Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

'Hello' Man on route to the Co-op continuation thread

105 replies

RogueFemale · 10/10/2025 20:55

Because it maxed out at 1,000 comments.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5411895-old-ish-man-on-the-route-to-the-co-op-who-keeps-saying-hello

There were developments after I finally said hello back, yesterday (see p20 of first thread). Turns out my instincts were correct.

I just want to clarify a few things.

I do walk on the other side of the street to his door, where he stands. He shouts across the street at me.

There isn't a convenient alternative route to the Co-op (where I go not just for milk or whatever, but because it's a post office). It's do-able, but it would be a 20m walk instead of 7m.

Although many of you think I'm mean, nasty and unfriendly, despite this I have easily established friendly contact with other neighbours since moving here, and have said hello etc as normal.

I have past experience of family members with mental health conditions (e.g. dementia, learning disabilities). I don't judge on that basis, but I do judge on the basis of whether a person might represent a threat to me, and my perception, right or wrong, of their mental health may form a part of that assessment.

This man's behaviour makes me feel uncomfortable and despite the fact that I've repeatedly ignored him, he has continued to shout at me when I go past. A normal person would get the message, so it's worrying that he doesn't.

It's also weird that so many of you think women and girls should 'be nice' to potentially creepy men.

OP posts:
BatchCookBabe · 10/10/2025 22:14

Out of all the threads on Mumsnet this past few months that didn't need a follow-up thread, this didn't need a follow-up thread the most!

purpleme12 · 10/10/2025 22:16

So true! 😂

FaitesVosJeux · 10/10/2025 22:17

OP you are Ralph Mellish and I claim my fiver. Might buy me a couple of minutes peace.

(Monty Python’s classic ‘Nothing Happened’ sketch seems particularly apt here.

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 10/10/2025 22:36

BatchCookBabe · 10/10/2025 22:14

Out of all the threads on Mumsnet this past few months that didn't need a follow-up thread, this didn't need a follow-up thread the most!

Grin
BantheQuo · 10/10/2025 22:50

Have you considered a disguise?

Ghostellas · 10/10/2025 23:08

I couldn’t stand this. Do you own the house? If not think about moving. Otherwise, maybe drive or go on your phone and act like you’re on a call when you walk past?

Talipesmum · 10/10/2025 23:13

Jesus everyone, this guy is harassing her every time she walks past. I know everyone is enjoying the lovely pile on, but come on, it’s annoying and creepy for someone to shout out to you, unsolicited, every time you walk down a particular road. OP you are completely fine to ignore him, polite social norms aren’t applying here.

HauntedBungalow · 10/10/2025 23:15

Fuck me.

Is this the message board equivalent of that centuries long organ tune where they play one note every two years?

HauntedBungalow · 10/10/2025 23:18

BantheQuo · 10/10/2025 22:50

Have you considered a disguise?

Maybe like this?

'Hello' Man on route to the Co-op continuation thread
Emouvante · 10/10/2025 23:45

A thread about a thread, looking forward to the film . . . . .

YohoCrimbo · 11/10/2025 08:21

EchoedSilence · 10/10/2025 22:01

Are you quite well, Op?

What a nasty, shitty comment from another keyboard warrior. Have you read OP’s history at all? She has real reason to be wary of men and her own experiences have made her hyper-vigilant to certain situations.

Threads like this fuck me off no end because OP is an easy pile-on by the #BeKind brigade. OP wasn’t asking for pitchforks to attack this random bloke, but just a little clarity and reassurance that she didn’t have to appease him by answering.

I can’t say I wouldn’t have answered with a Hello but I don’t have the same life experiences as OP but that said, my instincts would probably lead me eventually to agree with her.

OP I know you’re ok - you’ve survived worse but it’s just disappointing to see so many women piling on with their passive digs and sly insults. Indeed, would they be as scathing to their teenage daughters who felt the same way about men in their daily routines?

Instinct is everything. Some of you lot have suggested that OP is crazy to have that instinct. How utterly derelict of you.

YohoCrimbo · 11/10/2025 08:22

Talipesmum · 10/10/2025 23:13

Jesus everyone, this guy is harassing her every time she walks past. I know everyone is enjoying the lovely pile on, but come on, it’s annoying and creepy for someone to shout out to you, unsolicited, every time you walk down a particular road. OP you are completely fine to ignore him, polite social norms aren’t applying here.

Just spotted this. 100% agree.

