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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Flashing Christmas Lights [Grumble]

123 replies

IceRebel · 13/12/2018 07:23

Now let me start off by saying I love Christmas, but my goodness after a shit nights sleep I could happily skip to January and be done with it all. My neighbours have some obnoxious blue and multi coloured Christmas lights, which they have set to stay on all night. Lucky me, I get a crappy lights show keeping me awake.

I bet they wouldn't enjoy them flashing in their living room, so why do they; and others like them, insist on having them on the outside of their house for others to suffer? Angry

TL:/DR AIBU to think that people with flashing Christmas Lights shouldn't inflict them on others?

OP posts:
ZeroFuchsGiven · 13/12/2018 07:24

You could always go speak to them.

PinkAvocado · 13/12/2018 07:26

You shouldn’t have to speak to them; people should be more aware of others. But as they’re not, go round and ask for them to be turned off over night.

YANBU

BarbarianMum · 13/12/2018 07:26

YANBU. Its the optical equivalent of shouting "look at me, look at me" on a loop.

Original poster
IceRebel · 13/12/2018 07:28

You shouldn’t have to speak to them; people should be more aware of others.

Exactly!

I will go an speak to them, but considering i've had a rubbish nights sleep i'm not feeling too polite at the minute. I don't put flashing decorations up, as I know others find them over stimulating and irritating. If I wanted flashing ones (Goodness knows why people like them) I would have them where I could see them, not just my neighbours.

OP posts:
Original poster
IceRebel · 13/12/2018 07:36

"look at me, look at me" on a loop

Never thought of it like that, but it does make sense.

OP posts:
Ladymargarethall · 13/12/2018 07:38

I have often thought how awful it must be to live opposite flashing lights. They really should set them to go off around 10pm.

ChocolateTearDrops · 13/12/2018 07:38

Go and speak to them, I doubt they've done it on purpose to annoy, possibly just thoughtless.

EvaHarknessRose · 13/12/2018 07:40

Sympathy, I had to speak to neighbours recently about similar keeping me awake. It was fine, they sorted it and were v polite. I do feel bad but not as bad as when I was awake at 4am.

icelollycraving · 13/12/2018 07:40

Just explain they affect your sleep and ask them if they can switch them off by 11ish. It probably hasn’t occurred that it could be causing you a sleepless night.
If you ask and they don’t listen, then they are twats. Until then, not so much.

dancinfeet · 13/12/2018 07:41

Completely agree, my next door neighbours (who I don't get on with) have a vile flashing Christmas lights display in both the front and the back garden, along the adjoining fence which can be seen from our front and back bedrooms and they had them on all night.

I did send them a polite text asking if they could either put them off or switch to non-flashing mode at bed time. They compromised by turning off the front ones after 10pm so at least my girls are no longer disturbed but still leave the back ones on all night which disturb me. Twats.

Sirzy · 13/12/2018 07:42

My neighbours lights where flashing in my room a few years ago. So I spoke to them and explained and they turned them off about 11pm. Problem solved

LagunaBubbles · 13/12/2018 07:42

I love all the lights in my garden, I don't get why someone would leave them on all night though? Confused

Original poster
IceRebel · 13/12/2018 07:43

I have often thought how awful it must be to live opposite flashing lights.

I've thought the same in the past when driving past garish displays, and I can now confirm thanks to the neighbour, it's shit.

These are very quick flashing ones, in 2 colour schemes and i'm sure if the neighbours had to sit and look at them for even half an hour they would realise how annoying they are. I definitely think 10pm would be a fair switch off time, especially as it's dark so early so they could have been on for hours by that point.

OP posts:
TrickyKid · 13/12/2018 07:44

Yanbu. Lights outside are lovely but not flashing and especially not strobing, why do they even have a setting to strobe. Terrible if you're epileptic or have migraines.

Oblomov18 · 13/12/2018 07:44

I have our outside lights and our Christmas tree lights on a timer, so they come on in the morning for 2 hours, then the evening for a few.
Don't most people?

ikltownofboothlehem · 13/12/2018 07:45

They could easily put them on a timer - that's what we do (even though we don't have many lights up). It's not fair on the neighbours otherwise.

Original poster
IceRebel · 13/12/2018 07:46

I have already said I will speak to them and hopefully they will turn them off. But even if they switch them off over night, I will still be the one looking at them for several hours for the next few weeks. If they want flashing lights I still think they should be the ones looking at them, not their neighbours.

OP posts:
Original poster
IceRebel · 13/12/2018 07:56

why do they even have a setting to strobe.

No idea, it's very distracting and inconsiderate for others. What's wrong with twinkling or just static lights?

OP posts:
AwakeNow · 13/12/2018 07:59

Can you rig up something to block the light from your room? We have a large inflatable minion starring at us from across street.

Ifailed · 13/12/2018 08:00

buy a pair of insulated wire-cutters.

BabySharkAteMyHamster · 13/12/2018 08:08

They should be banned.........my niece who often ends up in HDU just from walkimg into her own street at this time of year probably agrees too ! (( light induced epilepsy ))

DorothyBastard · 13/12/2018 08:09

Can’t you close your curtains?

AwakeNow · 13/12/2018 08:09

Flashing is the worst, ugh. Like an advertising sign or used car lot I always think. Ok if it is festive or magical, but not Griswald not migraine inducing. The exeption is when you live on enough land that neighbours do not suffer.

Heismyopendoor · 13/12/2018 08:10

Watch Deck The Halls. You will get lots of ideas on what to do!