AIBU to ask the neighbours to open the curtains?

[cocostrawberry]

A youngish couple with no children bought a house on our estate about a year ago. They don't get involved with any of the activities such as the summer bbq and basically seem to isolate themselves from the rest of us, their loss. However my main bug is that they NEVER have the living room curtains open and quite often leave the other ones shut also, today every single one of them are shut and I know they are home.

I've hinted a couple of times that it would be best for them to leave them open, the girl mumbled something about a projector and watching films, but they can't be watching films all the time.

AIBU to just point blank ask them to open the curtains during the day, it really depresses me to look across to their house with all the curtains closed, it doesn't look inviting and it looks odd compared to the rest of the estate, we all manage to open their curtains everyday, so why can't they? My DH thinks I'm BU and should just leave them to it but I think when it effects other people I have a right to say something?

katese11 and kingjoffrey There is simply no situation not made better by contemplation of the Captain. So deliciously strict, but just waiting for the right woman to discover his softer side.

I'd rather be The Baroness than Maria though - those silk blouses.

I cant stop singing 'two roofers saw my bare bazookas' its just a thing of beauty.

Once upon a time we got a letter from our letting agents requesting that we open our curtains as our elderly (and v.nosey) neighbours were nervous that we were running a brothel I'm not quire sure how they reached this conclusion, but it still boggles my mind that they contacted the letting agent and raised this particular concern!!

Ha ha ha this must be a joke

I live in an apartment and keep my curtains closed. OP would not like me to live near her. But then I do wander around the flat all naked and such.

Even more pissed off now that we have no curtains, so can't express solidarity!

Tack up some sheets, pluCaChange. That should have you blackballed by the weekend.

BTW, OP,
I'm not sure if you should say anything when something effects other people.
I'd say that you should say something when something affects other people, but I fail to see how someone else having their curtains closed affects anyone but themselves.

HTH

The two people that had complaints form landlord/letting agents about their no curtain opening....what was your reply ?

This takes me back some 30 years when I was a newlywed just moved onto a military estate...Some mad bint tols her DH, who blabbed to my DH that my bedroom curtains were often closed at 11am.. I had raging morning sickness so wasn't in a hurry to get up

The fecker ('D'H) started to open the curtains before he went to work.

The woman who used to live opposite once said she could tell whether it was me or MrMiddle who had opened our bedroom curtains each morning by the way they hung.

I left them shut for a fortnight after that. I think she got the message.

OP there are all sorts of reasons for keeping curtains shut. Personally I like them to be open during the day but each to their own. "Live and let live" is a good mantra I find.

Do you need us to suggest a hobby or something?

I know it's stupid replying to such a daft op... Just wanted to point out that I rarely open my curtains at this time of year because it's dark when I head off to work and dark when I get home. Probably the exact opposite of 'lazy' (if you can judge that off such a petty/obscure thing )

I still want to know what us night workers are supposed to do to avoid looking slatternly.

My job is important to me (look after elderly people), I want to do it well, I need to concentrate (handle medication), therefore I need sleep.

But what must the neighbours be thinking of me?

My mum had this thing about curtains being shut during the day "because you know what that means!" with disgust. Of course I didnt know, and now I do I still dont see the issue! I reckon she was jealous because she only got Sunday mornings when Dsis and I were at Sunday school :o

Well KingJoffrey they're thinking that you're a bit of lowlife and they won't be expecting you at the neighbourhood barbecue.

Several of my neighbours don't open their curtains. I know them all reasonably well. One suffers from anxiety and depression, but the others just don't like their curtains open in case anyone looks in. I make up for them all, I don't have any curtains . I think they're bonkers, they think I'm bonkers and we all just carry on with our own preferences. I wouldn't dream of telling them how I feel about it and they haven't braved telling me

I thought people like the OP had died out long ago, or at least weren't internet savvy enough to be on MN... So I'm going for pbp.

Not going to their skanky barbeque anyway.

Hmph.

My dh can't open curtains to save his life. When he does, they look like crumpled rags hanging there. He obviously hasn't gained a Certificate Of Curtain Etiquette.

Wow. Op you sound really nosey and quite frankly stuck in the dark ages! What difference does it make to anyone if they open their curtains or not? Seriously.

We never open the curtains to one of our front rooms as we use it as a junk storage room. We have a kitchen diner and a living room and that was just an extra reception room so we use it to store old toys and the hoover etc. No way am I faffing about going in there to open and close the curtains twice a day - what, so Henry the hoover can have a bit of a sun tan?

Just weird.

I also wouldn't want to attend any neighbourly bbqs etc. I'm very introverted and like my own space. I couldn't stand to have to make friends with everyone.

I also never take parcels for my neighbours. I just say I'm going out. And then don't.

Just can't be bothered with the interaction. My life is stressful enough as it is.

My curtains are shut a lot too, mainly so DP and I can have sex whenever the mood takes us without forgetting and flashing the neighbours.

It doesn't have an affect on anyone else if you keep your curtains shut and frankly you are being unreasonable. If they came up to you and demanded that you keep your curtains shut just because they would prefer it what would you say? Probably "mind your own business"

I've got filing, ironing, vacuuming, cleaning out the hamster cage, responding to stock queries and re-ordering of stationery. Where would you like to start first, cocostrawberry?

Pick one. Any one you like. You've clearly got waaaaaay too much time on your hands and I really could use some help.

are you serious? you're either a reverse or YABVU

My husband works night shifts and has the curtains shut during the day so he can sleep and relax without the world looking in on him. Why anyone does what they want in their own home is frankly none of your business.

if anyone knocked on my door and asked why don't we open our curtains, it would be a case of MYOB and door slam.

MY first

The op has vanished. Maybe she's out at the all-night garden centre getting a potted pampas grass and some garden gnomes.