends over and every single one of them commented on the woman twitching her curtains, earwigging near the fence and the rest of it.

Eventually, we just started messing with her on purpose by pretending to carry out satanic rituals in the garden at night and as I was going to put a pond in for mum anyway, I dug the hole at night to make it look like I was digging a grave.

I don't think it quelled her nosey behaviour but she never did look me in the eye again.

Nosey types are generally so starved for stimulation in their boring life they become like dogs that stare mindlessly out of the window, getting excited at even the postman walking by.

artbaron

I'm in a small town in the Lakes and whilst most people are great you do get the odd busybody and they're like bad caricatures from a third-rate sitcom. One of them came right up to me when I was in the front garden and said, "I've not seen you before, what's your name?" I told her my first name and she said, "What's your surname?" to which I replied half-jokingly, "That's my business." Then, as she started on about her daughter and how great she was, a goth-looking bloke walked past and she paused to hiss loudly at me, "Urgh! He's a strange one, he is." He must have heard, he was no more than five feet away.

Turned out the old b*tch doesn't even live in the town, she comes up from London to visit her daughter, who no doubt prays for bad weather and road closures when that day comes around.

Another old bag popped out of the hedge the other day (so it seemed) and immediately thrust a handful of dodgy bones at my dog without asking. When he leapt for them (and I pulled him back) she said, "Oh, he's not very well trained is he?" I picked the treats up and said I'd give them to the dog later at which point she started waffling about some cat across the street that was owned by 'a foreigner!' She raised her eyebrows at this as if she expected me to throw up my hands and say, "What's the world coming to!?"

I'm a polite sort of bloke in the flesh but I think next time one of these shriveled crones starts on at me I'll just tell her to f**k off and give her something else to whitter about.

Cyberman60

BucksLady wrote: »

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” (Socrates)

That is the most profound statement I've ever read. As somebody that has difficulties with my family on this issue (ie toxic gossip) I'm going to use this in future, because it is so true !! :T :beer:

Horace

I live in an semi circle of houses where a fair few of them are occupied by old people who like to curtain twitch (one doesn't even have nets so she just stands in her window). It doesn't bother me because they are like neighbourhood watch and they look out for everybody.

Yesterday my neighbour came round to see if I was alright because I hadn't been seen out on the front for a few days. I thought it was quite sweet that she cared.

It doesn't cost anything to say hello to a neighbour - you don't have to be hopping in and out of each other's homes.

PintAndAPie

This thread has raised the bar for irony. Well done OP, pure genius.

aileth

Haha, I just find them funny.

The woman down the street who we had football-related issues with is hilarious for this.

If you're walking down the hill and she's outside, she will stop what she's doing and stare at you like from one of these sci-fi movies where people are brainwashed. If you're in the back garden, she will stand at her upstairs window and stare at you.

Yesterday she was walking at the bottom end of the street, was staring at me continuously as I came down the hill and almost walked into the side of a house.

If our curtains are pulled right back, she can see right into our living room and will just stand at her window staring in. I wonder if she's got a notebook sometimes.

I tried to have a staring match with her once but gave up after a couple of minutes.

Some people are loopy.