Viewing the neighbours differently after this?

[bmbonanza]

Neighbours are a nice older couple. Friday afternoon they had a BBQ - two cars arrived. Today they have packed the dog in the car and left at 9am, presumably since they both went, with the dog, and are not back 4 hours later, its not an essential shopping trip so guessing they have done what the do most weekends and gone to visit their children and grandkids.

I always thought of them as 'nice people' - Am I being unreasonable to think I will view them differently at the end of all this.

Some people really do seem to think social distancing means just standing further away from strangers in shops or on trains. They don’t think keeping away from friends or family in different households counts.

My street have organised a whatsapp group to help each other out if anyone isolates, is vulnerable etc. We have had updates on when to view the iss in the night sky, a request to free a cat from a garage, and concern for the elderly man at number 2. Lots of talking over the garden fence if out in the garden. It feels like we've actually got to know the whole street, whilst staying home and observing the rules.

Once things get difficult, people think the rules apply to everyone but themselves. YANBU.

What I don’t understand is why people are crying and loosing sleep about things they can’t control...what your neighbours are doing don’t concern you and there’s not much you can do. If individuals choose not to self isolate and get sick and die then that’s their business - not yours.

Why can’t you close your curtains and get on with your life ?

You and others that don't like being 'spied on' obviously are the same twats who think the rules don't apply to them and are carrying on as normal.

Nah. It's perfectly normal not to like the idea of your neighbours watching your every move.

I'm a frontline NHS nurse, as is DH. We go out most days, to work. We don't go to work in uniform , therefore nosy neighbours, who don't know us, may think we are heading off for a jolly day out somewhere. I couldn't give a flying fuck about people who sit curtain twitching and snitching. I have more important stuff to worry about right now.

Get your facts right before you start hurling accusations at people, OP. Make sure you are 100% sure they are going against advice before you call the police.

Christ. Stop watching what your neighbours are up to and look after yourself and your family

I think it best to mind your own business!
Maybe they've already had it?

@MagnoliaJustice

THANK YOU !!

Yes, my idiot neighbour decided that the best time to burn all his damp garden waste was during a lung disease epidemic. They have a big garden but it was smoking heavily right near the houses, on the patio. There was a huge cloud of smoke several hundred metres around the house and many others for 24+ hours. A lot of older people live around here. We too are still recovering from cv symptoms here and despite closing every window the smoke filled our house. Back to being breathless, wheezing and coughing, thanks idiot neighbour! I had a low opinion of him before but now I am raging.

"They could be exercising. Seriously, view them differently!? For going out when you dont believe they should...? That's crazy... how strange..."

They are not exercising - they took the dog out for its walk round the block this morning so that would be their exercise and neither are physically capable of 4 hour walk. plus they went in the car so how could they be exercising? "

My viewing them differently is based on the fact that I thought they were kind and caring people who would follow the rules for the greater good, not selfishly stick two fingers up at the rules knowing that as we live down a remote lane they are unlikely to get caught having a BBQ with visitors etc

Our neighbour is one of those who monitors other people's behaviour and leaves notes when he thinks people aren't complying with his rules. The rules don't apply to him though and he's a pita.
No change in the current climate.

How do you know they are visiting family, they might just have the dog out for a bit.

Exactly, this is what I don't get - how do you know that they're visiting family, I mean, do they give you their itinerary every time they step out the front door?

@CtrlU. Because they spread the virus around, more people get sick, they spread it around, more people get sick. Someone goes out for food shopping - gets the virus from one of these numb nuts & DIES.

HOW MUCH CLEARER AN EXPLANATION DO YOU NEED. STAY HOME SAVE LIVES.

if it only infected the idiots I’d be encouraging them to have parties.

You and others that don't like being 'spied on' obviously are the same twats who think the rules don't apply to them and are carrying on as normal
Sticking to the rules here ta, just going to the shops when needed and that's it.
Nothing wrong with being concerned with people flouting, but it seems on here there's a whole new level of "sticky beaking" - it really does remind me of Mrs Mangel Neighbours!

neighbours (2 adults, 3 kids) buggered off after lockdown (presumably to one of their parents) but have left their dog which they come and feed once a day.

That's just bloody cruel!

That poor dog will be so lonely and frightened (and will be soiling the house horribly because it is stressed and is unable to get outside). I expect they've confined it to the kitchen or bathroom, which will mean it can't even avoid its own fikth.

@AmelieTaylor

AND AS I REPEAT- IF YOU CANT PHYSICALLY STOP PEOPLE FROM LEAVING THIERE HOME’S AND CANT HOLD PEOPLE HOSTAGE - WHAT PURPOSE IS BITCHING ON MUMSNET OVER IT ??

That’s the point I’m making 🙄

Nah. Mines always been a bit of an Arse. Let's call her Mrs A. My immediate neighbour (who's lovely) complained on social media that a boy talk racer type visitor to the street kept making excessive noise revving their car engine for hours. Yes, hours. Visitor is visiting Mrs A. Nice neighbour and my DH both work nights and I agreed with her. Mrs A heard about this and as a result, her and any visitors now suddenly felt the urge to beep horns as they passed our houses when bedroom curtains were closed.
Now during this CV mess I expressed my disappointment that people were treating lockdown as if it didn't exist. Mrs A didn't like this. Now when her visitors visit, they stop whilst passing my house and rev engines to make sure I know they're going there.

Yes our neighbours still have their adult children and young grandchildren visiting and playing in their back garden hugging etc despite one of them being a nurse so should know better than to expose the rest of the family for unnecessary reasons!!

I agree that you can’t physically stop people, but I don’t see the problem with coming on here to vent about it. I also find it really infuriating and those who say they don’t care, will you still feel that way when you can’t get the treatment you desperately need in hospital because those idiots are already there using all the vital equipment?

@MagnoliaJustice I have no intention of calling the police.

They are retired, their weekly routine is predictable and they are apparently carrying on with it.

At weekends they go to visit family. We know that because they told us that ages ago.

The BBQ with two extra cars we could see. So no ambiguity there.

Their choice - but I wont see them the same afterwards.

I’ve not seen any of my neighbours flout the rules. In fact next doors mum has moved out as daughter is a nurse and too risky.

My neighbour is working still, and had her Mum stay last week to babysit. Few days ago her daughter had a friend round for a few hours, playing on the trampoline in the garden etc. Then their son gets ferried to and fro from his dads, which I understand is allowed, but just raises the amount of people that family sees. But they dont bother taking the dog out and dont go for walks.

My neighbour sent me a supportive message the other day, through a hand drawn sign stuck across many windows of their house. I definitely like them more now.

How do you know they haven't had it already?