To feel almost murderous rage at my inconsiderate neighbours

[Playingvideogames]

I live in Devon. I’m not joking when I say it’s been raining solidly (and I mean solidly) for 45 days now. We are the worst hit area in the country, massively flooded, haven’t seen the light of day really since Christmas. It’s been bloody awful.

Today I wake up to a gorgeous blue sky and think… WASHING!!! And everyone on the estate clearly has the same idea - lots of full washing lines everywhere. Our first chance to dry clothes outside since October!

Not only that but twice a year or so I wash all my sofa cushion covers. They’re stiff fabric so it takes 3 loads, but I finally got them all done by 2pm and popped out.

I’ve just come back and some arsehole a couple of houses away has only gone and lit a massive bloody bonfire. Fucking why???? All my washing is ruined and stinks, including the sofa cushions. My neighbours must feel similarly. The first beautiful day in months, and outside reeks and is making my eyes water.

AIBU to think while it’s not illegal (as no doubt I will be told!) this is the height of arseholery, and who the fuck has a bonfire when it isn’t November 5th???

Arghhhhh

I’m with you OP. I imagine the bonfire material must be seriously wet and very smoky.

I can feel your pain!

Remember revenge is a dish best served cold...

I remember when my next-door neighbours moved in - we were out one day with washing on the line, came back to black bits everywhere and weirdly these tiny black bugs covering surfaces indoors. I think they must have been alive and swarmed off and down my chimney. They were all over one room and for ages I still couldn't get rid of them in a cupboard. My (friend) neighbour said new neighbours had a huge bonfire (tiny garden) and they'd had to go inside. Funnily enough I've just remembered the neighbours moved to Devon. I called them the Neighbours From Hull. Completely with you OP, infuriating.

Utter twats. You'd be within your rights to burn their house down for that.

Wait until their washing is out and do the same. Forewarn sensible neighbours.

I’m lucky enough to have a tumble dryer to get through this lot quickly after it’s been put through again, but feel for my neighbours who don’t! It’s just so fucking selfish! And yes it’s very smoky and smells sharp, I imagine it’s not-quite-dry garden stuff. Just take it to the fucking tip! Tomorrow is the last day before yet more bloody rain too.

I may wait for my dog to have another ‘bowel episode’ and let her run into their garden.

It is very annoying. We had a neighbour that often decided they was doing a burning bin when we had our washing out on the line or late at night when we was trying to sleep with windows open on a very hot day, always made our washing stink when they did it.

I know you meant hell but anyone who has visited Hull would say it works just as well .

I’ve managed to go through my entire adult life never needing to light a bonfire. What the heck do people need bonfires for even? (Excepting Nov 5th).

There’s always one inconsiderate fucking arsehole.

Anonymous note through these CF’s door?

Makes me mad to think we have to separate out rubbish into multiple bins for the environment, but setting a bonfire in a residential back garden is still legal. It's the only country I know of in Europe where this is still allowed and legal. Why is that?

Petition needed!!

My next door neighbours LOVE to sit outside with a bonfire on hot summer evenings until 11pm or so (on weekdays!). I’ve ended up resorting to a portable air con unit so I can actually get some sleep in the summer. I truly believe residential bonfires and fire pits need to be banned 😭

My parents live in a quaint little Somerset village. On the outskirts of the village is a stables.

they burn their horse shit pile but only on days the wind goes towards the village so their house doesn’t smell. It’s continuous

I feel your rage. We have a pyromaniac living on our street. They have also lit a bonfire today and smoked out everyone within half a mile!!

You’d think they’d see it was a nice day and see everyone’s washing and put 2 and 2 together. Some people are a bit odd.

We've got a firestarter over the back of us - every weekend recently, it stinks the whole house out and gets in your eyes, unfortunately we've got a foreign rescue dog whose breed is guardian so she freaks out barking and trying to get us out of the house to safety 😭

I really really like the smell of wood smoke.

I am sad I live in a pokey estate where a bonfire is too anti social.

I love doing forest school and coming back smelling like the fire pit.

Yes arses. Someone has moved in a couple of doors away and burning rubbish every day and it stinks! When we moved in last year we were considerate of this and got a skip. No one seems to talk to each other here, different from the close we came from where there was a group chat to sort out issues.

here we go

I have a patio needing redoing, wink nudge.

Oh god I'd be livid, and I'd not be able to not say anything to them.
I would go over, point out that everyone's washing was out and could they maybe cast an eye and check next time before lighting, and tell them to at the very least give neighbours with washing out a heads up.
I once did 3 loads of washing on a hot day shortly after giving birth to my second child, took me bloody ages, then a few doors down the guy had a BBQ with his brother and stunk the street out. I put on the street WhatsApp a plea that could people please just give a heads up as I've had to re-do 3 loads of washing. I was actually so upset as I'd wasted precious nap time doing it! (Didn't say this).
His wife made him come round and apologise and offer to redo the 3 loads for me 😂
Our neighbours are generally really considerate though, so I'm lucky. Some people just don't think - and some people can just not give a shit.

There is a major difference between wood smoke and the smoke from a bonfire. Rotting (it will be rotting after all the rain) vegetable matter from the garden smells vile when it is burnt; wood doesn't unless you leave paint or varnish on it.

Barbecues smell unpleasant because they are essentially chemical, at least when they are starting and often for the whole time. Why anyone wants to eat food that has been exposed to them beats me; I suppose gas ones are ok, but if that's what you have, why not just use a gas appliance in the kitchen?

My mum had a word with our neighbours for lighting a big bonfire 2ft away from our wooden fence while I had a full line of washing and my kids were bouncing on a trampoline 1ft away from said fence. They kicked off and compared it to a bbq and called my mum a c*, I just don’t get it.