to hide from my neighbours

[cunningstunnt]

Ive had three ambulances out to my house in as many weeks. After the first two i was out walking my dog and two separate neighbours grilled me for gossip under the guise of being concerned. I live in a very quiet, gossipy area and these two neighbours are particularly bad.

I have to walk to my gp in half an hour for a follow up appt. But im terrified of leaving the house and being cornered and questioned again. We have polite relations and normally say hello but they are not friends and my health is none of their business.

At soms point i will get grilled again. What on earth do i say?

Say 'it's none of your business' and walk on. My neighbours also did this when I needed an ambulance.

Say: "can't talk now, see you later." And carry on with your day.

Say "thanks for caring, everything is ok now" (even if it's not really). If they press further, say "I prefer not to talk about it, although I appreciate your concern". Thereafter "it's all ok". Thereafter, just a smile and "got to go, bye". So polite all the way but giving nothing away.

Thanks all. I was fine leaving th house, didnt see anyone. Took the back roads home in caae they were driving and stopped me (yeah, they would!). Looked round the corner before i got back to my house and BOTH gossips were outside chatting. I turned back to walk around the block, when suddenly a thunderstorm started. When i turned back again one gossip was gone and the other had their back turned to me as they were walking back into their house, so i ran the 10 seconds down my drive. Nightmare!

Was it. Particularly sensitive reason the ambulance was called? I live in a row of 4 houses with no others so this would get noticed by my neighbours too but even though we aren't friends as such I don't think I would have an issue telling them unless it was something sensitive or embarrassing

Put on a medical face mask. . They will think you're infectious and stay well clear!!

It is very sensitive. Don't want to say too much in case of triggers for other users.

It's really none of their business. anecdoche has given you great advice, you don't have to tell them anything nor should you avoid them.

I would probably lie just to get them off my back and so I didn't have to worry about what they made up about me instead. So I would either say I did something fairly innocuous like had a fall (apparently this is what a large number of ambulance calls deal with) or say I knew the paramedics and they were visiting after work or say someone was staying with me who was unwell with something minor and that is why.

I think I'd say 'I'd rather not say, but everything's fine, thanks.' Is it neighbours being nosey or caring?

For the sake of cordial relations I would keep it light - "thanks for your concern, all fine now" or "oh it was just a precaution" or whatever. I wouldn't avoid the neighbours as it could become an elephant in the room for you. Just thank them politely and leave them wondering!

People will always be concerned if they see an ambulance go to a house so I think it's normal for them to say 'Hope everything's all right' or 'I saw the ambulance going to your place - nothing too major I hope?' but you should absolutely not feel obliged to say anything more in return other than 'Yes, everything's fine now' and move on. If people ask you outright what the problem was, just say 'I'd rather not go into detail' and the chances are they'll take the hint.

I do sympathise though as sometimes you just don't want to have even that amount of conversation about something like that. I had to employ the 'It's not really something I can share I'm afraid' line quite often in a previous job when I was having regular medical appointments I didn't want to talk about, and I did find it really awkward. :(

Cunning - Either you are me or you live very near me. That is exactly what my neighbours are like. The questions I have been asked are unbelievable or alternatively some of us are better raised than to be so intrusive. I have stopped talking to anyone around here. I was moving cars around on my drive. I had to put at least one out on the street. A female neighbour glowered at me for that. There were about another 6 cars parked in the short street. I had visitors a week ago and a neighbour came charging out to look at a young child in the garden. They watch every single thing that goes on but never manage to witness any problems which involve police/crime.
I have absolutely no idea what anyone gets out of such nosey conduct. Probably most folk would stop talking to neighbours or avoiding them. If they acted like normal people more information would come to them in casual conversations.
It is incredibly intrusive and causes such distress but apparently it is not illegal.

If I passed a friend's house with an ambulance outside I'd say to them (or text depending on who it was) "Are you okay?" "Do you need anything?"

Not because I'm desperate to find out the gossip and what's wrong, but because I genuinely want to know if they're fine and if I can help. I wouldn't be wanting a reply of what was wrong, simply "yes, it was a bit sudden, but all's fine now" or "actually I'm not good at present, any chance you could pick some milk/bread up from the shops twice a week for me".

Witchend I really don't know them though. I will say hi when I walk the dog but that's literally it. We've had minor disputes with both these neighbours (parking/damage to our property) but I've kept things fairly pleasant if distant. As User02 said when you live around gossips and nosy people you realise that they're just grilling you for info which then gets spread around, but they don't actually care.

Witchend - If I passed a friend's house. It is different if it is a friend. These are neighbours not chosen confidantes and extremely nosey neighbours at that. I know that these people are grilling me as does Cunning. Since they now can not get any information from me by asking questions they have taken to all this watching.
Friends and neighbours are not the same thing at all especially not in this street