Playing music in the garden?

[mermaid101]

We live in a terraced house. Today, when my DH, DD and I were in our garden, my DH put the radio on - in the house with the window open - loudly enough for him to hear it at the end of our averaged sized garden. He has also had it on during the week when he was working in the garden with the radio outside on a table.

I asked him to put it off and he was a bit annoyed. I think it is rude and inconsiderate to play music which might disturb our neighbours. Given the nice weather, it would appear most people were in their gardens and no one else had any music on.

After I pointed this out to him, he put it off. Reluctantly. He told me he thought it was a bit ridiculous and that anywhere else he had lived, he has always has music on when he was outside. He sort of implied that I was in some way "posh" for not wanting to be the source of the music.

I just can't understand how anyone would think that this was ok, bearing in mind the proximity of the neighbours and the fact that not one other person within ear shot was doing this.

AIBU to ask him not to have music on?

iPod with headphones is the way to go.

I like hearing music in the garden. And I play it. Am now. Balcony doors open, 6 music playing. Not loud (radio on volume 4 out of 10) but I like hearing all forms of life (except shite techno/chart RnB) enjoying what little summer we get.

Not at all, Accidentally. That's why I've posted: to canvas opinion!

However, I think there is a difference between the noise of children playing and music. I agree with you that children should "play out" and that the associated noise is, for the most part, unavoidable. And, in my opinion, not only acceptable, but, like you, find it reassuring and pleasant.

Music, however, is very subjective and not completely necessary.

Chipping, I know - this is what I told him. (about being selfish!). The people on either side of us are quite a bit older and one couple in particular, seem to like reading a lot, so I really don't think they would be keen to listen to the music in their garden.

yabu. can people not enjoy their gardens anymore? i always see threads like this and it's like "your kids can't be out before/after x time, you can't have music on or have a party, you can't mow the lawn etc etc" and it's really depressing.

fair enough if it's really late or early, but otherwise i don't see a problem.

yanbu

a little stereo next to you so just you can here it is fine - but turned up at source so that it can be heard the other end of the garden is loud and therefore inflicting on everyone else.

I agree with squoosh.

I think expecting/insisting on practical silence is a bit uptight. As long as the radio/music isn't at an unreasonable volume, at an unsociable hour, or on all the time, it's no big deal.

YANBU and you're very considerate.

I think he should get a trannie and have it next to him in the garden.

Unami and squoosh - what the OP describes sounds like and unreasonable volume and an unreasonable frequency. There's nothing wrong with someone sitting outside and having music on a little radio or a laptop next to them. The issue is people putting the music on really loudly so the whole neighbourhood can hear it.

Lawnmowers don't go on for very long, and children playing is a natural sound.

But IMHO there's something about amplified music you dislike which is hard to ignore.

UniqueAndAmazing a transvestite? So he'd have someone to chat too whilst doing the weeding.

@ squoosh I thought the same!

Having someone else's music forced on you is the audio equivalent of

1. the Jehovas Witnesses knocking on your door every 2 minutes all afternoon

2. the neighbours cat coming into your garden and leaving unpleasant things behind

You can't escape it!

I wouldn't really be bothered if someone was playing the radio or music out of the kitchen window, loud enough to hear in the garden. If I was her neighbour, that wouldn't fuss me at all. He did it today, and on one other occasion last week, which doesn't seem excessive to me.

We live in a cold, rainy country, and hardly ever have to 'put up' with people playing a bit of music outside. I just see it as another aspect of summer really. It doesn't bother me and it never lasts very long.

a transistor radio! I still call portable radios trannies.

I'd cut a bit of slack if it was a barbecue or other party outdoors, & the music was part of the event, but for one person - well, he could just use earplugs, surely.

YANBU.

Next door to me the teenage son used to have his music on in his bedroom with the window wide open, I don't want to hear Crap FM thanks v much.
Just get an iPod or earphones and everyone's happy.
Good for you for considering others

I want you to live next door to me!! I live, in a terraced house, next door to a radio player who has invaded my ears for almost 5 years. Without fail if they are home and the weather is anything other than arctic then the back door is wide open and the radio is blasting out (and anywhere in our small garden, bedroom, bathroom or living room we can hear it from outside)(.

Polite requests have been met with 'we are not excessive, so what's your problem?'

If I dare to want an hour gardening in quiet or reading a book outside then I have to do it with earplugs in, or I have to listen to the latest travel reports, news bulletins and shite music choice. If we want to eat supper indoors with a window open or door open in summer, we also have to do it with a soundtrack. We can hear it with the windows shut too, but to a lesser extent. We therefore just boil, or go out, or suffer it, during warm weather. Nice in your own home, eh?

Before you think I'm paranoid, this radio is apporiximately 15ft max from our back doors and windows. Repeated polite attempts to cease the problem, and be friends, are treated with contempt and worse (retribution, and further various other childish behaviours).

I would love to live next door to someone so considerate and kind as to think about it. You don't know how much stress its caused me - we have to think about our ( extreme ) problem on a daily basis.

YANBU!

Lawn mowers, kids playing, chatting etc is ok (and I dot have little kids so I am not biased but music playing is really inconsiderate and rude.

I think it's really rude and inconsiderate.

I was out for a dog walk the other day and went down a very quiet suburban street.

At one house, the owner was outside rubbing down paintwork on windows. He had a radio on the ground, blaring out radio 4. Now that might not be offensive blaring music, but it was still loud & forced upon anyone in the vicinity.

I thought it was so bloody selfish & annoying for his neighbours. Nowadays, it could not be easier to tuck a phone/ipod into your pocket & listen on headphones.

We have a big summer evening garden party about once per year where we have (live) music, but it's not massively loud and doesn't go past 12.30am. And we call on our neighbours to let them know and invite them along.

yes, kids playing -fine, nice laughter and the joy of childhood.....although some sound like wailing banshees.

reasonable volume of music fine for a while....not loud blaring 'we think were in Ibiza night club' stuff is just plain antisocial.

lawnmowers fine....not at 7 am on a sunday morning though (yes, neighbour 3 doors down im looking at you).

of course we need to expect noise but theres noise and theres NOISE.

I must be unreasonable because on the odd occasion i am out in my garden i will have music on. Sometimes it is blaring from my stereo inside, sometimes it is just on my phone & other times i have head phones in, depends my mood.

My neighbour thinks that it is ok to blast music at 3am so why cant i blast my music at 3pm.

YANBU and thank you very much. I would loathe sitting in my garden and hearing someone else's music. I don't want to listen to music, thank you. I want to enjoy the peace of sitting in the sunshine, or quietly gardening without music blaring out. I don't think you should ever 'share' your musical tastes with your neighbours, personally.

With regards to lawn mowers, bloke today at the end of our garden took over two hours to cut his sodding grass!
He kept stopping and then restarting his petrol lawn mower.
I'd think" great he's finished" then he'd start it up again
He doesn't live in a stately home so why he took so long to cut an average size bit of grass l've no idea!

Depends how often and how loud.

Think you are probably NBU.