To think my iPad is a personal possession

[Claybury]

....like a phone ? I have some friends who come to stay and ask to use my iPad or if it's lying around simply help themselves. I don't know why but this annoys me, like my phone I consider it to be 'mine' and not a household object for general use like a kettle for instance.
I think they should bring their own devices if they want to surf when staying with me.
AIBU

No, not at all. Just like your phone it could have any personal stuff on it.

I don't have an ipad, can I borrow yours?

YANBU! It's like grabbing someone's phone. Mine has Facebook, Twitter, email all with my ID in - it's hugely personal. Tell them to use their phone.

Well, yes an iPad is a personal device.

But you should still be able to provide them with a device to do any internet things they might need...

so YANBU on your subject, but find some way to give them guest access!

YANBU I also hate this as I'm linked into my email and social networking on mine. Back in the day when a family pc was the only means of accessing the Internet it was rare for a guest to ask for use during a visit so why should it be op's responsibility now fred? If they are so keen to regularly update sites or check emails etc they should provide their own mobile device!

It's not a host!s reponsibility to give them something to use to go online! Bring your own tablet/smartphone/laptop - the host can supply a wifi password and that's all that's needed.

I think they are tbh, there's 3 of us in our family and we all have our own...

at providing a device to use the Internet being a requirement of having guests

Yanbu. Lock it.

Mine has a lock on it, no-one touches it but me.

I'm happy for guests to use the computer ( If they ask nicely ... ) but I hate the presumptuousness of just picking up an iPad and asking for the passcode.

pillowaddict For the same reason you provide towels, it's part of the things you have at home that a host you're staying with should make some effort to provide.

And certainly when people visited me when there weren't mobile device options I was certainly asked!

If anyone touches my phone or tablet without asking I ask them what the fuck they are doing.

I don't provide a device for my guests, never have done and never will.

Hide it!

Of course it's a personal possession, how rude of them to expect to use it/take it upon themselves to use it.
My texts and emails go through to my iPad, not to mention it has my card details stored for app purchases, is left logged into my social networking pages, has passwords saved for my university access and has my uni work saved on it too and that's not even mentioning my photographs on it which are nothing special to anyone else or of an unsavoury nature but they are my private personal snaps.
I don't mind people popping into my laptop to check their accounts or whatever but not my iPad or phone.

No YANBU.
Make sure it's locked and if you have a particular friend / family member who always goes for it then just make sure it's out of sight when they visit.
If they ask for it just say no sorry not sure where it is / it's charging / DH has got it with him or whatever. If you're feeling assertive then you could try 'no, it's mine, get your own'.

I do hide it now ! But she s a v good friend and is likely to say ' I need to check something, where's your iPad ?' and I'm too nice to say I'd rather not let you use it '.
When I say 'oh it's upstairs somewhere' she doesn't get the hint.
I know the mumsnet reply will be just say what you want it's your house but it's hard ! And I feel petty.

Somebody I know moved into a flat share and the flatmate thought nothing of going into her room and borrowing her laptop. Flat mates brother came to stay and would look up gay porn on her laptop.

I wouldn't have any qualms about letting a very good friend use my iPad. Different if it was someone I wasn't so close to.

Your friends and fredfred are very odd.

Start going through her bag looking for a nail file

No way does anyone touch my iPad. Mind you I don't leave it lying about either cos if I did they might

I usually say 'no chance, it is full of naked photos of DH'

Puts em right off.

I have a (carefully cultivated) reputation as a Luddite - very few of my family and friends even realize that we have wifi - and those that do would also have heard me ranting on about the previous provider and my then blacklisted internet address. (Someone else's usage, not mine.)

They can take a hike. Anyone comes here and asks to use one of our personal devices - or the wifi - they're told 'No - no-one else is allowed to use them'.

"she s a v good friend and is likely to say ' I need to check something, where's your iPad ?'"
If you don't want to say an outright 'no', have you thought about innocently enquiring if there's any reason she doesn't want something turing up on her search history on her own ipad/laptop?

Mine has a lock. I don't have a mobile phone so am very precious with my ipad. 3 older children all have their own.