WIBU to cut the christmas light wires

[Cordyceps]

The woman who is on the other side of our semi has installed randomly flashing christmas lights around her shrubbery that is approximately as bright as the sun. They are left on all night and it's like a fucking strobe light disco in my bedroom.
Previous attempts to reason with her about parking (to ask that she not park directly in the middle of a space large enough for two cars, so that I, too, could park at the end of the little private road behind our houses) have been met with verbal abuse, and the only reason I haven't called the police is because I don't want to have to register a neighbour dispute when we sell up. So sneaking out at 4 am to snip the wires on her fucking lights is totally reasonable, right?

I can almost feel a migraine coming on just thinking about it.

I’d usually suggest blackout blinds and an eye mask, but doesn’t sound like it’s going to cut it. No pun intended.

Oh ok, I feel your pain.

They've moved out now but our old neighbour used to put a super bright, blue tree out for Christmas. We had blackout blinds which worked to a point but the room would always be a little bit blue.

Honestly it was so bright that I'm the front room, watching tv with the blinds closed and lights on, you could still see it flashing away.

Soft warm white, no flashing, off by 9:30 for me.

I saw a "neighbour getting their just desserts" story about parking today www-mirror-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/i-stopped-letting-neighbours-park-25570885.amp?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a6&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16382202812789&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fweird-news%2Fi-stopped-letting-neighbours-park-25570885

www-mirror-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/i-stopped-letting-neighbours-park-25570885.amp?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a6&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16382202812789&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fweird-news%2Fi-stopped-letting-neighbours-park-25570885

Sorry link doesn't seem to work

Most lights have a little control box and can be set to a constant light rather than flashing. Try and find those and see if you can adjust them. If you accidently rip the wires out of the box while doing so it' a win-win!

Don't people have curtains?

YANBU to dislike them, those flashing lights are annoying, especially if they have alternating patterns and colours. Also, it's very antisocial to leave them on all night. If you speak to them I doubt they will see reason, and in view of your history over parking they might decide to add more lights just to annoy you. Try to block them out as best you can, and be glad that it's only till NY.

People have suggested animals chewing the wires. Wrap a couple of rashers around some of the wires and I say that as a vegetarian!

If she catches you at it then she’ll report you for criminal damage. Also she could just replace them.

I had a similar problem some years ago. Asked the neighbours to take them down which they did. Only to put them up again a few weeks later.

@Catflapkitkat

People have suggested animals chewing the wires. Wrap a couple of rashers around some of the wires and I say that as a vegetarian!

Or cut the wires and leave a dead rodent there as a fall-rat. You can get them for snake food. Obviously make sure the rat is humanely killed and locally sourced. You're not an arsehole.

@MyBeautifulFlower

Don't people have curtains?

Don’t people get bored of purposefully missing the point?

’Gosh, it must be so EXPENSIVE with all those lights on day AND night. But we’re REALLY greatful as now we don’t have to put lights up really, so you are saving us money. Thanks, neighbour!’

Obviously make sure the rat is humanely killed and locally sourced. You're not an arsehole.

😂😂

I feel your pain, our neighbours on the next street perpendicular to us have (as they've done for the past many years) just tonight put up their flashing blue lights on the front of their house.

They will stay on 24/7 from now until the New Year and shine across their street, over the garden of their opposite neighbours and into our side window.

They obnoxiously light up our bedroom like there's a police car parked in the garden incessantly flashing its lights.

I get awful light-induced migraines and now insomnia and this is just rubbish.

Antisocial arseholes!

All this talk of ninjas and alibis has made me see a business opportunity...I can hire myself out to those of you with these selfish neighbours. I can come and stay with you and you can warn Flashing Light Fuckers that you have an epileptic guest and will hold them responsible and sue them if I have a seizure. You'd think that would be a deterrent?

Although our local shop has had one of those flickering ceiling lights for weeks and hasn't fixed it so I'm not sure how successful I will be...I will offer a No Switch Off No Fee service

Also, my DC are all adults now but I love little DC so am happy to babysit as part of the service You can go Christmas shopping without DC in tow, or go for a good long sleep. I actually quite want to do this now I remember looking at night nannies when I was struggling, they charged a fortune and this was over 20 years ago.

(We didn't get one obvs)

I overheard my neighbour saying ' you can't have too many lights in the garden'
Yes, you fecking can!
They also go in for suspended mirrors in the garden that flash in a really irritating way, but at least it takes your attention off the ton of twee ornaments, plastic foliage in heart shapes and 'live, love, garden' type signs that are everywhere.

We’ve got one of these arseholes as a neighbour. Makes it even worse though as we’re detached so his house is actually sideways on to mine meaning his bastard lights flash directly into my bedroom window - he puts them up in November and doesn’t turn them off until mid January. I hate him. I’ve tried to reason with him but he’s a outright cunt. A really annoying character. Always out faffing with his stupid land rover at stupid time in the morning too. With his stupid fucking dancing plastic plants on his kitchen window ledge and selfishly placed potted plants on the shared driveway. Christ he annoys me.

New addiction this year is a lit up reindeer in the front garden. I swear I feel like kicking it’s head off everytime I walk past.

If you do cut them, be careful to use plastic / rubber handled scissors / pliers. Or you’ll end up a bit frazzled

Luckily not in our road, but on the walk to school at 7.30 this morning, I noticed a house with its outdoor Christmas lights on. It's extremely inconsiderate, it's not difficult to put them on a timer. YANBU.

@23MinutesfromTuIseHill

You will get an electric shock if you cut through the electric wire That, children, is why we have insulated cutters

I like your thinking. 😁

@PriamFarrl

Are they mains or battery/solar?

Mains then it’ll end badly.

I had solar lights in my back garden. Squirrels ate them. Bastards. Do you have any friendly squirrels?

I have a Twitter friend who has a friendly squirrel. He's in the southeast. Whereabouts are you? I could ask him to send him.

@needmoreshinys

If you want to do it properly, you need to train a fox to chew through the wires, not your fault then.

There are a few flaws with the plan, but you can work them out

Nah, trained rabbit will do. Mine haven’t needed any training to chew through multiple wires in my house that I thought were out of reach. Bunnies, unharmed and happily nibbled great lengths along cables. Me, electric shock and minor burn. You just need to train them to come back to you so you can tuck them back up snuggly in their shed.

Don't cut the wire - that will be obvious, loosen a few bulbs, if they are not the screw-in type squash a couple with a pair of pliers.