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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The first nice day of the year and neighbours have lit a massive bonfire

39 replies

miniwedge · 02/04/2011 11:43

i had all the washing out on the line, kids playing happily, the smoke is too much to stay in the garden. Think stinging eyes level and have had to shut all windows and doors.

AIBU to think that having a bonfire when you live in very close proximity to your neighbours is selfish, particularly when the local council do a regular garden waste collection?

Am really pissed off.

OP posts:
BluddyMoFo · 02/04/2011 11:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

squeakytoy · 02/04/2011 11:45

I would spray it with a hosepipe Grin

worraliberty · 02/04/2011 11:45

Yes it's selfish but if they are acting within the council bylaws, perhaps you need to get a petition up?

Our garden waste collection collection is free too but they might be burning other things?

worraliberty · 02/04/2011 11:46

Wow that was two collections...efficient aren't they? Blush

Changechangechangeagain · 02/04/2011 11:47

1st nice day - where are you?

Here it is the 1st crap day door weeks and weeks. We have had lovely weather past 2 weekends/weeks but today vanished.

JaneS · 02/04/2011 11:48

Well, they've presumably been waiting for the first nice day to have a bonfire too!

Bit antisocial but thoughtless rather than anything else I think - get over it.

Original poster
miniwedge · 02/04/2011 11:52

I'm not saying you can't use your garden the way you want to, bit fucking off to light a bonfire near to your neighbours fence and well away from your own house though. Their use of their garden is stopping everyone else surrounding them from using theirs.

Lol Worral.

OP posts:
Original poster
miniwedge · 02/04/2011 11:53

NO! I don't want get over it! I want to whinge and have a rant on mums net because in real life I have to be all understanding and grown up.

We really need a virtual tantrum section, would be very cathartic. Grin

OP posts:
JaneS · 02/04/2011 12:00
Grin

Well, I guess if that is your desire, then rant away! Can you perhaps delegate to one of the children the job of shouting piercingly 'mummy the washing is ALL SMOKY, MUMMY, ALL SMOKY!

(No, my mum never bribed us to do that. Nooooo.)

welshbyrd · 02/04/2011 12:04

We do garden fires, to dispose of some shit we have collected over time crap. We always do it late at night, when no children are about, and neighbours are in house
However, we did one the other day, about 10pm ish, and neighbour smoke alarm went off, she called the fire brigade, and come around to us, all panicked, checking we were all ok Blush

welshbyrd · 02/04/2011 12:05

I would be pissed off, if I was you though

MrsGWay · 02/04/2011 12:06

YANBU, they should have at least warned you before lighting it so that you could take your washing down before it got covered in smoke and ash.

Plus the smoke from those fires is lethal, many many many times worse than cigarette smoke.

nickelbabyhatcher · 02/04/2011 12:19

Yanbu for the reasons that MrsGWay states - if they were having a bonfire near the boundary, they should have warned you in advance not to put any washing out.
especially if it's the first nice day - surely they would know that the wood/waste etc would be damp and therefore cause a lot of smoke.

5inthebed · 02/04/2011 12:20

I thought you could only light bonfires after 6pm?

YANBU, would annoy me as well.

tallulah · 02/04/2011 12:21

I don't think we are allowed to have bonfires. Is there not a by-law where you live?

valiumredhead · 02/04/2011 15:56

We have one going right this very minute! Grin Dh is burning all the old wood from the fence we took down recently.

I'm always confused as to why someone's washing takes priority over someone else having a bbq/fire........

BluddyMoFo · 02/04/2011 16:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bloodymary · 02/04/2011 16:02

I think that it is really bad manners to light a bonfire when neighbours have washing out.
Why can they not wait until the evening?

valiumredhead · 02/04/2011 16:02

I have lovely neighbours - they have a huge gas BBQ and often fire up for breakfast Grin

valiumredhead · 02/04/2011 16:03

I think it's bad manners to presume your washing comes before a nice family bbq Grin Wink

Original poster
miniwedge · 02/04/2011 16:06

Grin at offering a sausage.

Valium it's not about the washing, the bonfire is away from the neighbours house but v near to ours, the smoke was blowing into our garden and house. Whatever they were burning must have been damp because there was a huge amount of smoke. So much that it was making our eyes sting/water and we had to shut all the windows etc.

I don't mind the odd bonfire, but I would prefer it if the neighbours were considerate about it.

We went out for a few hours in the end.

OP posts:
Underachieving · 02/04/2011 16:06

Oh Y so are BU, but then you know it. Get your tantrum done and hope for another fine one tomorrow. You can take the kids to the park to play, they can't light their bonfire on the green now can they.

Bloodymary · 02/04/2011 16:06

Family bbq yes, smelly bonfire no.
I love the smell of washing that smells of the outdoors, (fresh air that is, not smoke). Grin

peeriebear · 02/04/2011 16:06

I always check over my neighbours fences for washing if we need to burn garden rubbish, if they have it out in the daytime we wait til evening, and if they still have it out in the evening we knock and let them know we'll be lighting a fire.

Original poster
miniwedge · 02/04/2011 16:08

Hmm underachieving?? Read my posts have you?

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