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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to have asked my neighbour to move her trampoline?

67 replies

DaffodilsAndScillas · 12/04/2011 12:18

This all happened a little while ago and although I was a bit upset about it, I was pretty confident that I wasn't BU. But last night I read the thread on here about trampolines, and it made me wonder whether my expectations are out of kilter with everyone else's...so....

My next door neighbour has a large trampoline for her DS, which was sited on the opposite side of her garden to ours. It's a bit noisy, yes, but it hasn't ever bothered me; I like hearing her DS enjoying himself. Then they moved the trampoline so that it was up against our fence. The fence on that side is our responsibility, and it is bowed due to the pressure of her shrubs and trees against it (I have asked her to prune them back but she didn't do so enough to stop the bowing). There's no guard on the trampoline, so I was a bit concerned that someone was going to bounce off it onto the fence, and saw the fence shaking a few times. Her DS was leaning on the fence too, carrying out shouted conversations with the boy on the other side of us (ie across the garden). The noise when he and friends were on there was suddenly very very intrusive; it sounded like they were actually in my garden, and things were getting dropped over the fence onto my pond and plants.

I decided to ask my neighbour if she could move it back to the other side of the garden (her neighbour on that side is a housebound lady who doesn't use her garden). My relationship with my neighbour (call her X) has been really good, bordering on friendship, although I've always felt it was pretty one sided (hence I say 'bordering on'). X is an 'asker' - she's comfortable asking for favours that I wouldn't dream of doing - and I've felt bad saying no to things she's asked me in the past, even when I've thought she was being a bit cheeky; driving her on a hundred mile round trip in rush hour to collect something she'd got on freecycle (she did offer the petrol money Grin), or borrowing my camera to take out. So because she's an asker, I thought she wouldn't mind my asking her to move the trampoline back. Next time X came round to borrow something, I said
"While you're here..... could you possibly move the trampoline back to the other side of the garden?". She asked why, and I explained about the fence, and added
"Also, it's really noisy". I also asked if there was any reason she'd moved it in the first place, and she said no, her DS had done so. All fine, I thought.

Five days later it was the weekend and she hadn't moved it. Saturday afternoon sitting in my garden, her DS and his friend on it making loads of noise. X was there along with her bloke and his friend, so I went round. Her bloke answered the door and I said
"Hiya, I wondered if you'd mind moving the trampoline over the other side of the garden - I did ask X about it earlier in the week and she said it was fine". X was in the kitchen and then said
"Yes I said I would Daffodils but I haven't had time" in a really narky tone. I said
"Well could you do it now?" (thinking that there were three adults there and two boys, so it would only take a minute) to which she replied
"I'm busy Daffodils - I'll do it when I'm ready" in a really narky tone. I walked away, as I did so saying
"It sounds like they're in my fucking garden, X"

I was really pissed off at the way she spoke to me. I feel like I've done a lot for her in the past; I used to have her DS round here (he's a fair bit older than my DD) on a regular basis when she wasn't back in time to meet his taxi, and it's still not unusual for her to ring me at home time and ask if I can go and check him. I've run errands for her, listened to her endlessly talking about her relationship woes, and for the last year and a half, they've had free use of my internet after I gave her my router password because she said she couldn't afford internet access and her DS needed it for school etc. She's never offered a contribution or gift, but her DS has come round several times to tell me if he can't access it! Grin

I came back round and tbh thought 'fuck you - all this and you won't even do one thing I ask of you without giving me loads of attitude; that's the last favour I do for you!' So I changed my internet password.

X moved the trampoline, and then posted a note through the door saying 'Perhaps if you speak to people with respect, you will gain the respect you deserve. Love, light and blessings, X', which made me hoot with astonishment, since I felt that it was her who had spoken with utter disrespect. Since then, she has pointedly ignored me, and when I've said hello she has grunted in response. I thought this was a bit childish - we still have to be neighbours after all. It has bothered me, as I don't like having bad feeling with people, and I'd wondered how I could have handled it better. I've been telling myself though, that this is her issue, and I won't be dragged into some feud.

But then reading the thread about trampolines, people seemed outraged that anyone could even consider asking someone to move their trampoline. So was I being unreasonable to ask?

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 12/04/2011 13:46

Did you add any pleases and thank yous into your request? How would you feel if someone marched round when you had guests and said "Well, can you do it now?" with no niceties at all?

"Is there any chance you could do it soon please as I"m worried about the fence? I can help if you like."
"OK, just shout if you need a hand with it. I'm really worried the fence will fall down."

Numberfour · 12/04/2011 13:46

I agree with SoupDragon.

djinnie · 12/04/2011 13:46

I don't think you were being unreasonable until you swore. That's abusive. I don't care what anyone does or says there is no point in reflecting or mirroring their behaviour. It gets you nowhere.

