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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to ask the neighbours to open the curtains?

434 replies

cocostrawberry · 21/01/2015 14:41

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?

OP posts:
Dr0pThePirate · 21/01/2015 15:41

Oh wait, wait, wait…I just realised you said:

"maybe they're just never been taught it."

Do you mean they might not know how curtains work?

Hatespiders · 21/01/2015 15:41

Pirate I did go down our garden and had a peer at it over the fence, but he popped up from bending down on his vegetable patch and caught me. I felt a right fool (not for the first time in my life).

OopsBaby · 21/01/2015 15:42

Ahahaha are you for real OP?? HmmI can tell what sort of person you are. Are you part of the village committee? Maybe you could put it in next weeks agenda?
Seriously. Get a grip, mind your business, or better still a hobby, get yourself out of the house!

squoosh · 21/01/2015 15:42

Surely though you have net curtains though OP, as any self-respecting nosy neighbour is required to own.

AIBU to ask the neighbours to open the curtains?
BaronessBomburst · 21/01/2015 15:43

Tell us more about yourself OP. We would love to get to know you better.
Do you work?
Have children?
How old are you?
What's your favourite biscuit?
Any pets?

OopsBaby · 21/01/2015 15:43

pirate ahahaha
yeah op maybe you should go round and teach them

flyingspaghettimonster · 21/01/2015 15:43

We keep every single curtain/blind in our house closed all the time and hang blankets over them on the inside. Saves on heating bills and I hate daylight. If my neighbour even mentions it is tell them to pull their panties out of their butts and go find another more willing victim.

forago · 21/01/2015 15:44

they're probably shagging in all the rooms (no kids you said?) and don't want to embarass you.

That's what we used to do. Now I keep the shutters closed all day in the winter as it keeps the place really toasty warm.

I did have a neighbour ask me if I was ok once as she thought we must all be ill. She is 95.

LiviaDruscillaAugusta · 21/01/2015 15:44

Do you mean they might not know how curtains work?

GrinGrinGrinGrin

I feel really sorry for them - obviously not raised by naice people who knew the rights and wrongs of curtain etiquette....

Original poster
cocostrawberry · 21/01/2015 15:44

drop no that's it's proper to open them, unless someone has died.

oops what's wrong with being part of a committee and contributing to the town.

OP posts:
asmallandnoisymonkey · 21/01/2015 15:45

OP you are RAVING. Actually raving. Keep your bloody nose out of someone else's life. Cheeky mare.

squoosh · 21/01/2015 15:45

'We keep every single curtain/blind in our house closed all the time and hang blankets over them on the inside. Saves on heating bills and I hate daylight.'

Are you from Transylvania?

LiviaDruscillaAugusta · 21/01/2015 15:45

Here OP, have some Biscuit Biscuit Biscuit for you and your fellow nosey neighbours....

Ohfourfoxache · 21/01/2015 15:46

Ok Coco, admit it, you're taking the piss now, aren't you?

Eminybob · 21/01/2015 15:46

Whilst you are obviously BU as it really is none of your business, and the thought that you might actually ask them to open them makes you slightly unhinged, I do kind of understand your point.

Only because my mum drummed it in to me as a child that curtains must be open during daylight hours and the neighbours would think us scruffy and common if we dared keep them shut.

Ridiculous of course as I have never even noticed whether any of my neighbours have their curtains opened or closed as it's never occurred to me to look but opening all the curtains in the morning is a habit I have fallen into.

GlitzAndGigglesx · 21/01/2015 15:46

Probably hiding the bodies of the nosy neighbours that were

BeggingYourPardon · 21/01/2015 15:47

www.ehow.com/how_7559881_open-curtain.html

In case anybody needed to know.

Print if off for them OP you can laminate it and pop it through the door.

NancyRaygun · 21/01/2015 15:47

Tell us more about yourself OP. We would love to get to know you better

I'd like to take a stab at guessing this:

Do you work? No
Have children? Yes 11 and 13
How old are you? 44
What's your favourite biscuit? Milk chocolate Hob Nob
Any pets? Yes, a dog. Really well behaved.

Uphigh · 21/01/2015 15:47

The surest way to make sure they keep their curtains shut is by asking them to open them.

SoupDragon · 21/01/2015 15:47

Why have you joined MN to post this...?

I'm surprised you home has curtains TBH.

GoringBit · 21/01/2015 15:48

Do they have pampas grass in their (presumably poorly maintained) front garden?

Spadequeen · 21/01/2015 15:49

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

I'm having a seriously and literally shit week, you have cheered me up no end op.

Wtf business is it of yours why they keep their curtains closed, maybe they walk around naked, maybe they're decorating and it's a mess inside, maybe they like the look or the curtains or maybe they just don't want their mosey neighbours (hint, I mean you here) peering in.

Get a grip and whilst your at it a hobby or something to do with your life.

HellKitty · 21/01/2015 15:49

Oh god. Still loving Barbecue Avoiding Bastards Grin

Op. I suggest you bring it up at the next neighbourhood watch meeting. A few flaming pitchforks will soon make them see the error of their ways. Are they local?

MaryWestmacott · 21/01/2015 15:49

Ah, middle clss obession with curtains. One of my friends growing up had a mum completely mental about other people's curtain habits. It never did occur to her not to go round looking at other people's houses. She'd be more annoyed by say one of 3 blinds in a bay window being open and the others not, "they obviously went in that room before going to work and opened one, why on earth didn't they open them all?" oh and another blinds in bays that drove her insane, one side being open higher than the others. Apparently, they should always match. Curtains being open more on one side than the other "making that front room look lopsided". sadly, lots of the other mums seemed to agree. I am not 'young' but find it hard to care about curtain openings.

OP, has it occurred they probably go to work and come back when it's dark these days? I always find it odd to open curtains when it's dark outside. I genunely don't care about the state of my house when I'm not in it.

Pensionerpeep · 21/01/2015 15:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.