Latest news with #neighbour
The Independent
11 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Of course my water stopped working during a heatwave
WATER Showerless, I tried to sweat less. Water was there When I left the house, sitting in pipes, Cooling beneath the floorboards, supplying flushes and cleaning teeth. But two hours later the kitchen tap opened to gasps of air Because there was nothing there. Mains fed it was a dry throat, While other basins filled from the pool in the loft As it drained to its silt like a beach As the tide recedes. Three men puzzled over the leakless lack of evidence And a garden stopcock that answered no questions. One dug a hole big enough to uncover no problems And bury a large dog quite deep. Stickily, as my hair crisped, another day passed. A neighbour mentioned his stopcock left his water on. He'd oiled and cleaned and twisted it, wondering at its uselessness Until its head almost snapped off, not seeing that it wasn't his. He'd blindly severed the artery that crossed the street to me. When I showed him the garden pit, mortified He looked as if he'd like to throw himself into it.
The Sun
a day ago
- General
- The Sun
Homeowner shames their neighbour's ‘most disgusting ‘pool' ever' & it's so grim it's got dead squirrels floating in it
A HOMEOWNER has shamed their neighbour for having the most "disgusting" pool ever. Not only has it been hailed as 'a breeding ground for mosquitos ', but it's even got dead animals floating in it too. 1 So if you thought your neighbours ' garden was bad, you've come to the right place and may want to think again. Fed up with having to look at their neighbour's 'stock tank' of "stagnant water', the anonymous user took to social media to expose a snap of the jaw-dropping 'pool'. Posting on Reddit, on the r/Wellthatsucks forum under the username @kp33ze, the anonymous user uploaded a picture of their neighbour's pool from their kitchen window, leaving many totally stunned. The image was shared with a caption that read: 'This is my neighbour's disgusting pool. Squirrel drowned in it today..' The author then wrote: 'My neighbour 's sad state of a pool, been like that for nearly three years. 'Today I saw something moving in I thought it was some sort of fish, but nope it was a squirrel that fell in. 'Went over and let my neighbour know but by the time she got back there the squirrel was dead. She took it out and just left it behind the pool…' Disgusted by the revolting 'pool', the user continued: 'I asked her to drain it, cover it or at least put something in there to let animals climb out if they fall in. 'But nope, she didn't want to "scratch" the bottom and she is moving out in a couple days... so not her problem. What a charming person she was. 'Anyways. I sent a message to the city, hoping they will send someone, but who knows.' Horrified by the eyesore, the author later wrote: 'That's the view from MY kitchen window. I wouldn't really call it a garden, it's a neglected wasteland. 'They have let their place fall into ruin over the last four years. It's a shame because in this area that back yard is super desirable.' The user confirmed that the rest of the gardens in the road are 'much better', with many neighbours contributing 'to keeping the place tidy.' Fed up with the shocking smell, the author also snapped: 'Smells from dead animals aren't contained to one person's property. Smells can cross property lines.' The Top Five Reasons Neighbours Squabble One study by Compare the Market revealed the top reason British neighbour's argue Broken fences - top of the board was broken fences and whose responsibility it was to fix it Parking: one of the leading drivers of neighbour disputes, with 54.1 per cent of people having issues with people parking in front of their house, parking bay or driveway Trees - complaints about a neighbour's tree cracking your garden path was also common with nearly half of participants finding it frustrating Bin wars - outdoor bin etiquette continues to ignite the most furious debates between neighbours Nosy Neighbours - some people have their eyes and ears at the ready to have a peek causing problems for others Reddit users were left gasping by the grim "pool" and many eagerly raced to the comments to share their thoughts. One person said: 'That's a stock tank. I've seen them used for pools, but… that's a cup of s**t tea.' Another added: ' Swimming pool? No, that's a giant petri dish.' A third commented: 'That's a breeding ground for mosquitos.' Someone else agreed and penned: "That's a mosquito factory.' Meanwhile, another user gasped: 'That entire yard is a code violation.' But despite this, one shocked person questioned: 'Why don't you help them clean it then? What happened to the sense of community? I had a two-year bin war with my next door neighbour Gemma Smith and Sophie Wood were engaged in a weekly feud for a year over their wheelie bins. When Gemma moved next door to Sophie, 34, who is unemployed, in November 2020 they were civil to one another. Gemma, who is single and doesn't work due to stress, says: 'Sophie seemed nice and we'd stop and exchange pleasantries. 'But it all changed at the beginning of 2022, when Sophie's bin was full and she put her rubbish bag in mine. 'I took it out and put it on top of her bin. 'It fell off, gulls pecked at it and there was rubbish everywhere.' Both women refused to clear up the mess, claiming it was the other one's fault. Gemma says: 'I felt so angry. 'There was cat litter spread all over my drive — it was absolutely disgusting and we ended up shouting at each other. 'We were both as bad as each other — we'd walk past each other and I'd tell her she was a lazy cow and to clean up after herself. 'We'd scream insults at each other." Within six months Sophie had set up a CCTV camera and threatened to report Gemma to the council. In retaliation, Gemma set up the baby monitor — which can record video — to try to pin more wrongdoing on Sophie. Then last July Sophie spotted Gemma in tears on her doorstep following a burglary at her home. Gemma says: 'Sophie came straight round and asked if there was anything she could do. 'We are now the best of friends and help each other out all the time." 'This is your neighbour. People don't care about each other anymore, they just post online to complain about it.' To this, the Reddit author replied: 'I talked to her, she was very much a "not my problem" kind of attitude. And I won't go onto their property without their permission. So, not really an option.' As well as this, another asked: 'Why not worry about yourself? Instead of telling your neighbors what to do on their own private property.' In response, the Reddit author responded and simply confirmed: 'Because dead animals in their pool stink. And then I smell that smell.'
