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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

if I ask the builders on the site behind our garden......

37 replies

Goldmandra · 26/07/2013 13:24

....to tone down their language?

DD2 (10) has moaned at me about their effing and blinding and I may have a friend's smaller children playing out there later.

Or will it just make them worse?

OP posts:
Scholes34 · 26/07/2013 13:25

I'd have a quiet, polite word with whoever has employed the builders.

Sparklingbrook · 26/07/2013 13:26

YANBU, but I would just be careful how I said it IYKWIM. What are they swearing about?

YouStayClassySanDiego · 26/07/2013 13:26

Ask them and say why.

If they're decent blokes they'll apologise and stop.If they're dickheads they won't but you'll not know until you speak to them.

Original poster
Goldmandra · 26/07/2013 13:45

It's company building an estate of 5 executive homes so I would have to phone the head office to speak to their employers.

I was thinking of walking round to the site entrance and asking whoever I came across to pass a message on. Our garden is at the opposite end of the site to the entrance and there's a garden in between so I can't really speak to them without shouting which I don't think would work well.

Should I ask to speak to the foreman? Not sure who the person in overall charge would be.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 26/07/2013 13:48

Walk round there - many of these sites have "considerate building site" signs or something similar. If there's someone there, speak to them politely or ask for the foreman or get the company details from outside.

LineRunner · 26/07/2013 13:48

Tbh, most builders would tone it down as soon as they realise it's being overheard by children. Just ask and keep it friendly. There really shouldn't be a problem.

Original poster
Goldmandra · 26/07/2013 13:52

OK.

Will go round now.

Thanks everyone.

OP posts:
Mabelface · 26/07/2013 13:54

I'm likely to yell over to them "'Scuse me, gents! Got some small people over here, would you do me a favour and tone down the language for me? Cheers!" That tends to get a "Yeah, sure, sorry!" response.

quoteunquote · 26/07/2013 13:54

Please let the management know,

We don't have any swearing on any of our sites, because it causes so many problems,

and because we don't have any swearing, we get really good response from the clients neighbours which are already putting up with disruption.

I also find that visiting trades to site comment on how much nicer it is.

I always check these threads in case it one of my projects that is causing problems,

but I know it not as it is a swearing issue, and if it was one of my sites, you would of had a letter with my contact details before the job started.

liquidstate · 26/07/2013 14:17

If its a proper building firm then staff will have had to sign an agreement with things like no improper language and use of drugs etc. as part of their employment contract. I have to each time I attend site.

Ask to speak to the foreman. Most are really nice guys and will listen to you.

LineRunner · 26/07/2013 14:20

Let us know how you get on!

Original poster
Goldmandra · 26/07/2013 14:42

Well I went round and asked to see the foreman who apparently is called the Site Agent.

He came up and said I lived down the bottom of the site and could he just ask his guys down there to tone down their language a bit because the little ones in my garden could hear them. I made sure I used a friendly, easy-going tone.

He was a bit nonplussed and said "Oh, right, OK. Down the bottom? OK" and turned away.

I think he thinks I'm a bit strange TBH Confused

OP posts:
quoteunquote · 26/07/2013 15:00

Please phone head office, and if it carries on, ring 101 for advice.

they sound really pants.

Original poster
Goldmandra · 26/07/2013 16:22

Glad it's not just me that thinks it's not OK quote.

If it continues I will call the head office. The site agent wasn't unpleasant, just didn't seem to know what to say so I'll give him a chance to sort it first.

They haven't had a good reception because a lot of local residents are up in arms about the impact on their views and they are parking their cars, vans and some very large trailers where parents usually park to collect from school so I think he expected me to be coming to have a go about that.

I'll write down what I hear and the time if it happens again and make a fuss with head office first, then call 101 if no joy.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 26/07/2013 16:24

Is it very wrong that I am secretly hoping he goes to the end of the site and bellows "Will you bastards stop fucking swearing?"

quoteunquote · 26/07/2013 16:59

Now I am scared Soupdragon knows me.

we have lots of replacement words,

I don't know how anyone gets away with running sites this badly these days,

rule one is, don't annoy anyone,

just doing a build is annoying enough for most people, people do not like change,

We spend quite a bit of time pre warning people when there is going to be disruption, it works out more time and cost effective as when people start to object it is really time consuming and stressful.

Mabelface · 26/07/2013 16:59

He was probably relieved that it was something simple!

eltsihT · 26/07/2013 18:21

We have builders in our garden atm. Luckily they are very polite... Even though they laugh at me being an aeroplane/dinosaur/caterpillar for my ds. I would be complaining to head office, our site manager is a bit useless and if I complain to him things get ignored, if I phone head office it gets sorted ASAP

usualsuspect · 26/07/2013 18:27

I wouldn't have gone to the foreman, I would have just asked them myself.

And I cant believe someone has advised You to call the police.

ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmmmmmmm · 26/07/2013 18:49

Dial 101..... Shock

Tragically, you probably would get a couple of PCSOs sent round.

Just speak to them, they've got wives and kids too.....

ThePowerof3 · 26/07/2013 18:50

The Police! Hahahahaaaa

Xihha · 26/07/2013 19:05

The builders probably can't see the children in your garden from what you've said so probably haven't thought about it, especially as if they haven't got school age kids they might not of realised its the holidays, and foremans can be a bit daft about explaining things like that so if they carry on I'd just yell something along the lines of 'Guys, my kids are playing in the garden, would you mind toning the language down a bit please'.

calling 101 seems a bit of a waste of time, builders are generally pretty good if you ask the builders themselves nicely.

NoComet · 26/07/2013 19:06

please don't call 101, it's not fair to inflict our PCSO on anyone. He is unbelievably dripy and makes me think of a bad sitcom character.

But yes to telling them to stop swearing. The lad helping do our conservatory was awful, fortunatly he only did a couple of mornings and missed the DDs. The older men were lovely.

(No worries about next door, they do a fine line in loud swearing themselves.)

bigbluebus · 26/07/2013 20:14

I have experienced this a number of times having bought a house which had green space on 3 sides, and we are now putting up with the 3rd (and final) building development. The 1st development was at the back and the roofers were the worst. Every sentence they uttered had more 'F' words in than other words. I listened to them one day, and was convinced that they didn't even realise they were doing it - it was just another word to them. They could be clearly heard from the rooftops and I spoke to the boss of the building firm about it the next day.

The 2nd development was opposite the front of our house and the language didn't travel but there were other issues - all of which O spoke to either the site manager or the Company Director about, and all were resolved.

Development 3 - to the left of our house started about 3 months ago, so I made it my business to introduce myself to the site manager and let him know my expectations of the behaviour of his team. Swearing was one of the things I mentioned, and he was keen that I let him know if I heard any foul language or if any of his staff weren't wearing hard hats or other appropriate safety equipment. It is a small site, so he so not there all the time - but has given me his mobile number.

In fairness, I have not heard any bad language so far, and the scaffolders have been on site, who in my experience are usually as bad as the roofers!!

I would not be averse to pulling them up on their language myself if I heard it though - I just don't think some people realise they are doing it.

Redbindy · 26/07/2013 20:24

Tell them to fuck off.