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Original poster

Rude neighbour or am I over-reacting?

40 replies

eagame · 04/09/2008 21:49

I had a knock at the door earlier. A woman was stood there and when I answered she said:

"Hi, I live just across the street. Could you please tell your kids to stop kicking the ball in my garden? I mean, once or twice I can understand might be an accident but its every 5 minutes with them and I have more things to do than prat about going backwards and fowards in the back garden to get their ball and apart from that, I can be doing without them knocking on the door every 5 minutes. Even when I ignore them they carry on knocking until it gets answered. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know"

I'm a bit at her attitude, its not as if they're kicking it at their windows or being cheeky etc. Or am I over-reacting?

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SlartyBartFast · 04/09/2008 21:51

not sure, could they do it someone else?

islandofsodor · 04/09/2008 21:51

Totally reasonable. If balles get accidentally kicked into my garden I retrieve it once, maybe a second time if I am feeling nice or they are very apologetic, after that, sorry.

She sounds like she was being very nice about it, some people might have blown their stack and being disturbed so much.

Moomin · 04/09/2008 21:53

You are overreacting imo

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weebleswobble · 04/09/2008 21:54

TBH I'd feel much like she does if it happened all the time. I don't think anyone wants to be stopping whatever they're doing to get up and answer the door umpteen times a day. Sorry but I think she has a point.

MarmadukeScarlet · 04/09/2008 21:55

Yep, if they'd done it more than a few times it would still be in my garden.

SlartyBartFast · 04/09/2008 21:56

sheis having to answer the door to them? now that is annoying for her

squeaver · 04/09/2008 21:56

Yes you are over-reacting.

Chaotica · 04/09/2008 21:58

You're overreacting imo. I used to live next to a couple of unofficial football pitches and, although I was happy to have folk playing football there, and happy to get the ball a couple of times, it got really annoying to be disturbed all day (no matter how polite the disturbance).

If your kids have to play there, maybe you could arrange with her that they go and get their balls back once a day, or that she leaves them somewhere they can get them (when she has time).

louii · 04/09/2008 22:01

Thought she was rather polite actually.

LittleBella · 04/09/2008 22:01

I think with neighbours you just have to have an arrangement which is that when they go out to do their gardening, they chuck balls bac.

If they only do their gardening once a month, so be it.

Once to go and ask for it, once a month, is fine. Any more and unless you know the neighbour very well and it is positively welcomed, is a no-no imo.

Milliways · 04/09/2008 22:03

When I was a kid, we played on "The Green" and the guy in the house next to it got sooo upset at kids knocking on his door - or even climbing over his fence.

He had a policy of all balls were kept until Saturday motning, when he would throw them all out at once.

chapstickchick · 04/09/2008 22:04

really streets arent for playing football in - our children either play football in the garden or at the pitch- the street is not for football precisely for this reason.

SparklyDiscoGirl · 04/09/2008 23:27

Good gosh.

I would think more reasonable for your neighbour to be the one on here going 'isn't my neighbour rude'.

She has been mightily polite as you have described the scenario and if you have chosen to do nothing about the problem, then who do you think is really the rude one in given situation?

anyfucker · 04/09/2008 23:29

errr, you are the one who is out of order

rather she came to you to tell you politely than to scream at your children

SmugColditz · 04/09/2008 23:31

YOU are rude for allowing your children to harrass your neighbour.

handlemecarefully · 04/09/2008 23:34

I think this neighbour acted quite responsibly in alerting you to the problem

malovitt · 04/09/2008 23:40

My old neighbour used to cut the balls in half then chuck them back.

handlemecarefully · 04/09/2008 23:59

sounds like a pyscho!

Wisknit · 05/09/2008 07:40

I think she sounds perfectly pleasant and polite. Would irritate me constantly retrieving balls.

GordonTheGopher · 05/09/2008 07:44

I wouldn't bother giving them back either.

medogsarebarking · 05/09/2008 07:46

I might be a little bit taken aback at the 'prat about' remark - but I completely understand her annoyance and do actually think she was quite nice about it.

handlemecarefully · 05/09/2008 07:51

An aside: I meant malovitt's neighbour

Moomin · 05/09/2008 09:26

[medogsarebarking - I love your name! I don't anyone else from round my neck of the woods that uses this phrase ]

chopchopbusybusy · 05/09/2008 09:33

No she's not being rude. I would be seriously pissed off if I had to keep retrieving balls from my garden.

hippipotami · 05/09/2008 09:35

I think your neighbour was polite adn perfectly restrained. She has a life and does not want to waste it playing ball-caddy to your dc! Can't say I blame her.

Make your dc go over adn apologise. Then come to an arrangement that if a ball goes into her garden it can stay there until she happens to be out in her garden adn then she can throw it into the street.

And have a word with your children about not being a nuisance. Because every 5 minutes seems excessive. Are they kicking the ball into her garden on purpose??

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