Inconsiderate Neighbours

[ChrissieS79]

One of the neighbours in our small street who evidently has some sort of car washing OCD, whatever the weather or temperature washes his three cars twice weekly.

But in the winter, presumably recognising it's cold and will freeze, reverses out of his drive onto the kerb to wash his cars where the water runs down the pavement and street away from his house turning the whole lot into an ice rink.

Eventually this morning when after yesterday’s washing DS1 fell of her bike on a the icy pavement I'd had enough.

I politely asked him to maybe wash his cars next to a drain to collect the water or maybe use less water (he leaves the hose running on the ground for the full hour it takes to wash the cars) to be told "it's a free country I'll do what I want"

Aaargh..... I could explode, f-ing raging, what an inconsiderate arsehole!

Next time he's out and it's freezing I've got a good mind to go and soak his bloody drive.

OCD is a potentially serious, debilitating mental health condition.

It's not ok to use it inthis context, OP, in the same way saying "I get a bit bipolar when I'm on my period" would not be ok.

Ok, Sorry, I meant no offense.

Car washing obsession

You shouldn't be allowing your daughter to ride her bike on the pavement! Your neighbour is being inconsiderate but is not breaking any laws. Your daughter may be below the age of responsibility but riding a bicycle on the pavement is punishable by a £500 fine. Sadly this is seldom enforced.

However, in this case I think it is karma biting her back.

Go out and chuck a load of sand and salt down over the ice - when he complains that it makes his car dirty tell him it's a free country and you'll do what the fuck you like.

Always thought small children were legally allowed to ride on the pavement?

Ask him why he won't do it on his drive in winter?
And why he thinks it's ok to cause a preventable hazard when there are such things as cash washes :-p

Yes to a bag of grit from somewhere like Homebase. Yes to him being an inconsiderate arsehole too.

Only on MN, part 465

Only on MN would someone making a reasonable complaint about an inconsiderate neighbour be berated for being disablist and allowing her daughter to break the law.

Sounds like some people had a side plate of mis-placed anger with their Sunday roast...

The man well may have OCD or it was a bad assumption on the op's part. At least she's apologised. And I think that a kid peddling up and down on a pavement is far less dangerous than deliberately causing the ground to ice up (and I generally dislike bikes anywhere other than on roads). Could you report him to the council?

Empty your Hoover bag over his car tonight?

So apparently illegal to cycle on pavement at any age, punishable to the tune of £500, not enforceable under 10 but the police can still stop under 10 and have a word.

Police and public generally take a pragmatic approach to under 10s for whom the pavement is safer than the road.

There's a difference between berating and calmly stating something. I don't think anyone using that phrase is being intentionally offensive and most people stop using it when they realise it is offensive.

WTF is with the first few posters?

Perhaps the OP's child was old enough to ride on the road, or perhaps they are 5, it's really beside the point.

Would be people be supporting the neighbour if this had caused an pregnant woman or elderly person to slip and fall?

Only on MN would someone making a reasonable complaint about an inconsiderate neighbour be berated for being disablist and allowing her daughter to break the law.

Yep.

There's never a time when it's unacceptable to berate the OP over something.

Your neighbor is a dick. I have the same issue except it's the noise that bothers me. Because it's constant. Because I've just had a baby and need to sleep. And because it's relentless. And because they do their mates cars too.

The grit idea is superb. My neighbours will hate that 😁😃😂

DS1 is 4yo and got her stabilisers off in September

Well damn it Chrissie you should force her to ride in the road at the mercy of all the trucks and 4x4s as she is BREAKING THE LAW.
Your judgement as a parent has nothing to do with it. If she falls over in the road at least she was on the right side of the law eh?

FFS.

Good lord, I wouldn't even blink at a child riding on a pavement. The roads are leathal and if she is riding consideratly it's fine.

He's a twit, I'd also throw lots of salt down.

Ywbu to use stabilisers though, balance bike all the way!

This thread is insane.

I like the idea of getting a huge bag of salt and grit, and flinging it around when he does it again.

He sounds like a solid gold turd.

Eh?? Kids ride on the pavement all the time where I am. Far safer for them. She was just riding outside her house. Is she supposed to ride up and down with the traffic??

Why don't people stick to the point of the thread and stop picking fault here, there and everywhere - it ends up going completely off track every time! I'd also fling salt around - he won't like it when it rots his paintwork on his pride and joy

Your neighbour is a prick, there is nothing wrong with a 4-yr-old riding on the pavement and yes, get gritting/salting.

Case closed!

Yeah, massive (prove a point) scoops of grit from the grit bin on the pavement sounds like a good solution