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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be p*ssed off at partner for holiday etiquette

71 replies

Evaka · 05/02/2024 07:52

DP of seven years and I on a fab holiday somewhere hot and far from the UK. Having a lovely time overall. Currently in a huge, hectic but fun city. Today we spent a couple of hours apart - he went off to send postcards and I came back to hotel to swim. He joined me briefly in the pool and said he was hungry. I said I'd join him for lunch out and about. We both got out of the pool, i sat down to finish the end of a drink, he gathered his stuff and said 'I'll message you if I find somewhere nice'. I was annoyed and said so. I thought it was rude and impatient. He got pretty angry in return and stood over me insisting that i looked relaxed so he decided I'd rather follow him, and I often do my own thing in our regular life in London. Felt like a weak explanation. He has a bit of form for this sort of thing but is generally a gentle soul. He's gone, I'm looking at 10 loved up couples around me and wondering why my man wouldn't want to sit with me by a glorious pool for 10 mins before heading out together. So who's being unreasonable?!

OP posts:
coffy11 · 05/02/2024 09:48

I find it weird that he said he would go ahead on his own. He couldn't wait 10 minutes until you were ready? It's good to do things separately but i would think for dinner you would go together.

Strugglingtodomybest · 05/02/2024 09:47

It's just a lack of communication. Just talk to each other more.

Mariposistaaa · 05/02/2024 09:47

Did you use your words? And say hang on, give me 5 minutes, I'm just finishing and I will come with you?

dearymcdearface · 05/02/2024 09:35

Postcards..?

TTCSoManyQuestions88 · 05/02/2024 09:33

I don’t get hangry, but if I said to my husband I’m off for lunch I’m hungry and he said oh I will come with you. Then sat down and started leisurely drinking his beer I’d be annoyed,and prob say I’m off, join me when you’re ready

This 100%. A bit annoying to say you'll join him but then sit down for a drink. Why not let him go ahead then?

Also a bit strange to say you need time apart every day on holiday....doesn't sound like you like each other enough.

Janetime · 05/02/2024 09:11

I don’t get hangry, but if I said to my husband I’m off for lunch I’m hungry and he said oh I will come with you. Then sat down and started leisurely drinking his beer I’d be annoyed,and prob say I’m off, join me when you’re ready,

phoenixrosehere · 05/02/2024 09:09

YABU

There was nothing wrong with what he suggested. If you were going to need to finish your drink, you should have said so when he mentioned going for lunch.

My DH is a hangry sort which annoys me and hangry people in general who can’t just carry an emergency snack with them I’ve learned to work around it for the most part especially on holidays. He does exactly what your DH was going to do and I meet him there or I give him a time of how long I’m going to be and he will either have a snack (bag of crisp) and we head out together to a place he researched beforehand or he has a solo lunch and I’ll eat something a bit later.

Janetime · 05/02/2024 08:59

helpnohelpno · 05/02/2024 08:55

@Janetime what about your swimsuit? I'm envisioning clothes on over swimsuit for lunch as opposed to getting changed.
Maybe it's all the padding in my bikini top 😂 but it doesn't dry instantly.

I feel he should have asks if she was ready to go. And even without a drying issue she was finishing her drink. Surely it's reasonable to wait a few minutes if someone's got a drink.

They were going out, so I’d have just changed and started to make moves.

tne issue here is that she just sat down and started drinking her drink. So lack of communication. When will we go, can I have a few mins, or are you hungry and I should meet you when you find someplace.

helpnohelpno · 05/02/2024 08:55

@Janetime what about your swimsuit? I'm envisioning clothes on over swimsuit for lunch as opposed to getting changed.
Maybe it's all the padding in my bikini top 😂 but it doesn't dry instantly.

I feel he should have asks if she was ready to go. And even without a drying issue she was finishing her drink. Surely it's reasonable to wait a few minutes if someone's got a drink.

