Was this neighbour "entitled to say what he wants in his own garden?"

[MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes]

My friend shared a funny story this morning.

Her garden ends in a six foot fence, which backs onto another garden for the house behind her. They are large, very long gardens.

The man of this house, clearly thinking he had found a secluded spot away from his kids, was having a VERY explicit conversation with his wife on the phone, at the end of his garden, right against the fence. He was describing in great detail exactly what he was going to do to her when she returned home from her trip.

Trouble is, friend and her kids were sat right on the other side of the fence. They have a decking area there with chairs, tables, kids toys etc.

She couldn't let this conversation go on in earshot of her kids (3yo and 5yo) so she cheerfully shouted over the fence "very happy for your wife mate, but my kids are two feet away from you!" To which she heard a fumbled "shit, hold on" and then silence.

She reiterated this story to us, we all laughed, and agreed she did the right thing.

Retold story to husband just now who laughed, but said really, she had no right to tell him anything and embarrass him. It's his garden, he can have that conversation if he wants, and she should have moved the kids away until it stopped.

I disagree and think if you're going to live around other people you need to think of other people.

Who's right?
Reasonable - me and my friends
unreasonable - my DH

Ha ha haaaaa 🤣

Absolutely right to let him know kids were there and he could he heard.

Children have a right to play in their own garden without overhearing explicit conversation. Sounds like neighbour agrees as he modified his behaviour.

What does your dh suggest your friend should do? She didnt tell him off just let him know he could be heard.

If you have your decking area right up against your neighbour’s fence, overhearing something you don’t want to is a risk you take.

Of course, he's entitled to say what he wants in his own garden but he should also have enough common sense to know he might be overheard.

If he thinks people can say what they want in their own gardens then he thinks your friend was right to say what she wanted surely. Free speech for all, she didn’t make him move away 😅

There's no children here. What was he going to do to her?

I don't really think anyone is wrong. He's free to say what he wants in his own garden. She's free to tell him she can hear from her garden. Equally though, I probably would have gone with the husbands solution.

Sounds like he didn't want to be over heard, so might make him think a bit more carefully next time he's having a dirty talk phone call.

The neighbour agrees with your friend, so YANBU.

I wanna know too 😂

There are worse things he could do in his garden - spermy sex pond for example. YABU

You'd think you have the right to say anything you want in your own garden but last year Dp was in ours and said oh ffs she's smoking again!
Not directed at the neighbour or shouting at her just in general and she called the police on us! And they turned up!

If he thinks any outdoors conversation is private just because he can't see anyone else he's daft the amount of gossip we overhear in our garden is ridiculous

I’d say that putting a seating area right next to the boundary means you will be in closer proximity to your neighbours.
I would have encouraged my kids to do something in another part of the garden, but they could just as easily have been playing outside without supervision. Unless the neighbour was involving them in the conversation then it’s just part and parcel of living close to other people.

We of course all asked the friend too 🤣
So first he was going to strip her naked, then tie her to the table by her feet and ankles, then it was when he started to describe the oral he was going to perform on her, that she stopped it.
Spoilt sport 🤣
And also good for them because their kids are young and they both work full time from what we can tell.
Probably all talk.

Feet and ankles?

Oh my 😚! May the kids sleep very well, so she can enjoy a wonderful return 😂.

How did he not hear your friend and family making normal people noise though? Unless they were all sitting dead silently and not moving, he must have realised there were people there - and if he could hear them...?

Sorry, meant to say wrists and ankles

Just say 'didn't think anyone could hear' and walk away.

Though I suppose it's good to be warned of a man who is inadequate in the bedroom, in case the relationship ends and some other woman expects something that won'r be delivered. Who can be warned.

We asked this. Friends was scrolling her phone. Kids were building sandcastles in the sandpit and we're quietly concentrating. They looked up when neighbour started bondage talking so heard it and questioned why mummy told him to stop. She said she was just letting him know that he was distracting them from their building so carry on now 🤣

I wonder why he didnt have the conversation in the privacy of his house? Could it be because he didnt want his wife to here it? 🤣

I’d of shooed the kids away and sat listening texting a good friend the neighbour gossip 😂😂

Can’t say I think of my neighbours when talking in my garden tbh And if I actually heard a we can hear you I’d prob just say and I can hear you too 👍🏻 😅

That’s right.

God forbid you actually use the edges of your garden! That bit is just for looking at and never stepping foot on.

I rather suspect he knew you were there.

Yeah I'd have suggested they go & fill their buckets with water & look for interesting things to add to their sandcastles 🤣