To think neighbour isn’t nit picking for the sake of it?

[EatGrassAndPuke]

Detached houses. “Next door” is actually sideward on to us and we share the driveway. DH our Christmas lights on the outside of our house before Christmas. You can change the “light pattern” from just on all the time to slow twinkling and flashing. DD likes the flashing so we tend to have that one on. Neighbour has not mentioned it all over Christmas.

Last night we had the flashing pattern on. Neighbour has just stopped me on driveway to ask when we’re planning on taking the Christmas lights down as the flashing supposedly causes her bedroom to flash and prevents them getting to sleep. I asked why she’s not mentioned it until now so she said her DH is back at work today so they’ve “put up with it” but now he needs to be able to get to sleep on a night.

We have “history” with these neighbours and do not get on. AIBU to think this is just another excuse for them to start? We wasn’t planning on taking them down until Sunday.

She probably didn't want to say anything because of the history, but obviously Christmas has passed its not unreasonable to mention it. Just keep them off until Sunday problem solved.

OP, I told you yesterday on your English Heritage site thread that you were doing parenting right and thank god for people like you in the world. I am now, sadly, forced to retract that opinion.

On the other hand, you're a self-confessed history geek! Me too! Why not make like Anne Boleyn/Joan of Arc/Elizabeth I - none of whom would've left it to a bloke to sort out a local political issue.

Sounds like they've been reasonable not mentioning it over Christmas, and you are now being totally unreasonable. It's easy to change the setting and midnight is a bit late anyway.

Neither your or your husband sound very bright tbh. You because you can't grasp why this would be annoying, and your husband because he thinks doing anything about it is complicated.

That response would have me popping every single one of your car tyres.

You need to be really careful as well Op because neighbour disputes have to be declared if you sell the property. So you really ought to do as much as possible to make relations more civil.

Blue lights are only pretty if your idea of pretty is "dying in an icy crevasse"

THIS ^

Many years ago I told DH to get some Christmas lights if they had any in the sales (he was going to B&Q, and we needed new lights). I said it didn't matter if they were multicoloured or single coloured, as long as hey weren't blue. Don't get blue, I said. I don't like blue they are cold and unfeeling and non-Christmassy etc.

I will give you three guesses what colour he came back with (hint- you won't need two of them . . . )

Eedjit!

OP why did you put lights on the side facing your NDN's house, if their house is side on to yours? All my lights are facing the road?

The neighbour across the road from us had strings of coloured lights along the length of their house eaves (dormer bungalow) and integrated garage. I quite liked them as I prefer coloured lights, but unfortunately for me they took those down and put up bright white ones which flash. Their house is separated from ours by our gardens, their pavement, the road and the wide verge outside our house, but their lights still flickered noticeably in our front rooms. LED lights are meant to be bright for the power they use, far more than the old bulb-style fairy lights were. (My mum's old neighbour (years ago) pointed out her Christmas tree lights lit up their bedroom, and the set that flashed were even more annoying. My mum apologised and made sure it didn't happen again, because that's the decent response to make.)

If you're not used to considering other people first, perhaps you don't think that it's bound to cause upset to attach flashing lights to the side of your house that faces your neighbour. Given that they have now pointed out that it is being a nuisance, you would be VVU to not make adjustments to stop it being so. Are you unreasonable people..?

I think you’re massively unreasonable. It would take seconds to ‘mess with the settings’ to turn them off earlier. No wonder you have ‘history’ with them when you can’t be arsed to spend 30 seconds changing the settings.

Your poor neighbours. Flashing lights are hideous. Glad I don’t live next door to you.

Ok so I get deleted for use of the term thundercunt

By absolute cunt stays?

• but

Op in the time you've spent reporting posts for pointing out how selfish you are being, you could have worked out how to change the light settings. It's not usually very difficult!

Just unplug/switch off the lights at 10pm each night, @EatGrassAndPuke - it really isn't that difficult. And frankly, not doing so, when you know it is disturbing your neighbour's sleep, is a pretty unpleasant and selfish thing to do.

Leave them on constant not flashing and turn off earlier.

YABVU.

Lazy DH can’t be arsed to press a button?

I’d be cutting the cable if I were your neighbour.

Did OP reply?

No, presumably because she got her arse handed to her!

As long as your daughter is happy...🙄😡

I think i passed your neighbour in Tesco today.
This woman was telling her friend about the terrible flashing Christmas lights next door?
Is your neighbour blonde about 45 to 50?

You're lucky you're not my neighbour, fucking hell, you're incredible, turn your fucking lights off