To think my neighbour is nutty and possibly a little bit of a CF?

[youarenotkiddingme]

I live in a block of 4 flats - which share a large garden with block next door.

It's fenced off and our flats have a washing line behind us in enclosed big and one around the side by car park. Literally 2m from garden!

2 2 bed flats and 2 1 bed.

It just happened that we fell into me and downstairs (2beds) using the garden one (our kids were toddlers at the time and safer) and downstairs neighbour (1bed) occasionally uses one around the side.

So we've had a kinda spoken but not set in stone (as such) agreement we use 2 sides each.

New neighbour moved in 2 years ago to other 1 bed and asked if allowed to use washing line which of course I said yes and we generally try through a pretty much unspoken rule to use just 2 sides for all to have equal access.

Noted other 2B neighbour would hang out 10 items (8 on 1 side and 2 on front rung of another side) whenever neighbour used line.

Made me 🙄 but I'm a live and let live type of person.

I work FT. My neighbour PT during school hrs 3 days a week. She knows if I've not hung out washing by the time I leave then line will be empty until next day.

So fast forward to this morning.

I'm hanging out stuff and have loads to do. Was using 2nd side as neighbour cane out house. Said hi etc and asked if she was doing any washing today and if she'd be out for a bit. Yes and yes.

"Great" I said. Told her I was just popping to supermarket but would make most of empty line and Nick extra side - especially as it'll dry quickly anyway.

She got in her car and sat in car park until I'd left. Thought nothing of it.

Came home 1.5 hours later to discover she'd done a wash (10 items) and has hung them 8 on one side and 2 tea towels on outside rung of other side right in middle of strip of line

She'd clearly hung around and done a quick wash to "bag" her sides. She's gone out now.

She's actually a really nice person and we always chat and say hello etc but AIBU to think she's a slight nut job with CF tendencies who clearly needs to get a life beyond the blinking line 😂

She's the one who will spread out to secure her 2 sides - even when not necessary.

sounds reasonable, if she is planning to wash king size beddings and wants to make sure there's enough space to dry them.

You sound VERY involved in who put how many items to dry, especially for someone who works full time You must be driving your neighbours absolutely nuts.

Riiiiight. Now it all makes sense - I've been imagining a single line from one side of the garden to the other and couldn't for the life of me work out how it had sides!

As you were.

We own our house and have a yard. We have two big clothes horses left over from when we lived in a flat with no outside space. When the weather is nice we just put them outside. Why don't you try this? Then there is no issue about the line. Or talk to your neighbours about putting up a line for everyone.

Sorry just saw about not being allowed another line.

If I'm understanding it correctly, you said you were going to use the other line/s even though your unofficial agreement is two lines each. So your neighbour put stuff on the other lines.
I think that's fine. She might have worried you were aggressively annexing the washing line and would take her tacit agreement as a white paper allowing your invasion/expansion.

Hang on. It’s a rotary washing line?

OP, you’re not explaining this at all well, I’m not surprised your neighbour does the complete opposite of what she says.

It's not difficult!

Have 2 rotary lines. Managed to share them quite well for 12 years and generally use half each and other neighbour pitches up occasionally with washing for past year.

I've never really worked about who has what and when or what others do.

Space = I use it
No space = don't! (Use airer in garden).

Have noted neighbour tends to spread a few items out to use her "2 sides" she suggested we have each but never really cared and also know she's annoyed new neighbour (of 2 years) also uses it because she told me off for saying he could!

I just happened to see her leaving house this morning for what she said was a few hours and stupidly mentioned I'd use 3 sides then as had an abundance due to ds nosebleeds.

In all honestly I should have watched her leave and done it anyway! For all I know she does the same when I'm working (and I don't care!).

For those who say I notice it and spend too much time watching. Seriously?! 12 years I've shared a washing line with this woman and for all those 12 years I've walked past it at least twice daily. I'd have to walk with my eyes shut not to see it or my brain shut not to notice if stuff is on it. And I'd have made a lot more threads than this 1 of I'd obsessed over It for 12 years!

I get and accept some think IABU to think she's switched over from nutty to CF but some people really do like to invent a non existent narrative just because it's AIBU.

Anyway I've spoken to my neighbour as was taking in washing when she came home.
I asked if she'd had a good day and apologised to kidnapping her skate space behind the tea towels explaining we'd had a bloodbath emergency.
She was fine and explained she'd noted my neighbours mum arrive as she got to car and as she often washes for neighbour and hangs it out she was worried he'd have 2 sides and keep washing there overnight and then I'd do more tomorrow and she wanted 2 sides for her bedding tomorrow.
I just politely said why didn't she mention this before she went out and yes, I have 1 load tomorrow but can use my airer if she needs line for bedding. (Neighbour didn't hang any out so isn't an issue but wanted to reassure her) Her teen DD then rolled her eyes and said "see I told you you were being utterly bananas delaying trip by an hour for 5 bits of washing".

