Am I being a terrible snob?

[GirlOnATrainToShite]

SMIL and FIL coming to stay for week soon which is an annual event. They are in all lovely and no trouble apart from the fact they watch every single soap going .

I admit I am not great with guests and I struggle having people in my space for long periods. We are also a large blended family so the house will be full (not relevant).

SMIL is a lovely northern lady who lives in an area where everyone is in and out of each other's houses, everyone knows that each other and it's a small area we live down south in a big area and very much keep to ourselves - we know most of our neighbours and are friendly but that's about it. I hate people turning up "unannounced".

We have no front garden (Victorian semi) just a very narrow path at the front of the house and a low wall dividing it from the pavement.

We do however have a (small) back garden which gets plenty of sun.

SMIL insists on taking a dining room chair and sitting on the front "path" and resting her legs on the wall with the front door wide open saying hello to anyone who walks past.

I know there are bigger things going on right now but AIBU to really hate her doing this as it's seems a bit "common" and prefer her to use the back which is private? I know she's not hurting anyone but I hate having my front door wide open (I will be at work some of the time). I need to chill out don't I?

I know someone who puts there sofa in the front garden during summer

Actually, one person just sitting in their front garden wouldn't bother me so much (although there's gentleman around the corner from us who's taken to sunbathing in his front garden wearing just a pair of speedos 😳).

Our old neighbours (around 15 or so of them, all related) used to drag a sofa out on the street on sunny days and commandeer the street for the evening. They were seriously loud and drunk and they used to piss me off.

Yes, anyone can hate anything, but your language is horrible. It's just as annoying in the professionally "down to earth" as it is in people who think they're posh. 

Is it as annoying and horrible as the passive aggressive smiley at the end of your comment?

My OH and I take the piss out of each other for being Northern/Southern - is that ok and allowed?

Or does every tiny every day issue posted here have to become a massively serious issue.

I am clearly not alone in disliking this as people have agreed with me.

I don't think of myself as any "class" and certainly not "posh" if it comes across that way because I don't like my SMIL sitting outside my house on my dining room chair practically on the pavement then I apolgoose that is not the case

Good grief, the heat must be getting to people, the way they are laying into the OP

I'm guessing there's an introvert/extrovert aspect to this that people are missing. (Although that's not quite it either. I'm fundamentally an extrovert but when I'm at home and therefore not 'on' I like being in private and unobserved. I've lived in places where people did this or where sitting outside happened in communal areas, and I struggled with it even though I liked most of my neighbours).

Is it as annoying and horrible as the passive aggressive smiley at the end of your comment?

No.

I mean yes! Sorry, was genuinely trying to keep it light. Will take on board for future posts.

I'm in Scotland and far from a snob. But I would never hang out in the front garden. Always jn the back garden.
Actually not really sure why. Would say it is for privacy, but that's a lie as I happy chat away to neighbors when out in the back garden!!

Erm how am I taking the piss?

Where do I mock her in my OP?

I don't think of myself as any "class" and certainly not "posh"

Ok. Stop calling things common then!

Is SMIL a step mother in law?
Does that mean she is your DP's step mother?
Wouldn't she still be your mother in law even if she isn't your DP's biological mother?

She's his dads DP.

No I don't think she would be my mother in law as shes not OH's mother.

Just out of interest rather than narkiness....wouldn't that make her your FIL's gf?

I have never heard the phrase step mother in law. It doesn't sound quite right for some reason.

I think SMIL sounds fab and you should take a chair out and join her, OP.

When it's sunny at the front of the house, I have been known to sit on my front step and drink a bottle of beer. I leave the lawn mower on the grass, though, so it looks like I'm just having a break from my gardening.

I also think that anyone who decries anyone else's behaviour as "common" needs to stop being so judgmental.

Omg - pick me apart more please

She is my DP's dads partner SMIL was an easy way to describe it.

Realitea

Yup - you were right

I'm from/live up North and this wouldn't bother me in the slightest, in fact I'd probably join her.
I did however grow up on a council estate where everybody would sit in their front gardens in the summer, even though back gardens were much bigger. Now I live on a private estate I couldn't imagine any of my neighbours doing this.

IME, people on council estates tend to be much more friendly with one another, as in your neighbours are your actual friends who you socialise with, but every time I've lived in areas that are all bought homes I've found that everyone tends to be pleasant but neighbours aren't actually friends.

Summerisdone

I dunno - I bought an ex council house and the council tenants were more friendly than the private tenants.

Not sure why.

Don't you understand yet OP. Others may agree they wouldn't like their MIL taking their furniture outside and sitting on the street, it's the way you are referring to it as common and Northern, as if you are somehow better than your MIL and her Northern backwater town.
I'm still unsure what you mean that you are very Southern and your husband very Northern?
Don't worry about anyone thinking you're 'posh' OP, I doubt very much anyone would think that.

Jeez Hickoryandsage

Why are you going for me?

What is your problem?

Prejudice just bugs me.