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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to go and give this absolute idiot a piece of my mind?

369 replies

WobblyWoman · 21/04/2020 22:47

DH (keyworker) often takes the DC out for walks in the dark after work. DC prefer going with him than me as he plays games with them as they’re walking like hide and seek, skipping/jumping around, chasing, making animal noises etc, and they like going out in the dark just as backgroundGrin.

Anyway tonight they were walking down the main road and turned into a side road to cut back across to our house. Teen DS was walking ahead and didn’t notice they were going into the side road so carried on walking. DH bird called Hmm to him to get his attention and he walked back so DH and little DS decided to hide behind some bushes at the bottom of a small cul de sac round the corner so they could jump out at him. They were on the opposite side of some houses in the cul de sac and nowhere near gardens etc. Anyway within seconds a man threw open his front door of the house in front of them and shouted at DH and DS to ‘get out of it’ and get off his property or he’d set his dog on them! Cue massive ugly staffie like thing coming out of the front door towards them. DH explained what he was doing and said they weren’t on his property but the man kept on. DS was very scared and shaken by this point and worried about the dog so DH decided to just let it go as DC were there and came home with a very upset DS.

I’m absolutely furious that this man thought he could behave this way and want to knock on his door tomorrow and give him a piece of my mind about him threatening people with his dog. It’s only the next street up. There’s are lots of these little cul de sacs in our area, we live in one ourselves, and they are not the homeowner’s private property to dictate who stands near them!

AIBU?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
Snakeshoes · 21/04/2020 22:51

The bloke probably wondered why there were people hiding in bushes.

Maybe it would be better to muck about in daylight.

Boom45 · 21/04/2020 22:53

He sounds like a bit of a prick but everyone is very jumpy at the moment. I'd just forget about it and walk somewhere else in future.

Lockheart · 21/04/2020 22:55

If I saw a strange man hiding in my front garden at night I'd let the dogs out too. Your DH was being bloody daft.

user1473878824 · 21/04/2020 22:55

I’d shout at someone hiding in bushes near my house and what exactly do you think going round, ignoring social distancing, will do? Your husband was right to ¯shrug it off.

Freddiefox · 21/04/2020 22:56

Maybe the home owner was scared? He might feel vulnerable on his own. Things alway feel worse in the dark. He’s isn’t to know your dh was messy about.

Nicknacky · 21/04/2020 22:57

By the way, it’s completely irrelevant that your husband is a “key worker”

banana64 · 21/04/2020 22:57

Your dh was so out of order omg. Yes id be calling round alright but only so you could apologise profusely to him

sweeneytoddsrazor · 21/04/2020 22:58

People hiding in bushes in the dark? Not unusual to think they would be up to no good.

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 21/04/2020 22:58

Your Dh is the one in the wrong. YABU.

LovingLola · 21/04/2020 22:58

You sound a bit daft really

DDiva · 21/04/2020 22:58

They were hiding around bushes 'after dark ' that's unusual. The dogs a bit ott but probably best to just walk around at night and not mess around in bushes......

JohnLapsleyParlabane · 21/04/2020 22:59

How do you know it wasn't his property? I live in a cul de sac and our 'front gardens' are actually across the road and all joined together, but my bit is definitely mine, and I wouldn't appreciate random folk trampling my garden.

SquirtleSquad · 21/04/2020 22:59

Why do people keep bringing up that they/their DH is a key worker when it has absolutely NO relevance.. if your point was that they can't go earlier because he's at work then just say after work.

YABU, it gets dark fairly late now and if people were ducking around hiding in bushes in our cul de sac it would definitely cause worry.

AfterSchoolWorry · 21/04/2020 23:00

I wouldn't advise knocking on his door to 'give him a piece of your mind'. An aggressive man with a possibly aggressive dog???

Not sensible!

TheReluctantCountess · 21/04/2020 23:00

Yabu for calling a staffy ugly.

Jozen · 21/04/2020 23:02

I think most people would of been a bit unnerved by two people hiding in bushes near their house after dark.
Your DH was at fault so best to just leave it.

Flymetothetoon · 21/04/2020 23:02

YABVU and your DH is a prick regardless of what he does for a living

WorraLiberty · 21/04/2020 23:02

He probably thought they'd been on his property, which to be honest probably scared him, especially after dark.

I'd put it down to a bad idea now and leave it.

Or, your DH could pop a note through to explain and apologise to put this man's mind at rest.

My local FB group is full of RING doorbell videos of people staking out houses at night, even since lockdown.

Sally872 · 21/04/2020 23:02

It was a silly mistake by dh. I feel sorry for the neighbout who obviously got a fright.

Perhaps he overreacted but I think anyone might if they were caught off guard like that.

PlanDeRaccordement · 21/04/2020 23:03

It was dark, generally people go out for their exercise with their children in daylight. Plus they were making animal and bird sounds, hiding behind bushes, etc. The man could possibly have thought they were a group of teens up to no good.
I agree he over reacted from the description, but I would caution against getting furious and confronting him. For one you were not there so you do not truly know what happened. You are just going to get into a shouting match where the man says what he saw and said and you saying...what? You weren’t there so all you can say is “my husband says” it won’t go the way you envision.

Original poster
WobblyWoman · 21/04/2020 23:03

That’s fair enough Freddie but despite DH explaining that they were hiding to jump out at DS2, and him having children with him, and being well away from his property, the guy still kept shouting at him and wouldn’t get his dog in!

OP posts:
TheMandalorian · 21/04/2020 23:04

Sounds like noisy activities for night time. So yabu.
Man with dog was probably pissed off hour annoying family were trampling his daffodils and making so much noise.

ScarfLadysBag · 21/04/2020 23:04

I love how the second word was 'key worker' when it has zero relevance to anything that happened Grin

Nicknacky · 21/04/2020 23:05

“Key worker” is the most overused word nowadays!

Prisonbreak · 21/04/2020 23:05

Yabvu for saying a staffie ugly. That alone tells me you judge based on appearance. Stop hiding in bushes at night