She then started on about how neighbour lets lady over the road use his drive space (he doesn't have a car and hers is huge!) and how she'd left a note but they just put one in windscreen saying the bad sought permission. I'd wondered who'd left the note prompting that don't even know why she's worried tbh as they are the other side of path and it's me having to navigate in reverse past the beast.

So I've decided she in fact I'm not a CF. But is actually quite anxious by nature and very protective of her routine and personal space. (I get that as my ds is autistic).

So I'll not ever attempt to invade an extra side again and see if I can do my bit for her anxiety.

Alls well that ends well

😂

Maybe buy another washing line so you dont have this issue?? No stress then

You asked if she was doing any washing today.

She said yes.

Then you said "great I'll nick the line"??

Her saying yes was an indication that she'll need the line. Hate to rock your world but YOU are the line hogger!

Well, having RTFT, that's 5 mins of my life I won't get back.

asked if she was doing any washing today and if she'd be out for a bit. Yes and yes
She said she was doing washing, then she did washing. I'm glad you get on well with her, I couldn't handle this much washing chat.

Wow. Op, it's a sunny bank holiday weekend. You've spent an inordinate amount of time letting the line situation dominate your day. But I'm glad that it's all sorted out ok.

my god, that's a lot of drama over a washing line (i confess I couldn't be bothered to read the entire rambling).

I dread to think the energy that must be spent over parking and communal bins in that place

Surf she has refused to allow another line. HA will only put one of all residents (4 flats agree)

Bed. I corrected what I'd written in OP. She was heading out shopping with teen dd and said she'd be a good few hours and she wasn't planning on doing washing. So I said great I'd use extra space then.

BIG MISTAKE. Probably should have just done it and gone down and got it without her knowing!

I inadvertently started her having an anxiety driven worry she wouldn't be able to use line tomorrow.

Lesson learnt. I'm someone who gets up, does washing if needs be, looks out window at weather and hangs it outside on line if space or airer if not.
She's clearly a forward planner and needs to know her plans will work. I now know that and so won't ever ask again for extra space I know she isn't using that day.
Not worth the hassle tbh when we've shared a line harmoniously for 12 years!

Pam I have no issue with lemon v or communal bins or even the line tbh. But seriously - DO NOT get my neighbour started on them

I've been from lunch until 5.30 as had housework to do and was washing ds bloodbath and had commuter meeting this evening so had some stuff to prepare ready.

But I've got that IABU to have asked her to use the space she said she didn't want. And because I cannot be arsed to get involved - I won't ask again!

Sorry lemon should say parking! My phone seems to change words to things that don't even make sense

communal lemons could be a very entertaining subject

Buy a couple of whirliegigs and stick them in for overspill.

Star I seriously wish I could. But neighbour has said no to anymore. She opposed the 1 the other flats have in our shared space - with them. But she lost because none of us cared and didn't really see why they couldn't have one when we do!

I can understand her reasons though. She's the only flat with patio doors into garden and she said she can see them from her lounge. I actually have to go to my lounge window and look outside to see them. (I'm first/top floor). And I don't ever really do that because there's not much point.

This thread is making me laugh so much. OP, I think you're awesome. This is just the sort of ridiculous thing I'd get riled over too 😂

I get it OP. There is a shared whirligig. You asked if she'd be using her half and when she said no told her you'd use it for the abundance of washing created by your sons nosebleed. She then went and did more washing worrying that she wouldn't get all her washing done in the weekend. You thought she was a CF, MN misunderstood and thought you were a CF and a washing obsessed maniac, and in fact she's just weirdly anxious about her washing.
I think that because she's rejected the addition of more whirligigs to meet everyone's needs means she is a little bit unreasonable.
If other neighbour is leaving the washing overnight though I'd be weirdly annoyed by that not only because for the line hogging ( don't they know it will get darked on)

What's making me laugh most is the fact I'm so not bothered by if it's free or not and just do whatever is available - and therefore wondered what kind of Whirly line can of worms I'd opened by asking to use unwanted and unused space - and half of MN translates that as me having an obsession.

I get it was unreasonable of me to ask to use the space. But I can assure you the obsession is my neighbours - she even admitted it in a round about way.

I can't ever imagine hanging a tea towel out to be darked on for days because I want to wash my bedding on Wednesday.
I can't even imagine knowing I'm washing my bedding on Wednesday - until Wednesday