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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have stood on this woman’s driveway?

40 replies

Augustwine · 27/08/2022 14:13

my dog is a rescue who is scared of and can be aggressive towards other dogs. I normally walk him in quiet areas/streets with wide pavements but today had to walk down a busy road with a narrow pavement (quiet road I normally use was closed by police).
Someone with a dog came out of their house and was walking towards me. My dog would have gone crazy (growling barking snapping and being very distressed) if he had to pass so close to another dog and I couldn’t cross the road due to cars. So I stepped a couple of metres onto the driveway of the house I was walking past, told my dog to sit and have him some treats while the other dog walked past. I was on the driveway for 15-20 seconds and as I was stepping back onto the pavement a woman came out of the house shouting “ER EXCUSE ME WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING” and started having a go at me telling me I was trespassing on private land and entitled and something about the “cheek of it”. I was baffled and said “I’m sorry I just needed to avoid another dog for a few seconds” then walked away. She shouted after “we’ve got CCTV you know”. AIBU to think she was batshit/unbelievably uptight/just looking for a fight and I didn’t do anything wrong?

OP posts:
OldEvilOwl · 27/08/2022 14:15

Well technically you were on her property. Massive over-reaction from her though, and you were polite so I wouldn't give it another thought

Paq · 27/08/2022 14:16

YANBU for spending a moment on someone's driveway.

YABU for giving it a moment's thought. It deserves nothing more than a quick eye roll and then forget about it.

Bananarama21 · 27/08/2022 14:16

Maybe she thought your dog was going to poo. I wouldn't allow my dog ever to sit on someone's drive though. If your dog is so reactive and you had to walk them then when it was busy you need a muzzle or pick a quieter time to walk.

Saucery · 27/08/2022 14:17

What a silly overreaction from her. Her CCTV will show…….a person standing slightly in her drive with a dog sitting nicely. Forget about it, you did nothing wrong. Gates are excellent if you don’t want anyone to step foot on your drive without a reason.

Original poster
Augustwine · 27/08/2022 14:17

I know I was technically trespassing (so she had the right to tell me to leave), but I was clearly leaving and had only been there for a few seconds/hadn’t done any harm/wasnt looking in their house or anything. So I think it was so unnecessary for her not to just ignore it and carry on with her life

OP posts:
glamourousindierockandroll · 27/08/2022 14:17

She was being unreasonable. Presumably people walk onto her drive all the time to make deliveries.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 27/08/2022 14:18

It’s private land. I don’t want dogs on my drive, thanks, aggressive or peaceful.

Saucery · 27/08/2022 14:18

It was unnecessary. Some people can be downright Odd.

TedMullins · 27/08/2022 14:18

Yeah she’s a nutcase. You weren’t doing anything wrong.

hattie43 · 27/08/2022 14:18

She's batshit , people have to go onto others drive temporarily for all manner of reasons .
People turn around in my drive all the time I don't go out shouting,

Sistanotcista · 27/08/2022 14:18

Saucery · 27/08/2022 14:17

What a silly overreaction from her. Her CCTV will show…….a person standing slightly in her drive with a dog sitting nicely. Forget about it, you did nothing wrong. Gates are excellent if you don’t want anyone to step foot on your drive without a reason.

This!

Skiphopbump · 27/08/2022 14:20

My driveway is on a bust walking route into town, over the years I’ve had a few toddlers run through with parents chasing, people chatting just at the edge so their dogs are sitting in the drive, dogs on and off the lead walking on it As long as they don’t stop me using it it doesn’t bother me and it’s clear not planned.

RunningFromInsanity · 27/08/2022 14:20

I do it all the time when I’m walking my dog, to avoid other dogs, to let cyclists/pedestrians/wheelchairs past etc

Shes crazy.

CuntAmongstThePigeons · 27/08/2022 14:22

Yeah she totally over reacted. Probably a curtain twitcher with nowt better going on. You have to feel sorry for her really, if thats what she's getting wound up about.

I wouldn't worry about it OP.

deedledeedledum · 27/08/2022 14:23

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 27/08/2022 14:18

It’s private land. I don’t want dogs on my drive, thanks, aggressive or peaceful.

Is it just dogs or do you shoo away birds, foxes and hedgehogs too? Maybe rain would like to fall elsewhere. Don't get me started on uninvited road dust and if litter dare blow onto your driveway I hope you give that wind a good telling off 🙄

Alldelicious · 27/08/2022 14:26

An over reaction, but I'd be quietly tutting at someone settling their dog on my driveway.

It just seems rude. People let their children run through our front gardens. I don't like that either and never allowed my DC to do it.

Cuppaand2biscuits · 27/08/2022 14:30

I voted YANBU because I don't think you were, but we live on a popular dog walking route and we often find dog poo right outside our driveway and have even, on occasion found it on our driveway.
If she's been victim of this I can see why she might have been more reactive.
We have shouted after people when we've seen them ignore the dog doing a poo and continued to walk off leaving it behind.

purplewolfie · 27/08/2022 14:32

She probably thought your dog was taking a dump

Patchworkpatty · 27/08/2022 14:32

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 27/08/2022 14:18

It’s private land. I don’t want dogs on my drive, thanks, aggressive or peaceful.

The most "little England " comment I've heard in a while. What a strange way to live.

OhmygodDont · 27/08/2022 14:34

I mean to it is rude to just enter someone’s front garden driveway or not really but I wouldn’t be going out there shouting at someone who was there for 20seconds.

Georgeskitchen · 27/08/2022 15:00

She's batshit. Go back under cover of darkness and let your dog take a huge shite on her drive 😉😉

(I'm.joking before anyone gets on their high horse!!)

TwentysixV · 27/08/2022 15:10

Bananarama21 · 27/08/2022 14:16

Maybe she thought your dog was going to poo. I wouldn't allow my dog ever to sit on someone's drive though. If your dog is so reactive and you had to walk them then when it was busy you need a muzzle or pick a quieter time to walk.

i think she would have mentioned it if she was worried about poo and it wasn’t a busy time, it was one dog on a road. And not sure how a muzzle would help? Surely it would make no sense to upset my dog, the other dog and probably the other owner by forcing them to pass face to face when I could have just stepped to the side.

TwentysixV · 27/08/2022 15:12

Paq · 27/08/2022 14:16

YANBU for spending a moment on someone's driveway.

YABU for giving it a moment's thought. It deserves nothing more than a quick eye roll and then forget about it.

You’re right, I should just forget it instead of letting it annoy me

OnaBegonia · 27/08/2022 15:18

It’s private land. I don’t want dogs on my drive, thanks, aggressive or peaceful.
think we found her^^

Rogue1001MNer · 27/08/2022 15:19

NC fail OP.

She was probably a mner and terrified you were going to ring on her doorbell