Aibu about this strange woman

[Buitenlander]

A woman frequently walks around, and if she spots anything left outside someone's house that's clearly meant to be free, she takes a picture and posts it on Facebook to "advertise" it. Several of us have already asked her to please stop doing this, but she hasn't. What do we do?!

Her behaviour is slightly weird.

However, it doesn't sound like she's doing anything wrong or illegal.

I think you just need to adjust your behaviour accordingly.

Message the admins and tell them to stop posting photos of people's homes with stuff left outside.

I suppose she dislikes seeing crap put out. She must know that she's upsetting people, and this way, people will stop doing it.

@RummlyWell, it’s not that unusual to be fair. There are lots of people on MN who are British but are expats in other countries, or live in the Uk but are originally from other countries and spend some time there.
For example I’m originally from another EU country (not far from Romania actually) and have a house there as well as the UK. We spend the summer and Christmas holidays there. I still post on MN and I’m a member of local Facebook groups in both my country of origin and my town in the UK.
Anyway, I agree the OP’s problem could easily be solved by not leaving stuff out. If I want rid of something I put it on FB groups or Marketplace.

Why was the man banging on the door to retrieve the item when you left it outside at the end of your drive?

Don’t know what the laws are in Romania, but if you are being hassled by ‘customers’ from this FB page, I’d contact the police.

Anyone walking past your house can see it....

This seems a little unhinged to be honest

Sure, some MN posters live outside the UK or are nationals of other countries.

What I find odd about this thread is that the OP is looking for views on behaviour that may or may not be thought of very differently in Romania. How can non-Romanian MN users know? At the very least I’d have expected the opening post to say that op is asking from and about Romania.

Post back and tell her to collect the items and put them outside her house if she wants to be responsible for them, otherwise stop doing it.

And add items are on first come first served if it's gone it's gone, do not believe if anyone says you can reserve things.

She probably thinks she's helping.
More likely to get rid of it that way.
Lots of people do this on the local fb page.
In fact the local fb page is awash with people trying to give away their crap

I had someone take a photo of my house and I complained to their employer.

WHY? why do you need a photo? So later you can examine how many cameras there are and where? So you can zoom in through the windows? So you can assess weak points for entry later?

it’s just a creepy ass invasion of privacy.

as for the argument that you can look at it from the street, fine, then use StreetView as your memento, but you’re not…so what the hell are you up to?

Well, you're in a massive, massive minority then.

And I'm afraid people are perfectly entitled to photograph your home if they want to. Anyone can take pictures of a building in a public place if they want to.

What do you think will happen if someone sees a picture of your house with an old office chair on the pavement outside on Facebook that will not happen if someone sees your house with an old office chair on the pavement outside as they're walking or driving past?

It's really fucking relevant. Some things are totally acceptable in some countries that would be totally fine in others. You'd be better off asking this question on a Romanian forum where people will give you advice that's actually relevant to your location (for example, you won't get people saying 'Take your rubbish to the tip', and then you won't have to get cross with them for not magically knowing that Romania doesn't have tips).

Outside the OP's house by the sounds of it

Look. There's what you should and shouldn't have to do and there's the reality of what you have to do if you don't like what's happening.

Should this woman take photos of your house and what you've got outside for people to take if you don't want her to?
No.

Is she?
Yes.

Is she going to stop?
No

Can you make her do what you want her to do?
Also no.

So really having an opinion on what she should or shouldn't do won't change anything, will it?

If you don't like what she's doing but it's not illegal and she won't stop then you can only change what you do, which is stop leaving stuff outside your house.

Or take it to her house and leave it outside and post photos to fb. 🤷‍♀️

Does this woman just wander around the streets looking for discarded items?

The chances of her wandering aimlessly around Romania, and conveniently stumbling across items to put on her Facebook page that she is conveniently Admin of seems odd 🤔

Actually I'm with you, OP, that sounds annoying, if I wanted to advertise my free stuff I'd do it myself. She's a busybody with no life, unfortunately there's nothing you can do about it.

So what do you think that people walking along your street do? Do you think that perhaps, occasionally, they might just look at your house?

So why not
A) Build a huge fence so no one can see your house and when she photographs it there is no possible way of seeing your house
B) Build a device which automatically blurrs your house
C) Stop putting stuff outside of your house and take your shit to the tip like everyone else
D) Don't stress about it. Everyone knows 1 High Street exists so why worry that some random has photographed your house.

As another question...have you tracked down every one who's ever lived in your house and demand they destroy any photos they have of it. Ditto any estate agent who might have sold it...and any history buff who might have old photos...hope you don't live in Bristol because Reece Winstone's collection is at risk

How did she reserve an item that you hadn't posted on FB? I don't follow.

Just take it to the charity shop.or the tip problem solved.

The thing is, your house front is public, your address is public, so I can't see she is doing anything wrong. Annoyingly, anyone could argue that your address is public information.

The only way to stop it is to stop putting stuff outside for her to photograph. Instead take to the charity shop.

According to the OP she lives in Romania, and they don't have tips there 😮
It's a mystery where all the refuse goes when it's collected then 🤔

But you get that someone can see your house and your house number and your address simply by… walking past your house?

He felt he had somehow "reserved" the thing. Allegedly.

Do you know an Klingons or Romulans? You could borrow a cloaking device for your house.