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Got a letter through the door this morning...

26 replies

snafu · 06/03/2005 20:57

...from the people who live opposite us. It said that the house next door to them is probably being sold to 'a woman' who is going to run it as a home for 'six people between the ages of 18-65 with learning disabilities'. The letter was asking me to sign a petition (or, as they called it 'a partition') against this because, the letter pointed out, 'they could be on medication or violent'.

FFS. Is this really what the world is coming to? It has made me so angry. The thing is, I ripped the letter up and put it straight in the bin, but they have just called round to see if I will sign their bloody piece of discriminatory nimbyism. I told them I had read their letter and I was not interested in signing and shut the door, but now I really wish I'd given them a mouthful.

My mum is 'on medication' - lots of it. Are they going to start raising petitions against her? WTF is wrong with looking after people with learning disabilities anyway? The letter admitted they knew bugger-all about the details of what that house may or may not be being used for, but they are still out doorstepping.

I feel really angry about this, but maybe I'm just being a woolly liberal? It has really upset me that people are so prejudiced and insular but - maybe I'm being really naive?? It's a very middle-class, middle-England area and I just think it's the worst sort of Daily Mail-ism - but perhaps that's my prejudices on show as much as theirs!

Sorry for the rant but it has really upset me.

OP posts:
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Mud · 06/03/2005 21:01

good for you, I am impressed you dealt with them so politely, it would have done nobody any good you ranting at them

you could always start up a petition against blatant 'discriminatory numbyism'

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Mud · 06/03/2005 21:02

nimbyism I meant

(are you going fot the Not In a Million Billion Years or the Not In My Back Yard definition btw?(

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misdee · 06/03/2005 21:06

idiots.

maybe they wan to come and petition against my neighbourhood. we have people of varying abilities here and a respite home round the corner. everyone round here is diabled in some way and most probably on medication.

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katierocket · 06/03/2005 21:09

how grim. good for you for shutting the door in their face.

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macwoozy · 06/03/2005 21:11

I have a ds with SEN and god help anyone that comes round here on my doorstep with such a petition. Good on ya

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PrettyCandles · 06/03/2005 21:12

We had something like that recently, when a building about 5 or 6 houses away applied for planning permission to renovate the existing building and build some 'sheltered' style houses in the grounds. Only then did local residents realise that the building had been used for young people with problems (I don't remember what sort of problems, behavioural I think) for a good few years. Now local residents were objecting! Sick-making.

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snafu · 06/03/2005 21:12

This is what I found so insulting. I've just seen my mum into a psychiatric unit with a bagful of medication. What would they make of that? But I guess because we live in a big house like theirs we're okay and bound to be on their side, right?

I wish I'd kept the letter - I'd paste it on here. It was full of gems like 'We're not prejudiced against disabled people - if it was a proper family with a disabled child that would be okay'!!! And of course the woman who's meant to be buying the place has a 'foreign' name....hmmm, she's probably going to bring in a load of illegal immigrants too, isn't she?

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WestCountryLass · 06/03/2005 21:23

Fuckers! The world is a very sad place, not helped by fuckwits like that! I reckon you should peition their partition.

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WestCountryLass · 06/03/2005 21:23

Fuckers! The world is a very sad place, not helped by fuckwits like that! I reckon you should peition their partition.

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WestCountryLass · 06/03/2005 21:29

Or even petition their partition [rollingeyessmilie]

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macwoozy · 06/03/2005 21:31

I knew what you meant, and couldn't have put it better myself

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Evesmama · 06/03/2005 21:32

i think "some people" just have to have something to complain about as their lives are so empty, they just want to be miserable, narrow minded gits

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macwoozy · 06/03/2005 21:34

Well they live in their cosy little perfect world.

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Marina · 07/03/2005 10:16

Hm, right with you there. Our otherwise delightful postie went the length of our street a couple of years ago warning everyone with saucer-eyed relish that the big house on the corner was going to be turned into a bail hostel for young offenders. Cue mass gnashing of teeth in suburbia.
Well, they've been there for two years and occasionally the police come screeching up and sometimes a carton of milk or beer bottle has been flung onto the pavement from one of the rooms.
Other than that, they are well-supervised by a bunch of jovial and caring social workers etc and quite frankly, a lot less trouble than some of the little dears in our road living with their parents. Where are people who need a hand integrating into society supposed to go ffs?
Snafu, ROFL at Daily-Mailism. I know what you mean...

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Tommy · 07/03/2005 10:42

My old and doddery neighbour told me once that the house next door but one to me was being developed as a mulpile occupancy for people with learning difficulties. I just said "Oh, what a good idea!" and he had wanted me to sign his petition - he gave me all the copies of his correspondence with the council and the local MP
I took it politiely and took it back just as politely the next day.
A tricky situation but at least you did the right thing, snafu

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Socci · 07/03/2005 10:47

Message withdrawn

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moschops · 07/03/2005 10:50

the house next door to where i grew up was sold to an organisation who teach 'disabled' people how to look after themselves, either with a view to moving into accomodation on their own or to become 'leaders' in that house to help show newcomers how to look after themselves.

they used to pop their heads over the fence and say 'mrs......come here mrs!!' to my mum and then ask her if she wanted some of the cooking apples off the tree.

they were absolutley delightful, and yes not always the best behaved but then what so called 'normal' person is well behaved all the time. they were an absolute bonus to the local community and i have a few friends who now work in houses just like this (for charities like Sense).

you watch all your neighbours go creeping round there pretending to be all community minded if it does get used for this purpose. i bet they're all a stinking pile of hypocrites.

(by the way it would be interesting to see the final petition and see how many of your neighbours have signed it)

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snafu · 07/03/2005 10:52

Have just noticed that a For Sale board has gone up outside their house. Good. I hope they get a quick sale and I can continue to live peacefully in my road, untroubled by the anti-social behaviour of these sanctimonious blinkered gits

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misdee · 07/03/2005 10:54

they're selling? tell them you want to buy their house and use it as a brothel. see if they get a petition up for that!!

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Socci · 07/03/2005 10:56

Message withdrawn

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HappyDaddy · 07/03/2005 10:56

My aunt has Down's Syndrome and lives in just such a house. Without people like your neighbour some people would never get the valuable experience of living away from home, but with help on hand.
Tell them you'll take it off them instead and use it as a crack house.

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Sponge · 07/03/2005 10:58

I'm not agreeing with their POV but having this kind of facility on the street can affect property prices as there are plenty of bigoted people who feel the same as they do.
Maybe this is their prime concern and they're trying to get out before the housing slump they foresee.

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Branster · 07/03/2005 11:00

well done you!
just make sure that's what the house will be used for though. you can probably enquire at your local council once the property os sold and an application is made.

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sobernow · 07/03/2005 11:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

norash40 · 07/03/2005 11:26

Next door to me is a home for people with learning diabilities, and on the other side is a house for those people with disabilities who are more independent.

I think that such people should think twice before doing such things. I would have been really mad too.

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