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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask my neighbour to turn off their outdoor lights?

46 replies

BuiltForComfort · 10/01/2013 12:09

The back of my house faces the side of my neighbour's. They have a bright outdoor light that is on permanently, 24 hours a day. Not a motion-activated security light. If it weren't for the black-out blinds in ds's room he would never sleep as the light is so bright. It really annoys me because it is intrusive, unnecessary (safe area, difficult to access backs of houses and if you want a security light, get one that is motion activated!) and a waste of energy. I also don't think it's great for plants and wildlife as my back garden is never dark.

BUT - neighbour is a bit odd, I took ds round to ask for a ball back once and she was really off and seems to think I was impertinent even asking. she said she'd thrown the ball back (she hadn't). I don't think she'd think I was reasonable asking, AIBU?

OP posts:

kinkyfuckery · 10/01/2013 12:26

If your DS has a blind that helps him sleep regardless of the light, what's the problem?

Convict224 · 10/01/2013 12:31

You have to ask. Do it politely of course and if she refuses talk to someone in the council. I suspect that there are rules covering this.

My son, when he moved into his house couldn't afford curtains for his living room. His neighbour asked him to turn off his main light by 10 pm and just use a lamp as it disturbed her (she didn't like to sleep with her curtains closed) It didn't bother him. (He is a much better person than me)

rollmopses · 10/01/2013 12:37

Security light that is on constantly (at night) is considered to be much more effective that motion-activated light according to security experts. (ie. police who came to investigate when our old house was broken into whilst my DTs and I were asleep).
If your son sleeps, what's the problem? I doubt your plants are complaining.

MinesaBottle · 10/01/2013 12:39

My mum had the same problem with her neighbour and in the end just asked her - not to turn it off but if she realised it was on. The neighbour apparently had forgotten to turn it off - which might be true as the light's in the back and the neighbour tends to stay in her lounge at the front of the house in the evenings.

If she refuses I think there are rules covering it depending on the council.

AmberLeaf · 10/01/2013 12:45

Motion sensitive lights are far more annoying than one that is on constantly IME.

I have motion sensitive ones and notice the on and off when cats/foxes etc walk by more than if I set it on all the time.

I agree with rollmopses too about a well lit house being safer re burglars.

YDdraigGoch · 10/01/2013 12:50

I've been led to believe that security lighting actually makes things easier for burglars, and doesn't act as a deterrent. They can be in and out quicker because they can a) see what they're doing and b) see who else is around. Perhaps that would convince her

AmberLeaf · 10/01/2013 12:51

C) they can also be seen!

Startail · 10/01/2013 12:59

Our lights are easy to set to stay on by accident.

I would say something as security lights are a particularly intrusive kind of light.

realcoalfire · 10/01/2013 13:17

so it doesn't bother your son but you don't like it because it's
a) wasting his electricity
and
b)inconveniencing mice and rats.

realcoalfire · 10/01/2013 13:17

and how is light bad for plants?

Original poster

BuiltForComfort · 10/01/2013 13:24

It annoys me because it lights up my kitchen and back bedroom, which I use as a study, from 4pm onwards or whenever it starts to go dark now. It annoys me because it is incredibly bright. There are thought to be disadvantages to plants from being exposed to artificial light in terms of growth, flowering etc. birds, insects, bats can all suffer. It is a safe area with all the back gardens enclosing the space so access for burglars is limited.

OP posts:

chris481 · 10/01/2013 14:02

I thought plants did need darkness, the link below seems to indicate I'm right. I knew this from keeping plants in an aquarium. I commented to a friend about the strange green security lights that lit up the communal lawns near my flat, saying that they might not be doing the grass any good. She cleverly observed that if plants reflect green light it probably means it doesn't affect them.

answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081227074534AAwpH2C

Lonelybunny · 10/01/2013 14:19

Yanbu this would really annoy me ! I need it to be totally dark to sleep ! I would ask her politely just say it's shining right through your house and it's uncomfortable .y dads neighbour asked h to reposition his light as did ours and we gladly obliged we didn't know it was disturbing anyone .

Shesparkles · 10/01/2013 14:23

If the light bugs you put blackout blinds or curtains up.
Good luck with asking him to turn it off for the sake of wildlife, but I think you're onto a laser given the amount of light pollution there is from street lighting!

Lonelybunny · 10/01/2013 14:27

We were told our security light kept going off and shinning staring into our neighbours bedroom I felt terrible it must have been really annoying ! We just pushed it down a bit and he says no problems now. Really I think it's selfish I really do .

RyleDup · 10/01/2013 14:42

It is selfish, my neighbours had one of these once and it used to shine right into my bedroom. It was so bright it used to blind me when I looked out of the window.
Ask them to do something about it.

YDdraigGoch · 10/01/2013 16:39

Amber - the local neighbourhood watch PCM says people are not usually that vigilant, and that sec lighting doesn't particularly reduce crime.

YDdraigGoch · 10/01/2013 16:40

PC, not PCM!

AlwaysHoldingOnToStarbug · 10/01/2013 16:50

Our neighbours had one and cats/foxes etc used to set it off, which was annoying enough, but then the damn thing broke. It started flashing on and off constantly, and it was directed at our bedroom window. It was so bad it used to wake us up, flashing lights outside the window. I was just about to ask the neighbours to sort it out when the bulb must have blown as it stopped, and they haven't bothered replacing the bulb thank goodness!

Our gardens are secure too, no rear access unless you want to clamber over a load of fences to get to the middle houses, so i'm not sure why they thought a security light was necessary.

I don't YABU to ask her to turn it off, whether she will is another matter, it doesn't sound like she is too neighbourly. Or maybe you caught her at a bad time when you asked for the ball back.

digerd · 10/01/2013 17:13

When I moved in to my new house, there was already a security light on the back wall, which came on if something stepped on the ground in a certain place. It did go off after 10 minutes or so, which was annoying for me when I was doing gardening in the dark in the summer at the back of the garden on a warm night. So had a permanent light installed, but that didn't last long.
Then my security light kept coming on and not going off at night, and as my neighbour's bedroom is next to the light - 2m away- before she complained, I turned it off permanently, just to be considerate, and to not waste my electricity too.
Nocturnal wild-life would be affected by a strong lighting, I believe, if left on all night and possibly the flora too.

portraitoftheartist · 10/01/2013 20:36

Why should op go to the expense of blackout blinds? Go and tell her politely that her very bright light is keeping you all awake.

FryOneFatManic · 10/01/2013 21:44

You could check with your local council. I think security lighting can come under nuisance rules.

HeadfirstForHalos · 10/01/2013 21:49

Just mention that the light is shining into your house and garden and ask if they could reposition it so it is only on their property. Asking to reposition it may be more effective than asking them to turn it off, they obviously have it for a reason.

Salmotrutta · 10/01/2013 21:50

Does your neighbour's name end in the sound a cow makes?

VivaLeBeaver · 10/01/2013 21:52

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