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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Builders and tea bags

102 replies

londonchick · 14/06/2012 08:17

DH thinks IABU. I, on the other hand am pretty annoyed!!

Builders in our home for the last 2 months. The first month we weren't living here. Now we are back and living our normal lives - going to work, etc.

Got up yesterday afternoon for night shift to find no tea bags left in caddy. Builders have been helping themselves so I asked if they could get some more for DH in the evening and me this morning. Head honcho states yes he'll go out for them.

I get home this morning to find a few tea bags in the caddy - but from a box I had stored on the top shelf in our food cupboard. DH didn't open box so it appears builders have rifled through our food supplies and found them. They would have had to search well as I had them tucked out of sight for emergencies!

I am really quite annoyed that they have gone through our belongings and that they haven't actually put their hand in their pocket for once and stocked up. DH thinks IABU as 'you have to keep builders supplied with their tea'. Invasion of privacy (albeit v minor) obviously isn't an issue for him!

Sorry such a long story but AIBU really? Really? They managed to supply themselves with tea and milk when we weren't living here!!

Milk is another story. Don't get me started on that!!

OP posts:

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 14/06/2012 08:49

I know, on principle if someone uses all of the last of something they should go out and get more. But in reality builders are pretty unlikely to pop to the shops, they probably just forgot and at the last second sent someone in to look in the cupboard going "come on Steve there must be some in there!" They were probably a bit confused as to why they had been asked to buy more when there were some in the house.

They might ask you to pop out and get them some more bricks later, just a small box...

Original poster

londonchick · 14/06/2012 08:49

Thank you tough!

I was expecting a few people to say IABU but not everyone!

And yes it would be nice if we were made cups of tea/provided with tea bags and biscuits at work! In fact maybe just a toilet break would be good :)

OP posts:

Tangointhenight · 14/06/2012 08:50

Buy them a stockpile of Asda value teabags, cheap as chips!

I do find it rude to go through your cupboards like that, but equally as rude for you to ask them to buy tea.

Tangointhenight · 14/06/2012 08:51

Why don't you start a tea kitty for them, if they provide you with the funds you will supply the stuff for tea!

Original poster

londonchick · 14/06/2012 08:53

I'm not complaining about them drinking tea, just literally that we ran out a day earlier than I could shop and it would have been nice to get home from work and have 1 cup myself before going out for the shopping! Not too much to ask?

And they manage to pop out more than a few times during the day so I'm sure tea bags aren't beyond their grasp.

OP posts:

hamncheese · 14/06/2012 08:53

YANBU to expect them to not raid your cupboards.

Fair enough to provide them with tea and kettle etc but if they used all that were there up (and it sounds like you had a decent stock of tea bags there) then they would either have to wait til you had done some more shopping to replenish or buy some themselves to tide them over.

Why should builders not be able to buy a pack of tea bags on their way to work if they need them before OP had time to buy more? Employing builders doesn't mean you have to be there constantly to make sure they have tea, or run out to stock up at the drop of a hat. It's not like they wouldn't have had access to water in the meantime before you got more!!!

Just taking something out of someone's cupboard is rude and invasive unless you've said to them just take what they want.

cocolepew · 14/06/2012 08:55

It would piss me right off if they went through my cupboards tbh.

CailinDana · 14/06/2012 08:58

I cooked the guy who did my kitchen lunch a few times! You need to be well stocked up with tea, it's the law when you have workmen in. Although to be fair I wouldn't be happy about them going through the cupboards.

carabos · 14/06/2012 09:01

YANBU about them going through the cupboards. I would have words with them about that.

storminabuttercup · 14/06/2012 09:02

I'm shocked that they went through your cupboards. Are you sure they were really well hidden? It seems bizarre that they would search like that. for that they are wrong.

But it's an unwritten rule that you supply tea to work men.

Original poster

londonchick · 14/06/2012 09:03

Also, as some people think my builders are hard done by, DH and myself had different weeks of annual leave recently. Both of us made bacon sandwiches for the builders each day when we were around! That was basically 2 weeks of breakfasts for them!

OP posts:

RavenVonChaos · 14/06/2012 09:04

Builders should supply their own tea etc. My dp does and prefers his own to weak "mellow birds" coffee that he gets offered.

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 14/06/2012 09:04

YABU.

And builders get choccie biccies, and bacon buns as well as teabags in the cheese household.

Whatmeworry · 14/06/2012 09:06

I have always found if you treat builders well, you get treated well.

If you treat them craply then you are probably the person who bores us all at dinner parties complaining about how unreliable builders are :)

Original poster

londonchick · 14/06/2012 09:06

Yes really well hidden. Not hidden purposely but def at the very back of the cupboard. We were given them a long long while ago and we have never ever run out of tea before!!

OP posts:

Toughasoldboots · 14/06/2012 09:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 14/06/2012 09:09

BTW YANBU - but they are only being a bit U because they looked through the food cupboard (presume same cupboard/area where they used to find the teabags).

BambieO · 14/06/2012 09:11

Sirzy, I didn't realise there were tea bags in the emergency stash until I saw the box at the front of the cupboard. Then remembered MIL had brought them round ages ago. Not our normal brand which is why I remember.

I thought they were well hidden not at the front of the cupboard? If well hidden YAN necessarily BU but if just at the front where you open the door and can see clearly then YAB a little U.

It's not like they were in yoru knicker drawer

BambieO · 14/06/2012 09:11

your not yoru - that's what I get for trying to sneak on at work!

Original poster

londonchick · 14/06/2012 09:12

They have never had any need to go in the cupboard. Everything has always been left out on the side for them in the tea, sugar and coffee caddys.

I may add they are running 5 weeks over with this work. Probably because of all the blooming tea they have been drinking :)

OP posts:

Whatmeworry · 14/06/2012 09:13

She has treated them well

But they ran out of Tea! Do you understand the gravity.... :o

DaisySteiner · 14/06/2012 09:15

YANBU. Regardless of whose responsibility it is to ensure adequate tea bag supplies, it is extremely rude to go through somebody's cupboards.

Original poster

londonchick · 14/06/2012 09:15

BambieO The box was left at the front of the cupboard by the builders. It had not been there before they rummaged looking for it. It was at the back!

I know it's not the same as my knicker drawer but still personal space that they have never needed or been encouraged to go through!!

OP posts:

fengirl1 · 14/06/2012 09:19

Just be grateful you haven't had window fitters who not only took the teabags but threw them into the front garden after using them! YANBU

BambieO · 14/06/2012 09:20

In that case Londonchick you are not necessarily BU, they may not see it as a major concern but they should appreciate some people do not like people rooting through their homes.

I wouldn't be best impressed but would probably let it go this once. If it happened again I would say something.

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