Neighbours security light

[1percentawake]

Our garden backs onto the drive of the house behind us and they have recently started leaving their security light on constantly due to having a flash new sports car!

There is only about 50ft between our houses and so the light is very close. It shines into our bedroom windows and it is impossible to block out the light - even with blackout curtains.

I think I should go and talk to them and ask them to find an alternative to leaving it on. DH thinks they won't do much about it. It is driving me mad - WWYD? Anyone had the same problem??

Buy/borrow an air rifle, end of the problem and they wont be able to prove anything and probably wont even realise what happened.

{grin] I had thought of sabotage newwave but they are ALWAYS at home!!

3 o/c in the morning is a good time, they probably wont even hear it.

You can cull a few cats as well (only joking before the feline defence league start)

Hire the biggest building site flood lamp you can and shine it on their windows. :o

If you find they aren't interested in doing anything, how about a big mirror reflecting into THEIR bedroom?

I feel your pain. Our next door neighbour has one that spreads across three gardens. We mentioned it (5 years ago) to them but they didn't change it. DH said that I'd better get used to it, after all, if our bedroom was at the front we'd have the street light, which is true.

After feeling totally pissed off about the bloody floodlight lighting my bedroom like noon all the time I had curtains made with two layers of blackout, and had the ruffles at the top extra long so that the light didn't creep over the top. I think that if you can't do anything to stop the source of your problem, you have to do something to make you feel in control. It worked for me. Anyway, now neighbour has installed an energy-saving bulb, which isn't quite so bright.

Good luck.

Can you talk to them?

I would probably prefer to put a note through the door as they are not hugely approachable - not horrible but just offhand. I just think a note explaining the reasons why it is bothering us and keeping DS awake etc might be better than a discussion which turns into an argument?

Tearing, you have my admiration for your patience, 5 years FGS.

OP, check your local council's website, look for their Environmental Protection Team. Light pollution from houses constitutes a statutory nuisance, and if your neighbours are not amenable you could consider asking for the council to check. If they determine the light is a nuisance, they can approach the neighbours and serve an abatement notice if need be. But I think you need to approach your neighbours first.

newwave why do you think I chose this name??

tearinghairout - that is awful - I hope our neighbours are more amenable about it

WhereYouLeftIt - hope it doesn't come to that but useful to know that we could take it further if not - thanks for that info!

Sadly, some people really don't care whether theya re inconveniencing other people or not. E.g., when DH asked if he could turn the bass down on his computer games, because we could hear thumping through the wall, neighbour said it wasn't possible to turn it down. They had a party & other neighbour looked at it, said it's the same model as his, and of course you can turn it down.

He is just selfish. There have been so many incidents of him being a twat. I can cope with it because I love the house. DH wants to move.

Anyway, as I said, most people are reasonable and would hate to inconvenience someone else. I hope the OPs neighbour is one of these.