Independent Singapore
5 days ago
- General
- Independent Singapore
‘How do I make her stop?' — Woman says her neighbour is ‘weird and demanding,' but she struggles to say no to their demands
SINGAPORE: A woman renting a dual-key studio apartment turned to Reddit to express her frustrations about a 'weird and demanding' neighbour who, she says, has repeatedly overstepped boundaries and disrupted her peace at home. Writing on r/askSingapore, she said the trouble started on the very day her neighbour, a middle-aged Chinese woman with a chihuahua, moved into the adjoining unit. According to her, the neighbour left so many boxes and bags in their shared foyer on move-in day that she couldn't even open her front door. With a Grab driver waiting downstairs, she had to call out several times before the neighbour finally appeared and casually asked if she needed to go out. 'I had to say 'Excuse me?' like 10 times before she came out and was like, 'Oh, do you need to go out?' So yeah… I climbed over boxes parkour style.' Things didn't improve in the days that followed. She said the neighbour started banging loudly on her door during the day to ask for things like 'ice and eggs' — seemingly unaware or just indifferent to the fact that she works night shifts and sleeps during the day. Although the disruptions were frustrating, the woman said she continued helping out in an effort to maintain a friendly relationship. She also shared that her neighbour made a number of odd and intrusive requests, including asking to tap into her WiFi, repeatedly requesting to store food in her fridge, and even wanting to take a look inside her unit. To make things worse, the neighbour regularly cooked food with such a strong and lingering smell that it would waft through and fill the entire shared foyer. 'My friends and family who came over said it smells like a dead rat. I asked her nicely to maybe do something…but she's delulu and says there's no smell.' Noise was another major problem. The neighbour would frequently vacuum or use a blender with her front door wide open, letting all the noise flood into the woman's unit. Despite being asked several times to close the door during those activities, the neighbour simply refused. The woman eventually installed soundproofing panels, but said they barely made a difference. She added that, on top of everything else, the neighbour repeatedly accused her of being messy and told her to clean up, but in reality, it was the neighbour who often left bulky items, such as shoe racks, dog prams, and storage boxes, cluttering the hallway. 'She clutters the whoooole hallway with God knows what. I don't complain. I get bad looks from the other neighbours 'cause they think it's mine, since my main door is shared with her and they see me come out from it.' 'Anyway, the whole 'throw your rubbish' thing—when she leaves out a whole box of recycling for weeks—was the final straw. I texted her a long message, asking that we respect each other's boundaries and just live our separate lives. That was less than a month ago.' 'Today, she texts and asks me if I can dogsit her dog while she's overseas. To feed him and take him for walks, and I don't know why I'm struggling to say no, 'cause the dog is innocent and cute. Help. How do I make her stop? Is she mad? Am I overdramatic?' 'You need to be firmer. And firmer…' In the comments, many Singaporean Redditors empathised with the woman and urged her to stand her ground. One Redditor bluntly said, 'She is crazy. You need to draw boundaries immediately, and that means refusing to entertain her crazy requests. That's not being unfriendly.' They went on to advise her to be more assertive moving forward, adding, 'Just say that you're busy and also start to tell her off whenever she does things that you consider inappropriate, e.g., leaving things outside, blocking the foyer, etc.' Another pointed out that part of the problem may have started because she didn't set limits early on. 'You didn't draw the line from the start and say no. Now, you can either be firm and say no. Or continue to bow down to her requests. It is up to you.' A third Redditor suggested escalating the issue if necessary. 'You need to be firmer. And firmer. And no more smiles,' they wrote. 'And things that crossed your line, like the dog sitting, immediately complain to the landlord agent. Keep this as black and white for validity to end the lease earlier.' In other news, a Singaporean employee recently shared online that his colleague abruptly quit after receiving what he felt were minor complaints. 'The first issue wasn't even his fault — it was a paperwork mix-up that's already been settled. Nobody got blamed, and it was resolved without drama,' he wrote. 'The second issue was that he forgot to take a photo of an item. Again, super minor—the customer could easily help us with the photo, and our company already said it's not a big deal. They just reminded him to be more careful next time.' Read also: SG worker wonders why his colleague overreacted to minor mistakes at work and resigned on the spot Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- RNZ News
