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Topics: Life
Jake Massey
A woman has divided opinion after opening up about her 'creepy' neighbour talking to her when she's in her garden.
The woman in question explained on Mumsnet that she has been living alone in a small terraced house for a year, with a very small front garden.
The 30-year-old said she only ever goes in the garden to mow it, but every time her neighbour - a man in his late 50s - comes over for a chat.
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"Any time that I am EVER in my front garden, my male neighbour will come over right to my wall, to talk to me," she explained in the forum.
"Last time I was mowing my lawn, he came out of his house, came over to my wall and started talking to me about something.
"Today, I was painting my small wall in my front garden. He came over right to my wall and said 'hey! I'm expecting a package. Will you take it in. They said they'd leave it with a neighbour'.
"I didn't want to but I said yes even though I didn't want to, as I was nervous and trying to get him to go away. He will probably be over to me later looking for it, which causes more stress for me."
She continued: "I'm starting to be nervous every time I go out in my front garden, I kind of dash in and out as I know he will be straight over.
"He is creeping me out. I literally cannot go in my garden and do one simple thing without him coming straight over. It's giving me anxiety.
"If I saw my female neighbour across the road doing gardening, I wouldn't go straight over, lean over her wall and start talking to her. I know I would be intruding on her privacy.
"He does it every single time. It's really giving me anxiety. I don't know what to do."
Responding to her post, many people had sympathy with her predicament, while others felt more sorry for her neighbour.
One person commented: "Giving him the benefit of the doubt, but he's possibly lonely and it's possible that he was friendly and chatty with the previous occupant of your house and therefore used to talking to the person next door."
Another agreed: "Sounds like a normal, if lonely, neighbour. What a miserable place to live if none of you pass the time of day."
A third added: "He's doing what normal neighbours do, he likely doesn't know that you are so unfriendly so don't want to talk."
But others felt bad for the woman and offered her some advice on how best to deal with the situation.
One person wrote: "Just take control. Be as direct as you need to be and tell him not to come on to your property again. You shouldn't have to do that with a normal person but this one is making your life a misery.
"You should not feel intimidated when in your garden or going in or out. It's ridiculous. He's exerting control. Tell him straight."
Another commented: "I'd probably stick earphones in and pretend to be on the phone, so he has to stand there awkwardly then go away. Twice or three times should do it."
While another added: "Do you rent this house or own it? Either way, I personally would consider moving.
"Other people will think this is crazily excessive, but life is too bloody short to worry about living next to a horrible neighbour. I'd say trust your gut on not liking him too.
"In the short term, you gotta be prepared to be really rude. Hurt his feelings if you have to. If he asks you to take a parcel, say No, I'm too busy. No more explanation than that.
"If he comes to talk to you, pretend your phone goes off and start chatting on it. Or just go indoors until he goes away. But yeah, I'd definitely consider moving! x"