Also, you can't do things for people in the expectation that they will be grateful or do something in return. Many (most?) people will but others will not, so unless you specify that you will want something from someone in the future if you do something for them you can't be hard done by if they don't.

But I would be feeling bitter and twisted in this situation too and I'd chuck my toys right out the pram and really not do anything for them EVER again.

I'm kind of a hippie bitch really... Confused

PinkFondantFancy · 12/04/2011 14:04

YANBU, I would have been embarrassed I hadn't got around to doing the job 5 days earlier had I been her....

MadamDeathstare · 12/04/2011 14:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Newgolddream · 12/04/2011 14:26

I dont reallt think this is about the trampoline at all, it could have been amything that was the final straw, just happened to be this. It does sound as if you have been taken advantage of and its not an equal friendship at all. But youve let this happen - why be the doormat in the friendship - are you like that in other relationships e.g are you a "people pleaser" - scared of saying no to people in case they wont like you anymore?

It does strike me that this could be the case and the problem with this is it can cause simmering resentment, not only towards the other person - but towards yourself to for seeing yourself as "weak" - and youre not btw, the dynamcis in human relationships are complicated at the best of times, you just need to work out the reasons why you do it and why it means so much to you. Saying things like "I feel guilty" because you couldnt run an errand for her strike the warning bells here to.

In this womans case think about what you actually gain from her friendship - I realise we are only seeing a small snippet but from here it doesnt look like much btw. Why should you feel bad about changing your internet password stopping her DS accessing the internet - if she wants internet for her DS she should provide it herself - and if she cant afford it thats not your fault, your only responsibilities are to your own family, not hers.

GreenEyesandHam · 12/04/2011 14:36

'Love, light and blessings'

I hate that term.

So fuck her!! Yeah

I don't think you were rude by the way (even before the L,L & B thing)

LucyGoose · 12/04/2011 16:01

Wonder when she will come over and ask for the new wifi password! Hah!
You have been more than generous. Don't feel bad about the trampoline issue.

PlopPlopPing · 12/04/2011 16:08

Change your wifi password immediately!

PlopPlopPing · 12/04/2011 16:08

Oops, that'll teach me for not reading it all!

princessparty · 12/04/2011 16:24

So is it her trees and bushes that are bowing the fence and dropping things into the garden, or the trampoline/kids on it?

domesticslattern · 12/04/2011 16:37

I hope your new wifi password is lovel1ghtandblessings.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 12/04/2011 16:39

I don't think you were rude - you were angry, and justifiably so.

And I disagree with oakmaiden - she did have to move it as it was damaging the OP's fence. 5 days was too long to wait - if for some reason she couldn't move the trampoline she should have banned her ds from using it until she could.

GabbyLoggon · 12/04/2011 16:41

yes, neighbour things are difficult. Time can be a healer

DaffodilsAndScillas · 12/04/2011 17:24

Grin Grin Grin at my new password domesticslattern.

princess it is her trees and shrubs which are bowing the fence, but given that the fence is already leaning a bit alarmingly, I was concerned that the shaking, leaning and potential for having someone bounce right into it, would be the last straw. I wouldn't mind if it was her fence, but it's our boundary to maintain, and I didn't think she'd be forthcoming with an offer to mend it.

Newgolddream you make some interesting points. I think the reason that I didn't consider her really to be a friend, was that lack of reciprocity. It takes me a lot to really consider someone a friend - to feel that I can be myself with them and that I could ask someone for help or a favour. I did consider her to be a mate though; she and I used to chat and have a laugh. She did once come round to borrow something and found me in bed really poorly, and offered to pick up my DD from school, so she wasn't just a complete taker. We had a really nice, casual, matey neighbour relationship, and I certainly didn't feel resentful (until she was so fucking rude!!). I felt bad about turning down the requests I mentioned because I do help people whenever I can. After I read this article...
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/may/08/change-life-asker-guesser
I put it down to her being an asker and me being a guesser, so I felt ok about saying no to requests. So I was really surprised when she reacted like this to a request from me. I didn't feel taken advantage of by X prior to this, but when she made such a big deal out of a simple request, when she's asked so many of me, and then when she spoke to me in such a narky tone, I just thought 'screw you, I'm not doing anything else for you'.

No I don't think I'm a doormat in my friendships. I'll do a lot to help a friend, but it takes quite a lot to consider someone a friend, so the 'takers' get weeded out at that stage..Grin If I can help someone, then I will, but not to my own detriment, and not if I think they're taking the piss.

OP posts:
DaffodilsAndScillas · 12/04/2011 17:25

Thanks to everyone for their opinions, by the way, especially the supportive and constructive ones. Smile

OP posts:
Elljane123 · 12/09/2017 20:19

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