Neighbour bought a trampoline to look over our fence

[LazyJayne]

Have had issues with overly friendly neighbour since we moved in. The original divider between our back gardens was a low hedge, and she would come out and talk to us every single time we were out in the garden. And boy, can she talk. She also used to lift her DC over the hedge without asking to play with our DC (who is years older and not interested).

Eventually, we put up a 6ft fence on our side of the hedge. I’d tried to warm her up to the idea of this beforehand by saying we were thinking of getting a dog and needed a fence to keep it in.

When we put up the fence she initially made few jokey comments about how it was harder to talk to us now, but she solved this problem by placing a step on her side and continued to pop up whenever we were out in garden.

My husband then planted bamboo along the fence which shot up over the summer and is now about 8ft.

Last month, we saw from our bedroom window that a large trampoline had appeared in her garden. We assumed it was for her DC and thought nothing of it. However, they don’t use it, she does.

When I was out in the garden a few weeks ago, up she popped over the top of the bamboo, laughing hysterically, and shouting ‘see what I’ve had to resort to! hahaha!’ I said something along the lines of ‘oh yes haha, is that a trampoline for X’ and she said it was originally but he wasn’t interested so she’s going to use it for exercise instead.

So far all her exercises have coincided with us being out in the garden.

We’re now back at square one and whenever we’re out she appears over the bamboo, laughing and shouting.

My husband is very non confrontational and says the bamboo will keep growing and eventually she won’t be able to see over it, but I think this will take year as she must be hitting the 20ft mark at full jump height. We would also start losing light if we let it get that high.

WIBU to tell her directly to give us some privacy? Is there a gentle way to do it that won’t hurt her feelings that we’re missing?

[IHateWasps]

Gentle? I'd be hiring a hitman!

[KangarooKenny]

With persistent people like this you need to be blunt. It’s the only way to get it across.

[Hymnulop]

This cannot be real 😄😄 pics or it didn't happen.

[jetadore]

Hilarious, sorry not helpful but the thought of you and your neighbour in a bizarre fencing/jumping arms race is cracking me up. What next, stilts?

[ComtesseDeSpair]

Use your words. Tell her outright that when you’re in your garden you’re not looking for a conversation, that if you do want to have one you’ll invite her over, and to leave you alone otherwise. This is how we approached it with our irritating former neighbours who kept letting their DC pester us (well, actually we waited until they were away on holiday, took a fence panel down and went in and stole their wheelbarrow first, but I digress) and sure, they got the huff and said there was no need to be unkind; but as well as the huff they also got the point, and frankly that’s all I care about.

[PixieLaLa]

She sounds mentally unwell, I would just completely ignore her every time she does it…might work might not!

[miceonabranch]

I think you need to be planning a new patio........using her as the foundations 😬

[pantsville]

I absolutely love the mental image of this. Is she quite an eccentric person? Or socially awkward at all? Possibly two very stupid questions

I think eventually I’d just have to turn round and ignore the laughing head popping up over the bamboo, and just carry on going about my business.

[BashfulClam]

Headphones every time you are out in the garden and ignoring her because you can’t hear her. She’ll give up.

[Greenqueen40]

This cannot be real

[Quveas]

@Hymnulop

This cannot be real 😄😄 pics or it didn't happen.

Seconded.

[FannyFifer]

This as amazing in the total madness of it. Her head popping up over the bamboo.

[VerifiedBot2351]

No way! If this is true, you are going to have to bite the bullet and just tell her to back off.

[HeckyPeck]

That's awful!

You could transfer the bamboo to raised planters to get it to the desired height so you don't have to wait for it to grow.

[neverknowinglyunreasonable]

YABU for planting bamboo. Awful stuff.

The thought of your neighbour bouncing 9 foot in the air to talk to you sounds hilarious but I suspect I'd get bored of it fairly quickly if I were in your shoes.

[GloriousGlory]

@Hymnulop

This cannot be real 😄😄 pics or it didn't happen.

😂

[Chloefairydust]

My mum has a neighbour like this! 🤣

I think she might just be lonely, however it is annoying when your trying to relax in the garden and instead have to deal with talking to a neighbour.

OP what do you think she will do once the bamboo grows? 😁

[LazyJayne]

To clarify, we don’t dislike this woman, we think she’s funny and bubbly and enjoy saying hello and having a quick chat in the FRONT garden. We just want to enjoy the back garden as a family.

[RIPQueen]

have you considered that she’s just joking but you’ve taken it seriously and now you’ve got confirmation bias? Her “see what I’ve had to resort to” is the sort of joke I would make and then be mortified if someone took seriously.

[DailyEnergyCrisis]

🤣🤣🤣

[Topgub]

There's no way this is real

🤣

[NewNameNeededNow]

@PixieLaLa

She sounds mentally unwell, I would just completely ignore her every time she does it…might work might not!

You know some people are just a bit dim, and thick skinned, rather than mentally unwell?

[jtaeapa]

I think that in the interests of not having a very sour relationship with a neighbour, you should probably not say any more to her. She can only pop up on her trampoline so much.

Her behaviour is weird though.

[Hallmark1234]

I'm reminded of the programme 'One foot in the Grave', where Victor Meldrew's neighbour Mr. Swainey used to swing open a fence panel to chat to him!!

Be thankful your DN hasn't thought of doing that (yet)!

[Begoniasforever]

Are you genuinely wishing us to believe she isn’t exercising she only uses it when you’re in the garden and she does so to spy on you?