KillMeMounjaro · 11/10/2025 08:38

Talipesmum · 10/10/2025 23:13

Jesus everyone, this guy is harassing her every time she walks past. I know everyone is enjoying the lovely pile on, but come on, it’s annoying and creepy for someone to shout out to you, unsolicited, every time you walk down a particular road. OP you are completely fine to ignore him, polite social norms aren’t applying here.

Harassing her (saying hello!) every time she walks past, you say?
Well, in her edge-of-the-seat update, OP actually admits she hadn’t seen him for a while when she decided to say hello, despite claiming that he was outside his house all day every day in her OP, and she’d be walking there several times a day to go to the shop (why?)

Shes had appropriate advice now, so not sure what thread 2 is about.

ibecruising · 11/10/2025 13:16

Talipesmum · 10/10/2025 23:13

Jesus everyone, this guy is harassing her every time she walks past. I know everyone is enjoying the lovely pile on, but come on, it’s annoying and creepy for someone to shout out to you, unsolicited, every time you walk down a particular road. OP you are completely fine to ignore him, polite social norms aren’t applying here.

Harassing her?? He is not. Don’t fucking minimise harassment!!

LandSharksAnonymous · 11/10/2025 13:19

I'm still wondering whether OP is ever going to apologise for referring to a possible mental health condition as 'mentally ill' - because it's grossly offensive.

And, more importantly, if she'll apologise and admit her sheer ignorance for referring to dementia as a 'mental health illness.' I don't even have words to describe how utterly offensive that statement was.

PrivateMusic · 11/10/2025 13:23

Talipesmum · 10/10/2025 23:13

Jesus everyone, this guy is harassing her every time she walks past. I know everyone is enjoying the lovely pile on, but come on, it’s annoying and creepy for someone to shout out to you, unsolicited, every time you walk down a particular road. OP you are completely fine to ignore him, polite social norms aren’t applying here.

I don’t get the pile on. His behaviour is not ok.

RogueFemale · 11/10/2025 21:59

FreyjaOfTheNorth · 10/10/2025 21:46

Jesus Christ. No one cares.

Yes, that's why it got 1,000 comments on the first thread.

OP posts:
RogueFemale · 11/10/2025 22:01

BatchCookBabe · 10/10/2025 22:14

Out of all the threads on Mumsnet this past few months that didn't need a follow-up thread, this didn't need a follow-up thread the most!

I wanted to reply to people, and couldn't because it had reached 1,000 comments.

OP posts:
RogueFemale · 11/10/2025 22:02

Talipesmum · 10/10/2025 23:13

Jesus everyone, this guy is harassing her every time she walks past. I know everyone is enjoying the lovely pile on, but come on, it’s annoying and creepy for someone to shout out to you, unsolicited, every time you walk down a particular road. OP you are completely fine to ignore him, polite social norms aren’t applying here.

Thank you.

OP posts:
AzureCats · 11/10/2025 22:04

Has he yelled anything other than hello recently? Do you ever see him in the street or the shop? (ie not on his doorstep).
I'm genuinely curious. That sort of behaviour would annoy me too.

INX · 11/10/2025 22:05

Good God OP, you're milking every bit of attention possible about this absolute non event aren't you?

RogueFemale · 11/10/2025 22:08

INX · 11/10/2025 22:05

Good God OP, you're milking every bit of attention possible about this absolute non event aren't you?

If you think that, why on earth are you commenting and giving me 'attention'? Surely better to ignore me?

OP posts:
INX · 11/10/2025 22:13

RogueFemale · 11/10/2025 22:08

If you think that, why on earth are you commenting and giving me 'attention'? Surely better to ignore me?

Nah, you can have that one for free 🤣

Pollqueen · 11/10/2025 22:13

He's probably winding you up now and sees you as the strange woman that walks past and ignores his cheery hello. It's become his mission now to get a hello back, so why not just say hello and put us all out of our misery 🤷‍♂️

RogueFemale · 11/10/2025 22:17

KillMeMounjaro · 11/10/2025 08:38

Harassing her (saying hello!) every time she walks past, you say?
Well, in her edge-of-the-seat update, OP actually admits she hadn’t seen him for a while when she decided to say hello, despite claiming that he was outside his house all day every day in her OP, and she’d be walking there several times a day to go to the shop (why?)

Shes had appropriate advice now, so not sure what thread 2 is about.

Oh for FS, I hadn't seen him for a while as I'd been avoiding going past his fucking house. I don't need to go to the Co-op/post office more than three times a week, but every time I go past, there he is.

OP posts: