Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People sitting on my wall

102 replies

Bottomsonwalls · 21/05/2022 21:58

A couple of times a month I come
home to find someone casually sitting on my wall, during the day. Is this fine? It bothers me but I can’t really say why it bothers me, other than it being MY walk (but perhaps that’s petty?)

we also get drunk people sitting on our wall in the evening but that’s much rarer (it’s also a lot more annoying but again not sure what I can do about it as I don’t really want to confront drunk people at 1am)

OP posts:
Giggorata · 22/05/2022 19:11

I have a low wall in the centre of a village, close to the village hall, where there is a weekly youth club. Stray kids sat on my wall and I got a lot of litter. Eventually, the bricks were loosened and I got fed up with it.
We installed a flimsy wooden fence on the top, which works a treat. I still get rubbish, but I don't get damage.
Occasionally, a couple or will sit on my wide stone front doorstep, but I can live with that, or else I intone sepulchrally “I can hear you, you know”, which scares them away.

Livercool · 22/05/2022 19:16

As long as you have never and will never sit on a wall complain if you must. It does seem petty to me. I wouldn't be pleased about drunk people being noisy late at night but would have no problem with someone stopping and taking a rest on my wall during the day.

Ferngreen · 22/05/2022 19:27

People sit on it because it is a nice wall and also because they can't be seen from the house. So a nice private place to make a call.
The shrubs will grow towards the light - is it south facing, if not your plan might not work.
But you could get a load of pyracantha or cotoneaster to grow against them across the wall.

Secretname123 · 22/05/2022 19:35

I also sit on walls. I had no idea people didn’t like it. I’ve got fibromyalgia and need to pace myself and take rests while out walking. Perhaps we should campaign for the council to put benches everywhere instead.

IncessantNameChanger · 22/05/2022 19:35

I had someone who worked near our house sit behind my car and leave fag butts multiple times a day. I had about 100 fag butts all round the back of my car and it looked like I was doing it. It's a shared car park so it made me look like a filthy littering pig.

I did indeed put their hundreds of fag butts on the wall with the carpark scraping to brush it all up and mushed all the shit together. I dont think they liked sitting their fag butts.

It's the littering that's the clincher. I guess 99% of good heart of gold people would pick up thefag butts four times a day, provid a cushion ash tray and go out and offer coffee and use of the loo. But I'm not that person. I dont vote Tory either. I am that petty but it worked where as asking directly, asking the company to ask the employees didnt.

MoodyTwo · 22/05/2022 19:57

MoodyTwo
Ohh no ! I sit on a wall half way up to school to rest , I also have been known to sit in it and feed my baby :-(
Why? How far is the school from your house?

Ahh it's around half a mile, after having my LO I can't walk far and need a break ... was very unfit in pregnancy and trying still to recover

And no matter how hard I try I can it time my feeds right for my little one just yet (he's 5 weeks)

Proudboomer · 22/05/2022 19:58

My house is only a short distance to the park. My wall is about waist height so no one sits on it but I do get mothers lifting their young child so they can walk along it.
Drives me barmy as
1 The top stone is lose where kids keep walking on it and I can see an accident happening
2 I have a flower bed the other side that is raised so the soil is only about a ft from the height of the wall. In the flower bed are 6 rose bushes and it would be easy for a little person to get hurt by the thorns.
3 in spring they pull the heads off my daffodils and tulips and if I ask them to get down and not destroy my plants I often get the usual reply of their only a child and only want one so I am a big old meanie for not letting them destroy my plants.
4 in summer they go for other plants planted as pollinators so not only are they taking away what I am growing for the bees but they also risk getting stung if a bee has got there first. But then again I am a big meanie for not letting little Noah enjoy himself destroying hours of hard work and lots of cash spent on the planting.

Enjoyallthewine · 22/05/2022 20:16

It would annoy me. Just so rude. Definitely get the wall top railings fitted. Sorted.

darisdet · 22/05/2022 20:41

Railings would finish it nicely.

BanjoVio · 22/05/2022 21:18

Super soaker.

ventreàterre · 22/05/2022 22:41

Why is it considered petty to not want people loitering and causing potential wear and tear to your property? If a wall isn't public property, people shouldn't use it as a bench or children's playground equipment.

mnnewbie111 · 23/05/2022 02:09

Bottomsonwalls · 22/05/2022 18:28

this is my wall (if you know me, yes, I really am this petty).

perhaps people come and sit after posting a letter?

That was is very sit-able ! I would love a little sit down there. Not even joking

mnnewbie111 · 23/05/2022 02:12

Wall is!! Ffs

WarOnSlugs · 23/05/2022 02:27

MoodyTwo · 22/05/2022 13:09

Ohh no ! I sit on a wall half way up to school to rest , I also have been known to sit in it and feed my baby :-(

But what: a random public wall? Fine. Someone else's garden wall, so their property? Very weird behaviour.

WarOnSlugs · 23/05/2022 02:28

I am actually so surprised that so many posters have had this happen! It's really odd behaviour.

WarOnSlugs · 23/05/2022 02:29

Bottomsonwalls · 22/05/2022 14:14

@MoodyTwo

if I saw someone using my wall to feed their baby that would be fine. It’s just annoying someone sitting there having a coffee or, as another Pp said, a cigarette. Particularly if they leave their stuff there. It’s actually not near shops or anything else so it is odd. Maybe it just looks like a comfortable wall!

