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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to find Neighbour's 3am Milk delivery annoying?

112 replies

Yamyam13 · 05/04/2022 15:31

TBH I do actually think I am being unreasonable 😂 but basically just want to rant about being woken up at 3am because of just 2 neighbours on our street (out of 50) who get milk delivered.
Especially as where we live there are 2 well
Known supermarkets within a minutes walk AND a 24 hour shop.

OP posts:
Fundays12 · 05/04/2022 21:33

I get my milk delivered from the milkman. I love it he glass bottles are returned and my milk is much fresher. The company does have electric vehicles though and are quiet.

londonrach · 05/04/2022 21:37

YANBU. We have a similar problem with a neighbours delivery. So triedxas struggle get back to sleep. It's one or two neighbours and at 5he point of saying something as it's so noisy.

ParkheadParadise · 05/04/2022 21:43

Our milkman comes at 5am.
At first, it was only us that got a delivery. Since lockdown, he now delivers to 4 of us in our cul-de-sac.
We get milk, orange juice and eggs.
I like to support local businesses.

AlternativePerspective · 05/04/2022 21:44

Milk from the super market is a loss leader so the farmers make nothing from it.

And milk in glass bottles tastes better plus glass bottles are better for the environment as plastic is loaded with chemicals and plastic recycling is questionable at best whereas the glass bottles are re-used. Plastic ones aren’t.

Momicrone · 05/04/2022 21:45

That would really annoy me, I don't even like early supermarket deliveries

Feelingoktoday · 05/04/2022 21:46

My milk is delivered around 2am. If they have to deliver to everyone before breakfast then they have to start early or late.

I find black Cabs more irritating especially if I know my neighbours have been out without inviting me.

Chewbecca · 05/04/2022 21:49

Mine comes at about 1130pm! I often hear him as I am going to sleep. I reckon he treats it as a late night job vs an early morning job.

He does use a quiet electric float. It was excellent in lockdown or when ill because of all the other products they can deliver.

longtompot · 05/04/2022 21:53

Yanbu. I would love to have milk delivered again, but the noise of the van, the bottles and walking on our gravel drive would send our dog into a frenzy, and I'm sure our neighbours would not be impressed.

We stopped our milk delivery as the milk lady started to come at 3 in the afternoon!

ParkheadParadise · 05/04/2022 22:27

We stopped our milk delivery as the milk lady started to come at 3 in the afternoon

Was she early or late @longtompot

longtompot · 05/04/2022 22:30

@ParkheadParadise late, very late. She was also caught by the police drink driving her milk van! She was a character but honestly the worst milk delivery person we'd ever had.

Abitofalark · 05/04/2022 22:37

Plotting the death of the neighbour's milkman strikes a chord. Some years ago, I'd get woken every morning at some unearthly hour by the milkman stopping in front of my bedroom window, then walking to the house five or six houses away rather than turn in and drive down there, then come back and start moving and rearranging the crates with great crashing, banging and clinking.

Eventually the neighbour moved and it was blissfully quiet. Then milk deliveries disappeared altogether from the scene. Recently I've seen the occasional float drive past in daytime so they seem to be coming back.

Original poster
Yamyam13 · 05/04/2022 22:46

Thanks for all the responses everyone. Some of them gave me a good giggle!

As I said, I know I'm being unreasonable really, there is a variety of reasons why people need or like their milk etc delivered and that's fine, it's just annoying to be woken up at 3am (its a lot of clinking as he searches through and sorts) but I also accept it's not the end of the world. Just wanted a grumble!

It's zone 2 in London we're talking about so not exactly the most peaceful place anyway, just wish he'd come closer to 6ish when we start our day... On which note, I don't believe there are any dairies nearby so not exactly supporting local business I dont think..so that reason doesn't hold!
In fact, as well as the supermarkets and 24 hr shop literally at the end of the street, there are several independent grocers within 3 mins walk one could also support... appreciate, their milk wont be in glass (thorough there seems to be devate on the eco cred of that anyway?)
but hey, I also totally support that the family of 4 teenage boys must get through a LOT of milk! So a delivery makes sense for them. I am not anti delivery, just wish he'd be quieter or come closer to 6ish..

OP posts:
Kite22 · 05/04/2022 23:06

YANBU AT ALL

It is annoying enough once a week to be woken by the binmen at 5am.
At least that is a service that benefits everyone and is actually needed.

It is pretty environmentally unfriendly to have vehicles delivering a couple of bottles to individual households on a daily basis, if that is their thinking on getting it delivered.
The noise is down to the delivery driver though - I'm sure they needn't make so much noise as to wake people up every night.

