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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Reasonable, Crazy or racist neighbour?

26 replies

bakingmads · 23/04/2022 16:03

One of our neighbours have no back garden but a big front garden which is fenced off. They have been putting their washing in their front garden. I hadnt even noticed perhaps because it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Neighbour opposite them has been abusing them saying they r trash n should go live in africa! I'm not sure what to think of this? Is it that unreasonable for them to have dried their clothes outside? Is there a law against it? Or do u think neighbour is crazy and/or racist?

OP posts:
mycatisannoying · 23/04/2022 16:06

Crazy and racist.

Antarcticant · 23/04/2022 16:06

Confused Line drying washing in the garden is the most everyday, normal event I can think of.

Your neighbour is insane to object to it, and quite clearly a racist if he makes negative remarks about the other neighbours' ethnicity.

FionnulaTheCooler · 23/04/2022 16:07

The complaining neighbour is a twat who needs to mind their own business.

Timeforabiscuit · 23/04/2022 16:09

There might be a covenant on the land saying that there should be no line drying outside, but the Africa comment is just plain racist.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 23/04/2022 16:09

Are they actually African? Yes it is racist, and crazy.

ImAvingOops · 23/04/2022 16:10

The Africa comment is racist. Imo if you have bought a house with a garden the. You have a right to use it as you see fit, including to fry your laundry, regardless of whether the neighbours approve or not

ImAvingOops · 23/04/2022 16:11

Or dry your laundry. You can fry it if you like too Wink

NewbieDivergent · 23/04/2022 16:12

If you witnessed this I'd call 101 and report them for hate speech.

Original poster
bakingmads · 23/04/2022 16:13

They are not Africans. All Caucasian from the U.K. I was just shocked when I heard it all. I assumed he had a issue because it was their front garden of their house. Not a shared property or flat.

Also there is no covenant as far as I know in the whole area.

More context: neighbour is in his 70s and the people drying their clothes is perhaps mid 20s I'd say.

OP posts:
NewbieDivergent · 23/04/2022 16:14

Oh just crazy then 😬😬

Waxonwaxoff0 · 23/04/2022 16:15

It's still racist. It's being derogatory towards Africa and Africans.

CaptainMyCaptain · 23/04/2022 16:16

The complaining neighbour is crazy. Line drying washing is completely normal and more environmentally friendly than using a tumble drier.

dementedpixie · 23/04/2022 16:17

It's a bit more unusual to dry clothes in the front garden but if you don't have a back garden there isn't much choice. Not sure about the Africa comment if they are white. Maybe because its warm there?Confused

Original poster
bakingmads · 23/04/2022 16:27

I did wonder whether his issue is the front garden bit. And perhaps his house is right opposite so that what he looks out to. Very weird as it's really not visible unless one stops and looks in.

There r some strange people around!

OP posts:
StoneofDestiny · 23/04/2022 16:29

Neighbour is an older racist - I'd tell him not to say that in my hearing again as it's offensive

Irishfarmer · 23/04/2022 16:46

The neighbour is weird! They can dry their laundry in the front, and as you said it is fenced off so you'd really have to look to see it.

The last time I lived in town that would have been seen as odd, only because all the houses had very small front garden and a large back garden. But I can't imagine anyone would have actually commented on it.

danmthatonestakentryanotheer · 23/04/2022 17:15

The neighbour is an idiot. I live in a village that has a lot of back-to-back houses. The man would explode if he ever came here. Everything happens out on the front gardens, because back ones don't exist.

RozHuntleysLeftHand · 23/04/2022 17:24

Neighbour is a complete fucking prick.

Also.... If he's that old then umm, my Nan grew up in a tenement in Bethnal Green and they used to use those washing lines strung across from window to window across the road......

Horrible shitty person.

Lunaeclipse · 23/04/2022 17:25

My friend used to live in a large house which had been converted into flats. She had a ground floor flat with a very small patio area at the outside door which was south facing. On sunny days she started to put a few bits of washing out on a clothes horse. Very soon after she received a letter to say she was not allowed to do this. There was some sort of legal stipulation that none of the flats were allowed to put out washing anywhere on the site. So, it is possible that something similar might be the case here.

RozHuntleysLeftHand · 23/04/2022 17:27

I hate all this preciousness about shit like this. As a pp above, some people don't have back gardens, and anyway what's wrong with using all the space you can?!

How the fuck does it hurt you if there's washing out?!

RozHuntleysLeftHand · 23/04/2022 17:30

Lunaeclipse · 23/04/2022 17:25

My friend used to live in a large house which had been converted into flats. She had a ground floor flat with a very small patio area at the outside door which was south facing. On sunny days she started to put a few bits of washing out on a clothes horse. Very soon after she received a letter to say she was not allowed to do this. There was some sort of legal stipulation that none of the flats were allowed to put out washing anywhere on the site. So, it is possible that something similar might be the case here.

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about.

How the hell does it hurt someone, simply drying washing on your own fucking property?!

Bloody ridiculous.

WindsweptNotInteresting · 23/04/2022 17:35

Not racist towards the couple themselves, but certainly racist in general, as I assume the implication is that Africa is somehow uncivilised and that it's the kind of thing he would expect to happen there.

Unless there is a stipulation in your area saying you can't dry washing out the front, then it is also crazy and waaay too involved in other people's lives. (We lived in the US for a while and there WAS a rule that we couldn't hang washing out at all, front or back! Plus a whole load of other things the homeowners association deemed "improper").

TrashyPanda · 23/04/2022 17:35

He’s a racist prick.

nothing wrong with drying laundry in your front garden if you don’t have a back garden.

tumble driers eat up electricity - wind and sunshine is free.

in nearly three decades of registering property, I’ve seen plenty of burdens stating certain areas can only be used as drying greens - eg tenement back greens. I’ve never seen a single burden that prohibits drying clothes outside

RozHuntleysLeftHand · 23/04/2022 17:39

Also (and I know I'm banging on) drying washing inside is really bad for both the house and health.

Mould and damp can be a huge problem in this country.

It's just fucking washing. God people get over yourselves.

jytdtysrht · 23/04/2022 17:47

I live on a 25yo estate of “new builds” and drying washing in the front is specifically prohibited. In the covenants.

but the guy seems very rude