To not want to talk to my neighbours?

Supply chain issues, potential food shortages etc. Wasn't trying to offend anyone

Why ‘in the current climate’ ?

Outside of the obvious things you listed, how are you supposed to ascertain whether the neighbours are the type to keep themselves to themselves, be satisfied with a smile and a nod or expect newbies to join in with everything? Please enlighten me

In the current climate, you may one day find it very useful to know your neighbours. You don't need to be friends but I would encourage you to be a good neighbour.

Minute of lives? Where did I say that?

So tell me if you were house hunting and you went to view a place the neighbours are irrelevant? You wouldn't notice if they had reform flags on every window. Or if they were shrieking , effing and blinding? None of that would make the slightest difference on whether you made an offer in the house? Ok if you say so

Hmm some of my actual friends were neighbours first. That's how I got to know them

Are you also glad about all the people that are suffering loneliness and MH issues ( which can be connected)

I just don’t see what’s so difficult about saying “Hello! Isn’t it a lovely/windy/wet day! Sorry-in a rush can’t stop!” Wave and leave.

You're right, but your "village" doesn't have to be your immediate neighbours or people who just happen to live on your street.

Why is it important?

We're all here for each other so know we'll get help if we need it. I wonder if those people who don't speak to anyone would still expect them to help them out in a crisis.

Thank goodness you aren’t my neighbour! It’s so important to build a proper village around you.

Old ladies are awesome. I used to live near two lovely old ladies and they still buy Christmas and birthday presents for my daughter years after we moved and my ex takes them out to lunch once or twice a year.

You sound lovely❤️ I’d love a neighbour like you! This will mean so much to those mothers and children.

I grew up in a city (NW) and knew my neighbours and we were in and out of each others houses. I live in a village now and always say hi to neighbours and chat to them.i live in the North West, so maybe it's a northern thing.
I do think you're being unreasonable, you don't have to have a long conversation with neighbours.

Why are people that claim to like others so vile to those who just want to get on with their lives? It’s actually hilarious that you are the ones claiming that we are the odd ones 🤣🤣🤣

Yeh human interaction between neighbours is a terrible thing isn’t it !! Glad you’re not my neighbour. Hope they tell you to F Off if you ever need to ask a favour.

And that proves my point. Not wanting to chat to someone just because they live near you is legitimate. Yet it’s hilarious how rude people get when someone says they don’t want to 🤣

I live in a small village. Some neighbours are chatty, others don't even look at you. There's a middle ground for me which is I'll always say hello or offer a wave, for immediate neighbours I'll take parcels in for you and put your bins out if you're away, but I definitely have no interest in constant long chats. I value my privacy. You can be neighbourly without being invested in lengthy conversations.

You sound nice! 😂

I think if you read the comments on this thread, you'll see that your sort of misanthropy is largely at odds with normal human intercourse. Thank god.

Look, NOBODY is going to be 'forced' to make inane small talk for 20 mins every time they put the bins out! We're English, we have extremely finely tuned sensors for what is 'done'. Clearly the OP was meeting her new neighbours for possibly the first time and they were trying to suss her out and test the waters. They probably picked up on her general air of 'fuck off peasants' and won't bother another time.

My neighbours are exactly the same and we also live in the north.

The good side to this is we all or most of us look out for one another and will all happily take in a parcel, put recycling boxes in someones drive if its a windy day, will water my next door neighbours plants and keep an eye on the place if they are away, we all attended a neighbours husbands funeral etc etc. Obviously if someone is rushing it will be a quick hello and sorry I am rushing to work or rushing to an appointment but in the main yes we are pleasant and exchange pleasantries.

Its very sad you feel this way op but I am sure if you feel as bad as your opening post here suggests your neighbours will soon get the message about you and class you as ‘a funny buggar’, ‘miserable’ or a ‘snob’ etc etc.

Pretty miserable I think to be that antisocial. I don't have long chats with neighbours and rarely see them even after forty years living here but I do think it's good to build relationships with people around you as that's a community. In our street, COVID actually accelerated that as we started a street WhatsApp which has been very useful and supportive.

I’m not a big fan of neighbour chat. During lockdown I lived next door to to a middle aged man who kept himself to himself, but when the pandemic hit his 19 year old daughter moved home to live with him. I spent a lot of time outside sunbathing as the weather was so lovely, and she would constantly come into her garden and chat over the fence, I hated it as I just wanted to relax and read my book!

Now we live somewhere else, surrounded by old ladies. They’re lovely and we look out for them, but we have a baby and I’m often rushing out to a baby class or running late to get somewhere and they always see to materialise and want to coo over him. It’s sweet but I don’t have the time!

We hate our neighbours, they're a PITA. We don't talk to them unless absolutely necessary.

You do not have to talk to anyone you don't want to, it's totally fine.

Sounds hideous 🤣 Does nobody work or is ever in a hurry?

I remember it was a bit like that when I was a child if I was with my grandmother. Everyone stopped and chatted for ages, moved on and then saw someone else, rinse and repeat. I am glad the world has moved on that largely