AIBU people staring into my house

I'll try, I'm not very technical so I can't promise.

My kitchen window is directly by a fairly busy pavement (no front garden) and I never have issues with people looking in.

I did however have the reverse of this the other day when I was washing up in the evening, daydreaming staring out of the window, but with the kitchen light on when it’s dark outside all I can see is the reflection of the kitchen in the window. Suddenly noticed movement and someone outside was waving awkwardly, clearly they’d made eye contact not knowing I couldn’t actually see them and thought I was just staring

Take photo's of them and post on here so we can all see them

@Coffeecak3 I don't think it eats people but its "arms" are long enough that I think it could grab someone and crush them. The terrible thing is one of her limbs fell off and we potted it and and now we have another one that is already about 4 ft tall. I wouldn't mind but anyone who knows me would tell you I'm not good with plants. God knows what it would be like if someone who was good with plants had it.

Stand up and take their photos through the window, preferably with a proper camera rather than your phone or they won't realise what you're doing.

For greater effect, print them out and paste them facing outwards on your window 😂

People can't help but look if you have no curtains, especially if the light is on inside and it's dark out - it draws your attention even if you try not to look. Could you cover the windows with film or something just while you do the wall?

@ProfYaffle
Lol, I thought that was a sideways picture of those ruched curtains. Not seen them in ages.

You can get cheap stick on paper blinds that are really easy to take off- we got them as a temp fix when we moved in, ended up keeping them up for 3 years 😂

Temporarily put up curtains? Even a bedsheet? if it bothers you that much - do something. Because it is unreasonable to expect people not to look - we're not racehorses with blinkers, people do look around them when they are walking by.

YANBU OP, I moved into my house 6 months ago and it’s kind of on a bend with a huge back garden which you can see but recently with lockdown people are not only looking in the back garden but staring right in my window too! 1 guy and his son decided to take a wee walk down my driveway and when asked what they were doing they sheepishly said “ oh we knew the people that used to live here, just wanted to see what the garden was like “ the other one happened yesterday. I was having a wee nap on my couch ( I’m over 8 and a half months pregnant) and had the window open. The couple decided it was appropriate to come down the drive and put their head virtually in my window, when I popped up the couple got the fright of their life ( their head was pretty much on top of my TV!! ) I did nearly pee myself laughing though because they got so much of a fright hahaha!!! I don’t care what anyone says, DON’T BE RUDE AND STARE IN PEOPLES WINDOWS!!

I hate being looked at so always have privacy film or draw the blinds/curtains. I also know how difficult it is to walk past a place that's basically on display - I always peek!! So yes, YABU and need to cover it up if it bothers you. As people have said, there's tons of temporary (and cheap/free) options. However, I also understand it's annoying. But I think if there's something you can do to stop it, do it.

YANBU. It is annoying. Someone mentioned plants. Could you not buy one or two tall, leafy plants to block the direct view into your living room? Once your wall is up you can always put them in another room. If you have a window seat, maybe put them on top of it, no need for tall pots?

Our living room is at the front of the house, separated from the pavement by a garden of about 2 metres depth, low stone wall (which people will stop to sit on on their way past - we live on a hill - but that's a whole other thread...) and a large sash window with a blind. People do stare in, but tbh it doesn't bother me, and if they REALLY stare I wave at them.

I used some window film from a company called Brume once - it will dim the light slightly but nothing like closing curtains will do and it's also reasonably cheap. Would that work short-term?

I remember helping my nana clean windolene off the windows after it had dried - was so much fun as a child as you could draw on it

We get people walking up our drive (all of about 20ft) and leaning over our gate to look at our patch/‘garden’. It’s brown grass and a few scraggly pot plants.... but apparently it’s the most interesting thing ever for little old ladies .... we have a sign up saying private property and we are right at the end of the village.
Apparently I’m rude for asking them to leave once I’ve discovered they are looking for directions to the main highlight of the village - the post box.
Op... people are plain noisy. Stick posters or newspaper up until the wall is built.

I grew up in a tourist area where the majority of tourists came from a country where curtains were kept closed, so we frequently had people stand still and gawp. We found the best way to deal with that was to smile and wave. It makes people feel very uncomfortable

I've got a giant plant, no one can see past it. We've had it for 40 years and it is a monster but part of the family.

This was my approach when we lived in a raised ground-floor flat in London. We had a monster cheeseplant that must have looked like a Triffid from the street.