So many of my neighbours are idiots

[lynsey91]

My next door neighbours have not been to work for 3 weeks now (I assume they are self isolating or furloughed). In that time I have seen his brother come and visit 3 times so possibly more times that I have not seen.

They stand really close to each other chatting. His brother is still working so out and about most days.

If they want to risk their own health then it's up to them but they have 3 young children.

The other side have 2 children and they spend a week with mum and stepdad and then a week with dad and stepmum. They are continuing to do this but yesterday the dad brought them back and then they all sat round their garden table (close together). The children are 18 and 15 so dad does not even need to take them into the garden/house.

Over the road has 2 grown up sons living there. One has a girlfriend who sometimes stays. No sign of her since lockdown but then yesterday she appears and her car is there this morning so she is obviously staying there now!

Do none of them understand what lock down is meant to be?

[TomHardysCBBC]

Stop spying on your neighbours.

[NewIdeasToday]

This is unfortunate. But I think you need to find a new pastime instead of watching your neighbours the whole time. There’s nothing you can do about this and it’s just going to make you stressed.

[PersonaNonGarter]

OP, you have too much time on your hands.

Take up a different hobby. Righteousness is wearing.

[SussEggsRoyale]

How do people know this much about their neighbours? I live in a normal street with houses around me and couldn't even start to say who's been in/out, who's had visitors or gardeners or whatever.

It's amazing to me that people know this much.

[pocketem]

Step away from your curtain

Try watching TV instead of spying on your neighbours. It's creepy

[railwaysailway]

Whatever people think of the OP's actions, the point is that these selfish people are potentially spreading disease. Which obviously has a knock on effect for people on the front line, the length of the lockdown, and the effect on the economy.

[FaFoutis]

You must be bored.

[Dia12]

It's not difficult to catch people coming/going from your immediate neighbours so some of these comments are quite unfair - but quite expected from the usual morally superior brigade that like to police the threads on mumsnet.

Anyway, I get your point OP, and it's disheartening to watch the numbers of dead/infected increase whilst some people are clearly practicing social distancing. To be effective it has to be followed to the letter.

I wonder if they are watching the same news channels as the rest of us?!

[DownyBuds]

It’s the same where I live unfortunately and I’ve really had to try hard to ignore it. Same with all the people I talk to who tell me they are meeting with family this weekend.

I think the message about not meeting people in public is getting across - so everyone is now doing it in private :(

[ReceptacleForTheRespectable]

Stop spying on your neighbours.

[EggBaconBeans]

As my Mum always says to me; worry about what you're doing- you can't change the actions or thoughts of others.

Seriously. There is nothing you can do. These idiots are a plenty and are likely to be the very reasons lockdown becomes tighter or extended unfortunately.

It's absolutely frustrating.

[maybelou]

I bet everyone getting angry with OP for 'spying' is also entertaining visitors and flouting the lockdown rules - why else are you so annoyed that people are concerned about others NOT following lockdown??

People not adhering to the restrictions is everyone's business. Stop sticking your head in the sand and realise that we all have a responsibility to stop this and neighbours being selfish and stupid is an entirely valid thing to be annoyed about!

[ReceptacleForTheRespectable]

The other side have 2 children and they spend a week with mum and stepdad and then a week with dad and stepmum. They are continuing to do this but yesterday the dad brought them back and then they all sat round their garden table (close together). The children are 18 and 15 so dad does not even need to take them into the garden/house.

You realise this doesn't actually present an increased risk? The children are moving between the houses (legally), and could be disease vectors, therefore the two households are effectively functioning as one household for social distancing purposes. It;s not ideal, but given the fact that the children are allowed to move, what they do at handover is really neither here nor there.

[MargotB7]

There are people taking the piss. My Brother who is having to work walked out of the shop yesterday and four young blokes were stood talking sharing a spliff.

[hamstersarse]

Maybe they are doing their bit for herd immunity?

[MargotB7]

There is a thread about us potentially being worse than Italy (not read yet).

[FindHimForThreeKillHimForTen]

I have opaque film on the lower half of all my front windows. It is there to stop the dogs being able to see out and barking but the added advantage is that I cannot see what goes on in the street.

Life really is less stressful if you don't see what other people are doing. I highly recommend it.

[Statistician999]

You will feel a lot better if you ignore your neighbours and find something positive to do in your own home. Why not sort out that bookshelf or stick some photos in an album or frames? Tidy your wardrobe, tend the garden? You can do a free course on futurelearn.

Look after your own health. Eat well. Do some exercise.

Life will be much better.

[NerdImmunity]

My next door neighbours have not been to work for 3 weeks now (I assume they are self isolating or furloughed)

...or maybe they're following the gov guidelines and working from home?! Me and DP have been at home for over 4 weeks as we're both WFH

[Itwasntme1]

The bother could be dropping groceries in? I am self isolating and my brother calls with shopping. We do chat a bit, but he stands outside and I stay in the hall.

Don’t want to take up grocery delivery slots so this works for us, and it’s nice to see someone😊

He drops stuff to our mum and dad and I assume he has a chat while he is there too.

[mbosnz]

I think spending so much time and energy on what others are doing or not doing is an unhealthy side effect of corona lockdown.

[squashyhat]

You cannot manage your neighbour's behaviour - you can only manage yours. For the sake of your (mental) health ignore them and carry on doing what you know to be right. It's the only thing you can do.

[starrysimon]

How do you even know all of this info about them

I’ve seen my neighbours get visitors. No idea if they’re friends or family and I couldn’t care less. As long as I know I’m doing my bit it doesn’t matter. I can’t control them. Although, I am increasingly concerned about the woman across the road who appears to live on her own and clearly struggles a lot to walk even small distances like from her car to her door. Goes out in her car quite a lot when I think people should be coming to her and helping her! I would help if I could

[lynsey91]

Why did I not realise I would get called nosy?

As for finding things to do in lockdown. Well on week 3 and I have decorated spare room which meant stripping wallpaper, sanding woodwork, painting woodwork and papering and painting ceiling. I have stripped the wallpaper on the landing, down the stairs and the hallway and started sanding the woodwork. I have also painted the ceiling in our bedroom and sanded the woodwork.

I have restarted knitting, am teaching myself to crochet and also started sewing. Also watching the online downloads from different theatres plus reading.

The spare bedroom is at the back of the house overlooking the back gardens. I can clearly see into the neighbours' gardens each side and the front of the neighbour behind me (with the grown up sons).

All on my road park at the back and go their houses by the back door.

While decorating I could see and hear quite a bit of the coming and goings of each side. I had the windows open as it has been very warm and to help with the smell of paint.

As I said, neighbour's brother may well have visited more but I have seen him 3 times. I very much doubt he is getting shopping for them as the neighbour is going shopping. I know it is the neighbour's brother because he has introduced him in the past plus he lives in our village.

Even if he were dropping shopping off to stand almost touching his brother is pretty silly. One of my siblings takes shopping to my parents but they leave them on the doorstop and my parents wave through the window.

I know what jobs my neighbours do because believe or not we talk and they do not do jobs they can be doing at home.

Also as the weather has been so nice the neighbours both sides have been siting in their gardens and I can see and hear them if I go outside or upstairs. I have not sat outside because I have been busy with different things despite so many posters being certain I have only spied on my neighbours.

I feel fine and am not stressed by the stupidity of my neighbours. I have not been outside the house or garden for 18 days and DH has been out twice to get food so we are being sensible.

I am now going to paint 2 bedside tables, a dressing table and a wardrobe.