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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Am I right to be suspicious of my neighbours?

91 replies

Curtaintwitcher2017 · 27/09/2017 22:10

NC for this one..

I live in a terraced house in a popular and friendly part of London. The sort of place that nothing bad happens (well actually that's not true based on recent news, but we all like to pretend otherwise). Our house backs onto all the other houses on our block, and from our first and second levels we can see into the kitchen of some houses where the neighbours don't use curtains or blinds.

A few months ago one of the houses was renovated by a family, who moved out. There is now about 4/5 young men living there, but the house is still for sale. I assume they are renting short term.

They have turned their fancy shiny new kitchen into some sort of computer den. There is a row of mac computers along the kitchen island, and I kid you not but they spend probably 9am in the morning until 5AM straight, on their computers. I see them there when I get up for the loo throughout the night.

Rubbish piles up around them throughout the week, but they do empty it on bin day.

I can't see what they're doing clearly but I don't think it's coding or gaming (I work in IT). They have bright colourful screens up all the time- kind of like cctv but not images of camera footage, just of colourful pictures.

AIBU to have a range of conspiracy theories about who they are and what they are doing? Maybe that they're hackers trying to bring down a major corporation? Or perhaps they're running an illegal website? Spying on their neighbour's internet usage (maybe that's why my internet is so slow)? Dodgy finance traders?

Or maybe they're just doing some sort of start up and trying to make the big time?

Or maybe there is something more sinister?

What would you think? And AIBU to wonder what they are up to during their epically long days?

OP posts:
Appuskidu · 28/09/2017 07:39

The OP did say

I kid you not but they spend probably 9am in the morning until 5AM straight, on their computers. I see them there when I get up for the loo throughout the night.

Not 9am-5pm

Skittlesss · 28/09/2017 07:43

Maybe they're spies and they're watching someone.

Fintress · 28/09/2017 08:00

When my daughter was young I did an open uni degree and was up to all hours studying in the dining room, generally with the blinds open as I didn't think I had nosey neighbours. Until one day I got a knock on the door and it was an investigator from HMRC! I had been reported as working from home 'illegally'. The chap took one look at my desk groaning under a ton of textbooks and said he didn't need to even look at my computer. He had a coffee and went on his way.

rizlett · 28/09/2017 08:06

Maybe they're spies and they're watching someone.

Not very covert.

SaucyJack · 28/09/2017 08:06

Rocket League.

notanotherNC · 28/09/2017 08:10

It is what we called at uni a 'lan party' but sounds like a permanent one. They are just gaming for hours and hours. I spent my undergrad days living with 5 men and this was just our normal life.

permatiredmum · 28/09/2017 08:10

My guess is professional gaming team. But myob !

DragonBone · 28/09/2017 08:14

They sound like serious online gamers

greentea4me · 28/09/2017 08:22

Fintress made me LOL! Grin what on earth did they think you were doing?!

OP sounds like normal young men to me. They probably earn a lot of money on those macs!

bettytaghetti · 28/09/2017 08:22

Doubt they're gaming if they're using apple computers. Our DS think apple are no good for gaming or at least that's what they told us when they wanted new computers Hmm

martellandginger · 28/09/2017 08:25

Maybe think about how much worse they could be as neighbours. If the rubbish is on the street or in their garden then definitely report it as you don't want more vermin living in London. Otherwise leave them be. Not sure why you think they are doing anything illegal.

BarbaraofSevillle · 28/09/2017 08:39

A load of young men sharing a house cleaning up and putting the rubbish out every week. Yup, they're definitely up to something.

Whole raft of possible innocent explanations. I'd just wonder how they get by on so little sleep. Or do some of them do slightly different 'shifts' so some might be there 9 am until 2 am and others from mid day to 5 am, so it just looks like they're there all the time?

Maybe you could turn it into a version of that tray game where they take one item away and you have to spot what's missing? 'Red trainers' has gone to bed, or 'blue hoodie' isn't there - has he gone to bed too or has he just nipped to the loo?

Miserylovescompany2 · 28/09/2017 08:39

Can you use the zoom in on camera on your mobile phone? No idea if it would work? Just being nosey/stalkerish is all

BarbaraofSevillle · 28/09/2017 08:40

How do 'professional gamers' earn money? Who pays them?

OnionKnight · 28/09/2017 08:40

Doubt they're gaming if they're using apple computers. Our DS think apple are no good for gaming or at least that's what they told us when they wanted new computers hmm

Your DS is right but something like Rocket League would run on a toaster, unless the OP has mistaken the computers for Macs, professional built gaming rigs can look pretty sleek.

OnionKnight · 28/09/2017 08:41

How do 'professional gamers' earn money? Who pays them?

Sponsorship, donations and competing for prize money.

SloeSloeQuickQuickGin · 28/09/2017 08:43

Nah, blogging, big money in it. My son does sports blogging.

OnionKnight · 28/09/2017 08:44

Nah, blogging, big money in it. My son does sports blogging.

20 hours a day?

Appuskidu · 28/09/2017 08:44

Why did you call it an Ian party?!

SloeSloeQuickQuickGin · 28/09/2017 08:46

Sport is a 24/7 business. Depends what shift he's on. Other countries also have sports events.

Unihorn · 28/09/2017 08:47

Appuskidu

LAN not Ian Grin

Allthebestnamesareused · 28/09/2017 08:47

Maybe they are police surveillance?
Maybe you are the one doing something illegal? Grin

TammySwansonTwo · 28/09/2017 08:48

She said 9am to 5am, not 5pm!

thethoughtfox · 28/09/2017 08:52

9-5? So they are working business hours. Could be a start up company.

baffledcoconut · 28/09/2017 08:52

@valentine2

Oi, not all Pistonheaders are strange! There are quite a few on here- perfectly normal people who just like cars.

There are a few nutters though.