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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not think iwbu to refuse to leave a PUBLIC park for this family??

128 replies

FireOnTheWater · 28/12/2014 15:52

Christmas Day teens opened their xbox/phones and disappeared to their rooms leaving DP and I bored alone downstairs. We decided to go for a quick drive to the mier, take Christmassy pics of swans etc before dinner.

We got there about 10am. Planned to stay for a couple of hours. It was quiet, romantic and more Christmassy to me than sat at home watching tv.

10 minutes after we got there a family pulled up next to our car. The driver (dad?) got out and walked over to us. Rest of family stayed in car. He was lovely at first, said hello, asked if we were having a nice christmas and then told us there was another nice spot to photograph the birds further up the road Confused. I said we were not intending to stay out long so we'd stay there but thanks all the same. Then he started saying about how his family had visited the mier on Christmas Day last year and they were the only ones there and his wife and kids were looking forward yo having the place to themselves again. I reminded him that it was a public park and we were not staying long anyway. Anyway to cut long story short, he then tried reasoning with DP, telling him I was being unreasonable and ruining his family's day out and that since they don't celebrate christmas it was "surely" not unreasonable to expect one day in the year that they could have the park to themselves!!! The most annoying bit about it was that DP started agreeing with him and made me out to be an awkward cow just for the sake of it.

As I say this was a few days ago now but I'm still so angry. Name change as mIL knows me screen name and this would be right up her street, me "straying" on Christmas Day ffs.

OP posts:
ravenAK · 28/12/2014 19:01

OK, possibly it's quite a posh duck.

Aldi posh motherduckers

Alternatively, weird family might be selling them to Aldi! Grin

waitingforgodot · 28/12/2014 19:21

I reckon the weird Dad thought you and your DP were dogging hence sending you further up the road and out of sight of his kids.

FireOnTheWater · 28/12/2014 19:23

DP has apologised and has now admitted that the man was nuts.

It was all a bit strange. Basically they turned up, parked up next to us, bloke got out and left a big bag of bird food closed up on the bonnet of his car.

Came over, tried to get us to leave and then went back to his car and started emptying the bag on the floor. The birds (swans, ducks, geese and god know what else) were all going mad for it. He then tried hand feeding the swans and almost got his hands took off Shock all the while wife and kids were watching and laughing from inside the car.

Then he started picking up birds which looked like a cross between a goose and a duck? I dont know, animal expert I am not - I just like dogs. But anyway the animals did not seem drugged - just these certain birds seemed really tolerant. Then his daugher (about 9 years old?) got out and he tried to pass one to her.

It was all a bit mental.

OP posts:
PTAblues · 28/12/2014 19:29

Oh God, you don't think he was planning to do something obscene with the birds. Is there such a thing as a duck fondler or a goose fiddler? Not with the children there.

BeeRayKay · 28/12/2014 19:38

the birds at The Mere are quite friendly/easily handled but also massively terrifying lol. the geese especially. must remember to take my 2 year old, totally didn't think ofgoing earlier.

timetoplay · 28/12/2014 19:38

What a weirdo. YANBU OP, I'd be pissed at DP for being such a wet wuss and making me look in the wrong tbh. Glad he's finally admitted the man was weird. Doesn't sound like the rest of his family were that worried or othered, he sounds really precious.

ProcrastinaRemNunc · 28/12/2014 19:39

Ah. Clearly just out for their annual five bird grope then.

I'd have videoed them until they ceased their weirdness!

WhereIsMySantaHat · 28/12/2014 19:44

They clearly had forgotten to get a bird for Christmas dinner so came to nick one.

Otherwise they wanted to get one up on the Jones's next door and have swan for their Christmas dinner.

MidniteScribbler · 28/12/2014 19:48

I vote for duck rustling as well. Clearly want a nice duck for dinner.

waithorse · 28/12/2014 19:52

This is brilliantly ridiculous. Grin

OttiliaVonBCup · 28/12/2014 19:59

I can guess what they are having for dinner tonight.

Roast duck.

waitingforgodot · 28/12/2014 20:11

did you tell them to "duck off"

Ajaneyinamanger · 28/12/2014 20:42

PTAblues, I am loving your post, made me chuckle! It all sounds very bizarre and odd.

UterusUterusGhali · 28/12/2014 21:08

Actually gobsmacked.

treesntrees · 28/12/2014 21:27

I expect the op meant a mere which is a lake, usually natural rather than man made as lakes often are.

VerityWaves · 28/12/2014 22:23

????
There truly is nowt queer as folk

IAmNotAMindReader · 28/12/2014 22:45

I'd get in touch with your local council and RSPB and let them know. This was definitely an attempt at bird napping. Perhaps next year they'll be caught in the act.

SorchaN · 28/12/2014 23:12

It's a far cry from the kind of picking up birds that happens at my local park... But I'm very glad to hear that your husband has seen sense. Party at Hornsea next year!!!

vindscreenviper · 28/12/2014 23:21

I agree with the pp that the op and her dh were mistaken for a couple of doggers. I think the fowl petting is a red heron. Grin

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 28/12/2014 23:44

No YWNBU, He thought he was going to have the park to himself, The damn unbelievable cheak of some, well I thought I was going to win the lottery but no. I'm still waiting.
Who died and left him owner of the park

SolidGoldBrass · 28/12/2014 23:47

Another vote for bird thieves. Glad to hear your DP was just being a wuss rather than the sort of bloke who colludes in the kind of 'Women, tch, they are so unreasonable' behaviour when another man is acting wierdly or rudely.
I would have done my best terrifying smile and said in my sweetest voice 'THis is a public park. Tough shit. Have a nice day.' After which I would have completely ignored them. (Well, apart from perhaps texting the dibble to point out the obvious birdnapping attempts.)

pludolphTheRedNosedReindeer · 29/12/2014 08:10

Wooow. Shock There is absolutely no kind explanation for their bizarre and rude behaviour, so I'm glad they've been condemned as goose fiddlers! [ grin]

pludolphTheRedNosedReindeer · 29/12/2014 08:11

...even if they were "only" intending to eat them. (and that was mean to be a Grin)

KatieKaye · 29/12/2014 08:23

Another vote for a meet up to face the duck-fondler and his family next year.

We need to practice a mass stomp of the feet, along with a choral "we were here first!" complete with petted lips.

I'll provide the mulled wine.

Salmotrutta · 29/12/2014 08:32

Was the bird he picked up like this:-

??.

or more like this:- ??

Hmm?