What are my parents-in-law's neighbours actually doing?

[cordeliaflynne]

So, to be clear right from the start, there will be no answer to this one, ever. (If it is a weird sex thing, there is no way my parents-in law would tell us - it would be too awkward!) This is purely for speculation, but what are they up to?

Every Sunday evening my parents-in-law's neighbour creeps out of his bungalow and down the path beside the fence to hang a home made wooden shutter over the frosted glass window of their bathroom then heads back inside. This has happened every Sunday evening over around the last six months. If my parents-in-law are in the garden, he waits until they have gone inside but when they look out again later, the shutter is in place. (If they are still there at the critical time he actually ducks down below the level of the fence so they can't see)

What can they be doing that needs a wooden shutter on the window? The most innocent explanation that we can think of is creating a dark room but in that case, why try to do it so secretly and with such a regular schedule?

Please share your ideas because we are stumped.

Possibly, a swingers signal, or if espionage related, signal for the intelligence is ready for collection, or they are involved with an affair of some sorts ?

Re reading it, if he's hanging it over the window, normally if the lights are on, the shadows would normally be partly seen , so if he's upto something that would normally be unique, it could be to cover the shadows ?

Could they take a photo of the shutter, too see if it has any gaps or holes in it, as the shutter could be being used to spy through ?

What form does it actually take? Is it a beautiful, proper carpenter-made shutter, crafted to fit that exact window perfectly - or just a great big square sheet of chipboard?

Isn't the whole idea of frosted glass that it doesn't block everything out (including light), but instead of a clear, identifiable view of the person inside, you can only vaguely see a blurred rough outline of a generic human form that nobody could possibly get excited about?

Could you get some of that 'Police - Do Not Cross' stripey murder tape and put it liberally over the be-shuttered window, once he's got it in place and gone inside?

Is it always the man who sneaks out? Maybe he's sneaking out and his wife/partner isn't aware of the shutter, but why is still the question.

@motorcyclenumptiness

Maybe he likes to pretend he lives in an advent calendar?

I’m crying

How do we know he isn't doing this to other rooms at the back of the house?

How long is it up for?

What if they have Sunday roast in the bath

Dare I ask what kind of "roast" you are referring to?

My friends step dad used to do something similar but on the inside of the bathroom window. After lots of speculation we asked friend what was he doing? Disappointingly, he was developing photos in the bath, he was really in to black & white photography.

Maybe the neighbour is doing the same thing, regular as clockwork every week. 😂

Possibly, a swingers signal, or if espionage related, signal for the intelligence is ready for collection

Do your PIL have the same house configuration and materials? Perhaps the neighbours have noticed them doing the wild fandango in the bathroom through the frosted glass every night or whenever and have realised that the way to avoid being seen having their weekly bath is by using the shutter. But they don’t want to draw attention to the fact that they’ve already seen your PIL hence sneaking around and hiding?

sorry for putting those pictures in your head

I also thought a dark room set up. Maybe he does this when his wife watches something he’s not interested in every Sunday evening ?? But that doesn’t explain his subterfuge. Unless developing chemicals have health and safety issues he’s circumventing?
Or is it to stop anyone seeing an activity connected with shared drains - chemicals down plug hole type scenario ?
Does the window have a vent which is what is being covered by the shutter ? Is it a smell issue (drugs/chemicals) rather than just sight issue?
Is it something involving flashing /changing/odd coloured lights through the night which would be seen otherwise ??

Some kind of live online weekly sex in shower hook up ???
Think I’ll stop there - it’s getting less innocuous as I go on !!

You mention a prop against a fence. Is that fence yours ? Might the prop be causing damage ? Might that be your ‘in’ to ask ‘bit worried about our fence panel’? Is it worth a bit of damage anyway to bring this enquiry about ??

Or washing the dog and the noise is horrendous ?? running a weekly pet grooming enterprise (no planning permission or whatever) for several hours - but then they’d have noticed visitors.

Thinking about this a little longer, I'm concluding that this is probably his weekly hobby. Not that it is to enable another mysterious hobby, but that banjaxing your PILs, you and us IS his hobby.

He deliberately pretends to do it furtively, as if to look like he has a big secret or is somehow embarrassed at doing it; and all the while, he's sitting inside chuckling until his sides ache at the fact that Maud & Ted next door, their DiL and now all of MN are hopping in utter bewilderment every week as to what his reason could be - when all along, his reason is to make solid gold fools of the lot of us