ManateeFair · 05/04/2022 23:08

It’s just a vehicle driving down your street and briefly stopping, that’s all. Not that disruptive, surely? Are you sure you’re subconsciously listening out for it?!

Shostaklovhich · 05/04/2022 23:13

A few people in my street have milk delivered at this time, their screechy brakes always wake me up, why they can’t oil them I’ll never know, and they’ve been like that for years.

Original poster
Yamyam13 · 05/04/2022 23:14

@ManateeFair

It’s just a vehicle driving down your street and briefly stopping, that’s all. Not that disruptive, surely? Are you sure you’re subconsciously listening out for it?!
He stops for a good 5 mins and sorts through the crates etc. It's pretty loud. Lots of banging and chinking. Last night it woke both DH and I up. I admit I'm a lightish sleeper though, but have trained myself to sleep through DH elaborate snoring 😂
OP posts:
Hugasauras · 05/04/2022 23:14

Ours comes around 2am but I only know that because I was up once with DD and downstairs to see the van pulling up. Otherwise I don't hear or see our milkman/woman at all, and it doesn't even disturb our dog, who is always on high alert for people coming to the door, so they must be very quiet.

Hugasauras · 05/04/2022 23:16

Sounds like he's doing more than just delivering if he's making that kind of noise for five mins? Like rearranging all the crates or restocking or something? The time I saw ours being delivered he was out of van, milk delivered and away in about 20 seconds!

DrCoconut · 05/04/2022 23:26

Not the main issue here but I tried getting glass bottles delivered and ended up switching back to plastic. I'd rather use glass but the milk was off or went off very quickly at least 50% of the time in them.

Shoemadlady · 05/04/2022 23:31

If he's waking you, why not go down and politely ask him if he'd do his sort out somewhere else?

Kite22 · 06/04/2022 00:07

@Shoemadlady

If he's waking you, why not go down and politely ask him if he'd do his sort out somewhere else?
Presumably because the OP is all tucked up nice and warm in bed, in her PJs ??
EthelTheAardvark · 06/04/2022 00:30

Order your milk from him, that'll give you an opening to ask him to be a bit quieter. Plus it will give you the chance to avoid using plastic bottles and to support a local tradesman.

For us, a further major bonus was when we were both isolating due to Covid, as not only did we not have to go out for milk but were able to order extras like bread, butter, orange juice etc.

HirplesWithHaggis · 06/04/2022 00:37

@sweeneytoddsrazor

I think the correct way to deal with unwanted milkmen is to throw stale pork pie crusts and rock cakes at them..
And risk ghostly gold tops a-rattling in their crates? Shock

I used to get milk delivered when I lived in a city. Stopped it when it was delivered during the morning school run (so no use for breakfast) and regularly nicked before I got home.

Twofurrycats · 06/04/2022 01:30

My next door neighbour's milk man is a silent stealth ninja but wears a powerful head torch. This did alarm me a couple of times at 1am, a random bright light bobbing about. Fortunately I spoke to the neighbour and found out who it was before lying in wait for him.

Original poster
Yamyam13 · 06/04/2022 07:06

@Emmyren4

Presumably because the OP is all tucked up nice and warm in bed, in her PJs ??

Yeah, but if it's a regular occurrence, it might make sense to one night throw on a pair tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt and go out and just politely let him know he's disturbing you? I'm guessing he's oblivious.

We're zone 2, OP-- hopefully not your neighbours!! Fortunately, our neighbours to both sides use the same milkman. We're detached and have a front gate with a passcode. The first time he came when we'd just moved in, he struggled trying to figure out how to work it and ended up accidentally ringing the door call button at 3 am, which set the insane dog barking, which panicked us so I accidentally set off the unfamiliar alarm. Blush

Haha no definitely not our not our street Emmy - we're on a small terraced street.

In all honestly everyone, it's not every night (I don't think he comes every night) and there are other nights when there are other disturbances, such a last night when some p*ssed girls were screeching as they got out of their uber.

So it would unreasonable to kick up a fuss IRL as the situation stands. But thank god for good old Mumsnet where one can be shamelessly unreasonable!

If it got a lot worse/more regular I would definitely consider going down and asking him politely but it mean getting into some trackies, unlocking the fromt door, wake the dog. Actually I'd send the DH,
as back for snoring 😂

I like the idea of ordering from them ourselves (pretty sure it's one of the larger companies than a local business) to enable us some direct contact, but we arent big milk consumers, we hardly need milk.

Loving all these stories of stealthy and non stealthy milk people!

OP posts: