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Neighbour calls at 8:30 am on Saturday to tell me she is stressed?

414 replies

Kate011 · 05/09/2026 10:29

And by neighbour I mean lady in my building two floors above me. Who says hi and stops to make small talk/chat with me sometimes.

I answer phone call at 8:30 am because I think it’s an emergency.

she starts telling me how she’s under a lot of stress right now because she lost her keys?

I ask if she wants me to let her in building, she says no, she’s in her flat, she had spare key to her flat and someone let her in building.

and asks me if Tesco does copies? (Tesco is like 3 minutes away by bus) And where she can get replacement?

I tell her council does replacements as it’s a council building. she then asks how to contact council to get replacement.

She knows I rent privately in this building from private landlord so don’t have contact with council and been living here much, much less than she did? So how would I know?

she lived in building 16 years, how does she not know how to contact the council about lost keys?

and what does she expect me to do?

Or was she expecting me to offer one of our keys while she waits for council key replacement??

She keeps ranting and complaining about how she’s so annoyed.

She has a close couple friend living in the building. They always hang out together.

why not call and tell them this?

she also has a daughter and two 18 year old grandkids who she says are super close to her living nearby.

she told me she has so many friends. Why contact me this early out of all people??

sometime ago I remember she knocked on January 1st on my door asking if my daughter can help connect her to/figure out her problem with her tv. I barely knew her then.

another time she kept complaining how she has no heating nearly all winter and doesn’t know how to complain to the council repair team. And asked if I knew how to. When she asked I suggested she ask her daughter for help she said “oh I don’t want to bother people, they have their own lives and problems” .

but calling at 8:30 on Saturday is bit ridiculous no?

OP posts:
Kate011 · 07/09/2026 01:16

Brideofclover · 06/09/2026 18:46

I’m gonna be trying to do those sums in my head for a while - if she had her daughter at 12? Her daughter had her daughter at 13???
im flummoxed 😂😂😂 sorry don’t mean to derail your thread @Kate011

Yeah I was very shocked and confused too.

OP posts:
Kate011 · 07/09/2026 01:21

feragen · 06/09/2026 19:09

but calling someone at 8:30 am on a weekend to complain about being annoyed you have to replace your keys, an issue that is easily solved by quick google search is extremely self absorbed

Why isn't your phone on silent if you don't want to be disturbed in the mornings? I don't understand these people who complain about people phoning or texting them at times which are not convenient for them. You have tools on your phone - use them.

Some of the other examples you have given in your thread including a person phoning at 1 am for something. Why isn't your phone on silent?
You can allow calls to come through from a handful of people - such as elderly parents, children etc - and exclude all these other randoms.

I never needed to because other than that one person calling at 1am once I never had anyone call me at this hour for non emergency

OP posts:
WerewolfOfLoudon · 07/09/2026 01:21

Kate011 · 07/09/2026 01:16

Yeah I was very shocked and confused too.

I would just assume she's closer to 50 and lying about her age.

Agapornis · 07/09/2026 07:01

Be less polite. If even your friends and family are telling you you're a doormat, they're probably right. Maybe practise a few phrases? 'I politely said no, did you not hear me? It's not going to happen. No.' Does your phone have a call screening function so people have to say what they're calling about before you pick up?

Ignore any criticism from fellow doormats on here... What happened to the good old 'no is a complete sentence'! MN is not living up to its reputation here.

TooFuckingHot · 07/09/2026 07:23

The problem is you I’m afraid. You need to be clearer with your communication and boundaries.

CleverTealPeer · 07/09/2026 08:14

Not got time to read all the posts (I'm sure someone else has said already) but this sounds like a classic case of dementia or similar. They 'lose' their keys all the time and get very confused and helpless, not confused all the time so other times she might be ok. So unless you know this I can understand the frustration. Maybe let her family know if you see them.

feragen · 07/09/2026 08:24

Kate011 · 07/09/2026 01:21

I never needed to because other than that one person calling at 1am once I never had anyone call me at this hour for non emergency

And now you know that some people don't think 8.30 is too early to call you can put it on silent and you won't be disturbed again.

kiwiane · 07/09/2026 08:53

Surely it would be better to be less approachable and helpful? There’s something about you that comes over as if you’ll do anything to help others - she even thinks she’s more worthy of having the key to the front door despite having lost her own!
I like to have a limited relationship with my neighbours - I fell out with a couple who totally overstepped; they even took offence when I locked my back gate!

Kate011 · 07/09/2026 11:43

CleverTealPeer · 07/09/2026 08:14

Not got time to read all the posts (I'm sure someone else has said already) but this sounds like a classic case of dementia or similar. They 'lose' their keys all the time and get very confused and helpless, not confused all the time so other times she might be ok. So unless you know this I can understand the frustration. Maybe let her family know if you see them.

She’s 45. Highly unlikely dementia

OP posts:
Coffeewinecake · 07/09/2026 12:02

CleverTealPeer · 07/09/2026 08:14

Not got time to read all the posts (I'm sure someone else has said already) but this sounds like a classic case of dementia or similar. They 'lose' their keys all the time and get very confused and helpless, not confused all the time so other times she might be ok. So unless you know this I can understand the frustration. Maybe let her family know if you see them.

You can click “see all” at the bottom right of one OP’s posts and it will show just her posts - you will see she has addressed this point many times.

It would seem, from OP’s posts alone, that if she did have dementia then OP is the sort that would help.

Kate011 · 07/09/2026 13:45

There is something I forgot to add in my original post

the phone call lasted over 10 minutes. Just her ranting how annoyed and irritated she is. It only ended because I said I have to go.

“AM SO ANNOYED URGH OMG CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ILL NOW BE FORCED TO WAIT ALL WEEK FOR SOMEONE TO OPEN ILL HAVE TO DRIVE TO TESCO NOW TO CHANGE MY KEY URGHH, I AM JUST SO ANNOYED I LEFT MY KEY ON THE BUS”

I know I should have said earlier I have to go but I was very sleepy and disoriented and confused and trying to figure out what she wanted from me. If she wants me to let her in? I kept asking what I can do. She just kept her monologue how annoyed and stressed is she.

Tbh I wouldn’t be this annoyed if she at least texted me

OP posts:
venus7 · 09/09/2026 20:25

Kate011 · 05/09/2026 10:53

She’s young

You wrote in your op that she has adult grandchildren, so it was fair to assume she's reasonably old.

DooDallyHallie · 09/09/2026 20:27

How does she have your phone number if shebis jusy someone you say hello to in passing?

DuskyRoses · 09/09/2026 22:00

venus7 · 09/09/2026 20:25

You wrote in your op that she has adult grandchildren, so it was fair to assume she's reasonably old.

The family appear to have had their children when they were incredibly young- supposedly the neighbour's daughter had a child at 13.

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