AIBU to lock the porch after a friend kept taking our pushchair?

[PushchairCF]

We’ve had a porch for about 6 years, never locked it. Never needed to . All we’ve ever kept in the porch is wellies, umbrellas and a cheap little folding pushchair. It is very handy as light to carry if getting public transport and fits in car well too. We use it every 2-3 days.

NDN is a long term friend , nice but can be difficult sometimes. Had a period of time where she tried her luck wanting to borrow money I just had to keep saying no.

Her pushchair broke and she asked to borrow ours ‘till the end of the month’ I said sorry we use it a lot so wouldn’t be able to . I mentioned they are quite cheap and it was on offer somewhere too she just ignored.

went to go out one day last week and it was gone ! I called her and She had taken it for the school run - I went round and got it back, told her that was not ok and she did the same the next day. On Friday I had to look for the keys and have started locking the porch door. She text me this morning to ask why I’ve locked the door !!!! I said ‘to stop you taking the pushchair as we need it’ she’s called me selfish as I have 2 pushchairs. I don’t have 2, i used to but the other was so big and heavy we got rid of it months ago.

That’s nuts! Yanbu

People are so weird, that's shocking!

Yes lock it and i would distance from her going forward

She came on your property and stole your belongings. I would tell her in no uncertain terms that if she did it again I would be contacting the police.

In the meantime make sure you have a doorbell camera installed.

Also please find better friends, this women is not your friend.

She's a cheeky fucker and no mistake! Your stuff is not hers to take.

Wow OP that is unbelievable. Presumably you do know YANBU, and this women is no longer your friend?

You could have ten pushchairs, it doesn’t matter, they’re yours. Tell her to buy her own bloody pushchair.

She has absolutely no right at all to just take it. BUT she doesn’t really sound like a “long term friend” if you aren’t willing to help her out.

Yes it’s crossed a line. I’m just so shocked at how outraged she is that I’m now locking my own door ??!!!!!

I’m shocked a ‘friend’ who do this. YANBU of course.

So you think the OP should give this women a pushchair she uses frequently just because the neighbour asked for it? That's not being a friend that's being a doormat.

If I had a spare I’d have helped when she asked but I don’t.

She’s nuts!

Well, how she justifies that to herself lord alone knows. And to not ask but just go and take it. She clearly feels what is yours is hers. Or should be.

I feel for her if she is poor and struggling. But that doesn’t excuse an absence normal values and manners.

Lock your door.

YANBU OP.

Well done for setting a boundary. In this life the givers need boundaries because the takers don’t have any!

Bad enough her repeatedly asking for money, but then stealing your property as well. Cheeky fecker.

Helping out doesn't mean help herself to something she wants without asking even after she's been told no. What is the OP meant to use if she needs the buggy?

Theres helping out, and there’s Cfery of her just taking ops stuff without asking and taking it a second time when told not too!

OP needs it for her own child

No you aren’t being unreasonable. Your porch is part of your home. I would ask her, if you also left your front door unlocked, if she would come in and help herself to anything else she thought you had more than enough of and she wanted.

Then tell her the porch and any other access is going to remain locked and she is going to be blocked on your phone.

Or tell her she has lots of socks (or similar) and you want the pair she’s wearing so she should hand them over.

See I don't even know why you're asking.

How on God's green earth could you possibly be unreasonable?

Madness.

FFS she’s nuts!! I’m so glad I don’t come across all these crazy people, so often mentioned on mumsnet, in real life! I could never imagine being so shameless as to do such a thing, as taking something from a neighbours house without permission! Porch permanently locked now, block her, and ignore, she’s a CF

It clearly states in the OP that @PushchairCF is still using her pushchair.

Also, “long term friends” don’t steal things from each other 🙄.

Of course its your actual duty to keep your porch door unlocked so that your neighbour has free access at any time, if she feels like taking your things without asking.

She was quite in order sending you a note telling you off for locking your own door. Your house should be a public right of way.

She's nuts

Good Lord.
It wouldn't matter if you had 42 pushchairs,you told her no and that should have been the end of it.
The sense of entitlement is off the scale with this one.

How can the OP help out her neighbour? Should she buy another buggy to give away? Carry her own child everywhere so that the neighbour has the buggy? The neighbour took it, without permission, when the OP needed it.