Neighbours’ leaving-the-house ritual

[warmeduppizza]

Next door neighbours have got primary age kids. Every time any family member leaves the house for school, work, activities or whatnot, the remaining members of the household enthusiastically gather in the doorway and perform this lengthy and noisy ritual as if they’re never going to see each other again. They jump up and down and shout BYE!! at the top of their voice, alternating with the person who is leaving, at increasing pitch and volume, for the entire time it takes the person to walk down the street and round the corner (about 30 houses).
The first few times I found it quite endearing, but after two years of being subjected to this several times a day, it’s beginning to really grate. It’s loud, frequent and in your face (long narrow echoey street of tall town houses).
AIB a grumpy old fart or do they sound a bit unhinged?

@NotMyRealNameObvs

Oh my days, this was my Mum and then some! Every day she’d watch me leave, waving and shouting. I’d beg her not to - it was especially embarrassing as a teenager, but her standard response was ‘what if I never see you again?’.

And so the guilt-ridden ritual continued, through school, work, and eventually when I’d park outside her house dropping my own kids at the school near her house. Then she got ill, we didn’t really understand how ill but the waving stopped, and I missed it and even felt a little snubbed without it. And then she was gone. We were clearing the house out and found an old undeveloped film, got it developed and it included a picture of her waving us off in the distance, it was like a last goodbye.

So yep, absolutely batshit crazy - but absolutely wonderful too!

This made me cry. I feel exactly this way... make the most of it y'all cos having no one wave you goodbye is terribly sad

You know what the world can be pretty miserable. Try to reframe it in your mind as happy people nearby.

@warmeduppizza

Next door neighbours have got primary age kids. Every time any family member leaves the house for school, work, activities or whatnot, the remaining members of the household enthusiastically gather in the doorway and perform this lengthy and noisy ritual as if they’re never going to see each other again. They jump up and down and shout BYE!! at the top of their voice, alternating with the person who is leaving, at increasing pitch and volume, for the entire time it takes the person to walk down the street and round the corner (about 30 houses). The first few times I found it quite endearing, but after two years of being subjected to this several times a day, it’s beginning to really grate. It’s loud, frequent and in your face (long narrow echoey street of tall town houses). AIB a grumpy old fart or do they sound a bit unhinged?

I actually feel like you're my friends neighbour Her kids do this to me when I go home but I live closer than 30 houses away lol.

I know it sounds a bit over the top and annoying but it’s also sort of cute. As others have said I do wonder if there is a reason for it. When I was little my mum died very suddenly. I never ever got a chance to say goodbye and to this day it still makes me feel like every time someone is leaving or every time I see them it will be the last time. Maybe they had someone walk away and not come back. I say goodbye to my kids outside their school with the genuine fear that I may never see them again. I never want them to feel that I never said goodbye. Dramatic I know.

@CheeseCakeSunflowers

Stand in your doorway and shout "where you going" everytime.

This made me laugh out loud

Don't under estimate the feeling of not knowing if you'll see that person again as he/she leaves the house. My son is a police officer and I never know for sure that once he's left for work I'll ever hear his voice or see him again.

@Dyrne

That is odd; but I wonder if it’s been triggered by something and then morphed over time into this?

I am compelled to do a lower key thing where I have to see someone off at the front door and wave to them from the door until I can’t see their car any more - for me it comes from a traumatic sudden bereavement and that “I never got to say goodbye” feeling.

Yes to this. My husband went to work and never came home. My daughter is now like your neighbour (though not 30 houses). Every time we say goodbye it’s like it’s the last time - not sure if it will subside but into the fourth year now.

Are your neighbours dogs? My dog jumps around if I go out.

Haha this is my 4 year old when she leaves her grans. There's a video on YouTube where an elderly bus passenger shouts 'bye driver, bye, BYE, BYEEEE!!' louder and higher pitched each time. My daughter loves it and she had adopted it as a farewell greeting. Wonder if its come from this 🤔

When I was a kid we had neighbours who's large family holidayed often. I can still hear her now, she had a proper screechy voice and would stand at the gate yelling "Taraaaa! Take the sun with you!". The was amusing up until the family started to go abroad and her dulcet tones could then be heard at 6am as they left for an early flight.

My late mother could mimic this wonderfully and to this day "Take the sun with you" is something I shout at the adult kids with a chuckle. They have no idea what it means. I should probably tell them. 😳

@Pr1mr0se

I have neighbours like this - they're a bit genetically challenged anyway though so I always thought it was done to that but maybe it's normal after all. I also wave to visitors but it's not for a full 30 houses worth that would be bonkers.

Genetically challenged!?!?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Omg that just triggered a coughing fit!

[quote HoldingTheDoor]Do your neighbours consist of an elderly gentleman and a pack of small, scruffy boys?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=a6K9J4G6pgM[/quote]
I bloody love MN!

@FontaineKhalid

My late husband used to shout “and thanks for the sex!!” 🤣

🤣🤣🤣🤣

My neighbour runs out of electric EVERY day at 11am. So the house alarm goes off. For 30 mins
After 14 years I have managed to tune it out

@Bluetrews25
I can just picture that. Love it. That and the bell and air horn are mint.

Seriously, who cares how your neighbours deal with saying goodbye to each other, each to their own. If I had enough time on my hands to monitor the comings and goings of my neighbours i’d worry that my own life was eventless. Just let them be, what harm are they doing???

I've an idea,everytime someone leaves and you hear the commotion ask them to get you something in a shop,they'll get tired of you very quickly and will want to snake off without you hearing them,might work

@Jewel52

Seriously, who cares how your neighbours deal with saying goodbye to each other, each to their own. If I had enough time on my hands to monitor the comings and goings of my neighbours i’d worry that my own life was eventless. Just let them be, what harm are they doing???

Noise

What a lovely caring family,all looking out for each other maybe they have been through things you hopefully would never have to dream of, so try to respect them nothing wrong with looking out for you family wish more families done this maybe kids will go home and off the streets 🥲

@Dyrne

That is odd; but I wonder if it’s been triggered by something and then morphed over time into this?

I am compelled to do a lower key thing where I have to see someone off at the front door and wave to them from the door until I can’t see their car any more - for me it comes from a traumatic sudden bereavement and that “I never got to say goodbye” feeling.

Yep, same here.

@MrsPnut

It's better than what I do to DH (not all the time admittedly) - After he has left the driveway, I fling open the front door and shout "And don't come back" then slam the front door shut.

I can watch him walking along the street laughing away.

I do the same but add “and you can keep the ring!”

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I think it’s sweet. It could be worse, they could be yelling at each other all the time 🤷‍♀️

Have you thought that maybe one person in the family may have OCD and that this is WHY they do this?

@CheeseCakeSunflowers

Stand in your doorway and shout "where you going" everytime.

Hahahahhahahahaha