Trouble with my neighbours

TBagpuss

OP, I's suggest you start with the more low key approach you want to resolve the issue, not escalate it.

Your neighbour has set a precedent by approaching you about something you did that inconvenienced her, follow her example and let her know that what she is doing in inconveniencing her. Ask her not to put anything in your bins without asking you first and not to put stuff in your recycling. If you like, mention that she could try contacting the council to see if she can get a second, or a larger, bin.

If that doesn't solve the problem, then invest in a bin lock.

With the parking, I'd suggest that you continue to park elsewhere if you can, but if that's the only space available, use it, (and if she peaks to you again, then at that time,explain that you have been avoiding using the space, as much as possible, but that where there isn't anywhere else available, you can't always leave it empty, but that you do make an effort to leave it for her as much as you can.

victoriavictorious

genau wrote: »

I hear what your saying and of course every right minded person would be concerned and is concerned if kids are being mistreated but you have to remember

1. The question and topic that the OP is referring to is not an issue with her neighbor letting her kids sleep in the car and

2. They only mentioned the kids in passing and that information is superfluous to this post and so we don't know the "actual reality" which is unknown to us, possibly the woman was just saying that as some type of justification as people do all the time

3. It's obviously a community that live in close proximity to each other and if there was any suggestion of wrong doing she would have been reported to the authorities or something would have been said at the time many months/years ago. We here in the UK look after children really well and most mums are really good mums so a random comment is no reason to get worked up and I'm sure if the OP thought anything in any way was being neglectful or in anyway near to being neglectful of her children she would have reported the issue to social services herself rather than mentioning in in passing

Anyway even if she did leave her kids in a car on her own property how is that different to letting a kid fall asleep outdoors in a pram, pushchair or buggy?

Would you call social services every single time you saw a mum leave a pushchair outside a shop? I've seen it hundreds of times a person could just as easily snatch them away even more easily than from a car on a private driveway.

No, because I haven't seen one single child left outside a shop in a pram/pushchair since about the early 1960s!
But if I did, rest assured that I most certainly wouldn't hesitate to do just that!
Oh, and apparently the car containing the children is not on a private driveway, but on the road outside the house.
Still ok? It isn't with me.

silverwhistle

Aldi are currently doing an integral bike lock and cable for £2.49.. I got it as a spare to stop quick release wheels disappearing er.. quickly, but I can see its use in other circumstances, perhaps with the help of a drilled half inch hole..

steampowered

It sounds to me like these are minor annoying issues rather than anything major?

The neighbour is definitely a bit cheeky I can't imagine the Op fills up her bin most weeks and it isn't too much trouble to park in a different space (if one is available).

If it was me, I'd probably let it slide in the interests of a good relationship with the neighbours.

Red-Squirrel_2

steampowered wrote: »

It sounds to me like these are minor annoying issues rather than anything major?

The neighbour is definitely a bit cheeky I can't imagine the Op fills up her bin most weeks and it isn't too much trouble to park in a different space (if one is available).

If it was me, I'd probably let it slide in the interests of a good relationship with the neighbours.

I!!!8217;d be very very surprised if it was a weekly collection for general non-recyclable. Most places are every 2 or 3 weeks now. Mine is every 3 and even though I live alone and recycle a much as possible I fill the bin in that time. My neighbours with bigger households have to go to the tip in between, or some use the private collection firms that have sprung up.

victoriavictorious

genau wrote: »

That's a ridiculous question to ask if it's fine with me because I know absolutely nothing about the reality of the situation or as to even if it's actually happened and besides which it can't be a problem because otherwise someone in the community would have reported her and you nor I or anybody know exactly when, where and if kids were left in the car nor how old the kids are. I think you're completely and necessarily over reacting

You can't possibly think we know more than those living in the community based on a third party account based on an anonymous forum posting, maybe the OP has embellished her side of the story in order to gain sympathy? There's just far too much conjecture and unsubstantiated "what ifs" to even remotely have anything close to a reliable and meaningful idea of the true situation

This is not an abandoned car in the middle of nowhere with three children locked in there now is it?

Only yesterday I saw three little kids left in a car in the car-park of my local Tesco, the thing is not everybody thinks their kids are going to be snatched from them at any given time

Kids go to the shops, they walk to the playground and live their lives normally without fear

Girls walk home alone sometimes at night in cities all the time without fear even though something bad could potentially happen if we all lived in fear then where do you draw the line we'd never dare venture outside would we

I personally think children on bicycle seats are hugely at risk but we live in a society where people are respected and trusted to bring their children up as they see fit and so should society start intruding further into the private life and interfere in the right of parents? If so then where does it all end?

YES! Any responsible parent jolly well should be thinking exactly that! Children are too precious.
No one was discussing shielding children from normal childhood activities but leaving under 5s locked in a car alone is something else entirely, as well you know.
I despair.

Bass_9

victoriavictorious wrote: »

YES! Any responsible parent jolly well should be thinking exactly that! Children are too precious.
No one was discussing shielding children from normal childhood activities but leaving under 5s locked in a car alone is something else entirely, as well you know.
I despair.

Couldn't agree more.
I do think it's a shame that parents are so worried about their kids safety and potentially restrict their activities as a result, but at the same time I completely understand why some do.

However locking the kids in a car isn't about them being independent, it's completely unnecessary (potentially unsafe) and it sounds like the mum has some unwise coping strategies, to put it politely.