Alargeoneplease89 · 05/02/2024 08:54

Probably hangry- it would annoy me if I was hungry and you wanted to lounge around for another 10 minutes. May seem like just 10 minutes but then you have to find somewhere and wait to be seated etc that could be another 2 hours before food touches your lips.

I always carry a snickers 😂

Janetime · 05/02/2024 08:48

helpnohelpno · 05/02/2024 08:36

If I get out the pool I want to dry off before lunch so I'd assume at least 20 minutes before we go. He also should have asked of you were ready to go.

I just use a towel. Takes about 2 mins.

ElaineMBenes · 05/02/2024 08:48

Ursulla · 05/02/2024 08:24

But who the hell sends postcards these days?

Exactly. Postcards my arse. He was buying drugs.

Eh?
We send postcards when we're away 🤷🏼‍♀️

SD1978 · 05/02/2024 08:44

He was hungry and really wanted to eat, you wanted to stay at the pool but told him you'd come too. Neither of you are wrong- but I know ow I get hangry sometimes and if I felt the other person wasn't moving when I really wanted to find a restaurant I'd probably get a wee bit annoyed too.

maudelovesharold · 05/02/2024 08:44

But who the hell sends postcards these days?

I send a postcard to one of my friends, as she does to me, whenever we go on holiday. She and I were friends at school and we’re now officially MN old, so it’s become a tradition! Dh and I always used to send postcards to our parents, when away, because they appreciated receiving them. Also grandchildren, now, love the novelty of getting something through the post. There’s still room for a postcard!

helpnohelpno · 05/02/2024 08:36

If I get out the pool I want to dry off before lunch so I'd assume at least 20 minutes before we go. He also should have asked of you were ready to go.

Jewelanemone · 05/02/2024 08:30

Sparklfairy · 05/02/2024 08:27

Ah, I love the good old Mumsnet leap.

I think it was meant as a joke. It made me laugh anyway 😆

MyLadyTheKingsMother · 05/02/2024 08:30

Hope your having a nice time in mexico

Sparklfairy · 05/02/2024 08:27

Ursulla · 05/02/2024 08:24

But who the hell sends postcards these days?

Exactly. Postcards my arse. He was buying drugs.

Ah, I love the good old Mumsnet leap.

Janetime · 05/02/2024 08:25

Ursulla · 05/02/2024 08:24

But who the hell sends postcards these days?

Exactly. Postcards my arse. He was buying drugs.

wtf?

Janetime · 05/02/2024 08:25

The issue here is he clearly told you he was hungry. You said you’d join him, you then sat down and started enjoying your drink. Can you really not see the issue?
and it is not great you can’t spend too much time together.

however in this, when he said he was hungry and going for lunch, why do you think he had to sit there and wait for you to finish your drink.

Ursulla · 05/02/2024 08:24

But who the hell sends postcards these days?

Exactly. Postcards my arse. He was buying drugs.

unexpectediteminthebraggingarea · 05/02/2024 08:23

It sounds like bad communication on both parts to me.

Evaka · 05/02/2024 08:22

Ha, I'm well schooled by these responses! Point taken it's a non event.

To answer a few qs:

  • he does get hangry
  • I'm generally the more organised one. He only rushes when he's hungry!
  • re time apart, we've been making sure to have a few hours apart every day. Neither I nor he could do 24/7 together
-re postcards, should have explained the old post office here is an iconic building so we thought it would be sweet to send postcards to nieces and nephews

Thanks all, I'm off for a nice solo lunch!

OP posts:
TheYearOfSmallThings · 05/02/2024 08:21

I think YABU. If you are a person who likes to do things at their own very relaxed speed, other people can politely say they will crack on and you can join them when you are ready. They don't get to be rude about it, but you don't get to force them to move at your speed.

DoubleYolker · 05/02/2024 08:16

Doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. But I’m wondering if he often has to hang around waiting for you? My husband is a faffer and is often late, whereas I’m very punctual. So, this means I spend a lot of time hanging around waiting for him, getting frustrated, and sometimes end up getting annoyed and heading off without him. Could this be happening here?