Neighbours playing basketball every day for hours

[Sophaia]

Hi all,
So my grandmother lives with us and is very ill and elderly. During this lock down period she has been told not to go out by her doctor so she is confined to her bedroom. We live in a terraced house with very small gardens and our neighbours are constantly playing basketball every day till around 9pm at night, later on a Sunday as they always have guests and parties. I don't have much of an issue with it except when I am working or writing essays, (except for all my bleeding plants they have ruined and hitting the dog with the ball a few times), however its driving my grandmother nuts. Last year we had no issue as we were either working at uni or out but now we are in lock down its become a bit of an issue. I understand we are all in lock down but we have 4 parks near us all within walking distance and with basketball courts. Am I being unreasonable by asking them if they couldn't play every day or so late?

You are not unreasonable to talk pleasantly to them. Most people just don't think.

Approach them with the attitude that they probably aren't aware you can hear them, or that you have a seriously ill bedbound person in your house.

If you assume they are decent people they probably will behave that way (not guaranteed obviously).

Why is the choice for your grandmother so all or nothing - you say because she's been advised against going out she has to stay permanently in her bedroom? Are you a keyworker household and shielding her from the rest of the occupants of the house? Would she normally be pottering around her house?

Once an elderly person takes to their bed their life is usually shortened - it would be much better for her to be up and about unless you are all very high risk to her. She'd be better off pottering around her own home with carers coming in than confined to one room in your house if you are a high indection risk.

@thatsnotgoingtowork Yes my partner is a keyworker so my father wont allow her out of her room due to that risk. Usually she is bedbound but occasionally comes in the garden or in the living room, she has knee problems and cant walk very far without falling.