It's beyond odd for someone to get a coffee and decide to go and sit on someone else's garden wall to drink it. Baffling. Confused

WarOnSlugs · 23/05/2022 02:31

HotDogKetchup · 22/05/2022 14:18

We had this in a previous house, it didn’t bother me one bit, but similarly to you bothered my DH.

it would irritate me if they were drunk and being noisy at night for sure.

The only occasion it did irritate me is when a group of people were blocking the path to my own front door, sat around on my wall, then told me to “keep my dog away” as they don’t like dogs, when I was literally trying to gain access to my own home… I curtly told them I live there and if they had an issue they should remove themselves from my property.

What? This is just beyond bonkers. Why would these people be sitting outside your house? If I found people sitting outside my front garden I'd ask what they want and why they are there? Such strange behaviour, I do not get it. Why would anybody sit outside someone else's house?

AWOL66 · 23/05/2022 02:38

I have the same issue. To those who can't relate so far I've found two bags of cocaine in my front garden, had two heroine users sit on my front step as though they live there, repeatedly had a group of drunk neighbours spend hours there drinking loudly outside my living room window leaving food all over the floor and cans everywhere, have removed five cans people have sat and shoved down part of a loose bit of my drainpipe, had the local children setting light to fireworks on my wall and another day sit blowing a whistle for an hour, and I pick up cans and crisp packets every week. I'd never dream of treating my own house like that let alone feel entitled to treat someone elses like that. This is what we're talking about. If I'm petty in anyone's book for having a sense of pride in my house and for expecting people to have a sense of awareness of others belongings so be it. Noone would begrudge someone tired a rest. It's about a lack of respect for others property.

WarOnSlugs · 23/05/2022 02:46

AWOL66 · 23/05/2022 02:38

I have the same issue. To those who can't relate so far I've found two bags of cocaine in my front garden, had two heroine users sit on my front step as though they live there, repeatedly had a group of drunk neighbours spend hours there drinking loudly outside my living room window leaving food all over the floor and cans everywhere, have removed five cans people have sat and shoved down part of a loose bit of my drainpipe, had the local children setting light to fireworks on my wall and another day sit blowing a whistle for an hour, and I pick up cans and crisp packets every week. I'd never dream of treating my own house like that let alone feel entitled to treat someone elses like that. This is what we're talking about. If I'm petty in anyone's book for having a sense of pride in my house and for expecting people to have a sense of awareness of others belongings so be it. Noone would begrudge someone tired a rest. It's about a lack of respect for others property.

What on Earth? That is totally insane!! No wonder you were pissed off. Why would people be taking drugs and letting off fireworks in someone else's front garden? That's so messed up. Confused

WarOnSlugs · 23/05/2022 02:51

I do understand the stuff posters have described about people with mobility issues having a rest etc. I don't think anybody reasonable would care about that.

But some of these stories are iust 🤯🤯🤯

WarOnSlugs · 23/05/2022 02:54

AWOL66 · 23/05/2022 02:38

I have the same issue. To those who can't relate so far I've found two bags of cocaine in my front garden, had two heroine users sit on my front step as though they live there, repeatedly had a group of drunk neighbours spend hours there drinking loudly outside my living room window leaving food all over the floor and cans everywhere, have removed five cans people have sat and shoved down part of a loose bit of my drainpipe, had the local children setting light to fireworks on my wall and another day sit blowing a whistle for an hour, and I pick up cans and crisp packets every week. I'd never dream of treating my own house like that let alone feel entitled to treat someone elses like that. This is what we're talking about. If I'm petty in anyone's book for having a sense of pride in my house and for expecting people to have a sense of awareness of others belongings so be it. Noone would begrudge someone tired a rest. It's about a lack of respect for others property.

I keep reading this and I'm so sorry for you. And I don't mean any offence by this but if they are in your front garden taking drugs and letting off fireworks and sitting on your front doorstep getting drunk, why have you not called the police?

HotDogKetchup · 23/05/2022 06:49

WarOnSlugs · 23/05/2022 02:31

What? This is just beyond bonkers. Why would these people be sitting outside your house? If I found people sitting outside my front garden I'd ask what they want and why they are there? Such strange behaviour, I do not get it. Why would anybody sit outside someone else's house?

Show quote history

We lived quite close to the city centre on a corner, we found people would go their separate ways at our house and sometimes stop to chat if they weren’t quite ready to say goodbye.

i absolutely wouldn’t be happy if they were using drugs or littering. DH confronted people littering a few times.

Nutellaspoon · 23/05/2022 06:56

My DC walk along peoples walls when going down the street. I tell them not to but it's like crack to them.

Original poster
Bottomsonwalls · 23/05/2022 09:09

I’ve noticed today driving around how many people have railings on their walls! Think that’s probably the best solution, some black railings.

the heroin addicts on your wall @AWOL66 make me feel a bit better about our wall sitters - crikey!

I don’t know how many people here have had a wall erected but it’s surprisingly expensive and I’m certainly in no rush to do it again.

OP posts:
RainCoffeeBook · 23/05/2022 09:12

Iron railings.

You know the fuckers will damage it and drop cans in your garden. They're obviously very ill brought up people and need a repellant.