AIBU to use this washing line?

[StuckInTheMiddleWithYou]

I personnally think that this woman is clearly mad.

I've just moved into a block of flats which has a communal yard with a number of rotary washing lines in it.

Nice sunny, windy day so I take my washing down to hang out to dry. There is no other washing on any of the lines. Strangely, I choose the one which is in the sunniest part of the yard. Unfortunately it has quite a few cobwebs on it, I get a cloth and flick them off.

I put my washing out on the sunny line and go indoors to fart about fill out forms on the internet.

An hour later my intercom rings and I answer it:

Me: "Hello?"

Voice: "Have you got washing out?!"

Me: "Erm? Who is it?"

Voice: "Have you got washing out?!!"

Me: "Yes.."

Voice: "Can you come down? I want a word with you?"

I dutifully go down. I'm informed by a rather incensed woman that I have used the wrong washing line - that one is hers. To keep the peace I promise never to do it again and offer to move my still wet washing. She tells me not to bother as she doesn't want it to look like she's fighting with me. I smile, say ok and go back in.

Is it just me, or is this a very strange thing for her to do? I've never seen her out there with washing and the line concerned had cobwebs on. Do I have a loopy neighbour?

Some people are very terrotorial about their washing lines

yabu
each flat obv has an allocated rotary dryer
you used hers

I don't wear my best wool coat very often but that doesn't mean you can wear it, iyswim...

sorry but YABU - find out which one is yours and use it

She'd probably have been fine if you'd asked. People do own/rent the washing lines so it's not a free for all.

Can you put your own line up? I'd be a bit pissed off if someone used mine on a dry sunny day when I wanted to hang my own stuff out.

cobwebs are no indicator... my line grows cobwebs in half a day or less sometimes.

Anyway... YANBU because you didn't know it was hers at the time.

But... she is also NBU to tell you its her line.

How pathetic

YANBU and the other woman should get a life!

How was I supposed to know though? None of the official people involved with the letting agency mentioned this.

There are also sixteen flats and only three rotary driers.

And they are all owned by the housing association, there is no facility to rent/own a rotary drier or the possibility of erecting your own.

It appears that there is one for DaftBat and two for the rest of us!

No way to know. Apart from ask anyone else in flats, or hang out and hope for best! Once you find out tho' retain that knowledge for ever, 'cos if anyone else moves in and tries it on you too will be linezilla!!!Tis true...

Nope, never!

I'm going to start the Communist Washingline Revolution of 2010.

I woudl get my OWN line

With a cover

And a smart peg bag

Washing line envy is NOT attractive

It's a housing association building and we're categorically not allowed to alter any of the communal areas, it's even in my tenancy agreement.

So DaftBat is probably going to get to keep her "personal" drier and the other fifteen flats share the other two...

Can't believe am writing this - I wouldn't even care if all of the driers were full and somebody slotted their washing in around mine.

Wasingline envy is demented.

If you are 100% sure you are right...

Photocopy your tennancy agreement, highlight the relevant parts, leave a passive agressive note on it and shove it up in her letter box.

Job done.

no no, peg it on 'her' line next to your washing...

As you've just moved in you don't know all the "local customs"
I'd be inclined to ask her nicley what the position is on who uses what line, tell her you're new and didnt mean offence. You dont want to start a war with the neighbour over a silly wee thing. No point in generating bad ill will. ( yes I've got a feeling like someone's using sqeeky chalk on a blackbboard typing that but you never know when you may need a neighbours help rather than the stress of a dispute)
Or ask one of the other neighbours what they do.

My granny told me horror stories of fueds lasting years from when she lived in traditional Scottish tenements, one place she lived the custom was certain flats had certain days to hang out the wash and god forbid you used "the green" out of turn

In a strange twist of fate my daughter now lives in the same street as my gran did, but it's all been rebuilt and her flat does not have any outside drying facilities at all ( but it does have piped hot water, central heating, indoor bathroom, automatic washing machine, non of which my gran had when raising 4+ kids) ( HOW DID GRAN COPE)

is there mention of washing lines in your lease? they might all be communal & she's just being batty.

I would check with the housing association to confirm that the lines are communal. And then I would use whichever line the sun was shining on. If I saw her before I next hung out a washing I would say something along the lines of "Oh, you know the washing lines? I got to thinking after we spoke, if there's 16 flats and three lines, there are lines missing, so I contacted them to ask for them to be replaced and they said oh no, the lines are communal, for everyone to use. So when did they tell you they weren't communal? "

Or words to that effect.

You know what, I'm just going to ignore her. I know I'm right. I had a look at the said washing line when I went to collect my washing - it has a small metal plate on it stating "for communal use of [StuckintheMiddle's] building".

HA!!! she is just being batty. some people :)

Some of the tenements still pass round that weird sign on a bit of string, printed in odd 1950's font: 'It is YOUR TURN to wash the communal stair' etc.

I think it's quite a nice tradition really.

It was a very rigid system but now we are living with the alternative - one flat doing the lot and the rest taking the piss.

I came home one day to find the washing line from my backyard missing. Found it straight away in next door's yard with neighbour's washing hung on it.....Woman next door spoke no English and had 2 small children and I decided if she needed one that badly and couldn't afford to buy one then I'd just let it go, even though I'd rather she'd actually asked first. Or was I being a pushover to a thieving wench?? Funny old world....

i would ask another tennant what the situation is.