Man who died in Upper Hutt fire named as John Louis
On Tuesday a neighbour told RNZ she'd lived next to Louis for 25 years. Photo: Supplied The man who died in a house fire in Upper Hutt has been named as 69-year-old John Louis. Emergency services were called to the blaze on Tararua Street in Trentham early Tuesday morning, and later confirmed that one person had died. Police said the cause of the fire was not believed to be suspicious. On Tuesday a neighbour told RNZ she'd lived next to Louis for 25 years. "He was an amazing horseman who bred and raced beautiful thoroughbred horses for man years," she said. "He had a very successful racing career." She said Louis had also worked with leather, making everything from shoes, bags and horse saddlery. "He was an interesting man to chat with as he had knowledge about so many things." She said he was also a kind and had always looked out for her. "I will always be grateful to have known him. It's a great loss." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Irish Times
11-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Maybe because I spend so much time with men, I feel less pressure to talk for the sake of talking
There was a time that, faced with the discomfort of silence, I would have told someone about my last smear test to fight the absence of sound between us. Going out for a meal with a large group of people, I'd groan internally when I realised that I was seated next to a craic vortex who would suck the energy out of me like a conversational drain, because human silence can be demanding. Then there are people with a strong quietness, like my neighbour. She seems cool, and there's scope for us to be friends, but each time I close the door after speaking to her, I slap my forehead and think, Why did I say that? There's something circumspect in her few words that ramps up my gawkiness. A friend of mine working in technology used to talk about using silence as a power tactic in the office. I didn't take any notice of it then because he also said things like 'blue sky meetings', but I'm learning how talking less can draw out buried secrets and stories, and how it can disarm and fluster your adversary. It needs to be used sparingly, and this delicate tool is not an excuse for shutting someone out, in which case, the silence is deafening. [ What Irish people really mean when they say they're grand, fine, okay or surviving Opens in new window ] Some conversations have no room for silence because the talking is competitive. Each of you is breathlessly nodding, chomping down the other's tale, at last reaching a juncture where the listener becomes the speaker and can release the story bursting from their mouth. I was travelling with a woman recently for two solid days, and we had a lovely equilibrium of exchange. I told her about how I thought there might be a poltergeist in my house. She gasped, sought more detail, and when I finished, she said, 'I'm so glad you said all that because now I can tell you about my supernatural experiences.' She gripped me with memories of a banshee's wails gliding across a black field in Cavan . We had found a happy seesaw, but there is effort in this, lest you be accused of conversational narcissism, of not genuinely listening, but rather, of greedily exploiting the unfinished point of the speaker to turn the conversation back to you. READ MORE I used to have a ferocious appetite for knowledge of other people, which meant that I would happily take on the responsibility of creating and maintaining dialogue, but lately this has waned. Recently, I met my brother-in-law, who lives in Australia. I asked him a series of questions about things that I thought might be pertinent to his life, which he duly answered. I ran out of energy quickly and I told him in good humour that I was out of questions. That's okay, he told me, and I felt that it was. I'm moving away from lining up a pop quiz based on work, friends, health, family, and holidays. It's unnerving. At a volunteer party at the football club, I walked in, slightly nervous, and sat down next to a deadpan kind of fella, whose big move is the power of mumbling. I abandoned my mental list of topics, relieved myself of meaningless jibber-jabber, and our conversation quickly turned into an unexpected and mind-altering discussion. Maybe because I spend so much time with men, I not only feel less pressure to talk for the sake of talking, but I have gone as far as to enjoy the silence. I've noticed that, particularly with my close male friends, we can allow our chat to peter out. There is so much beauty in those quiet moments, side by side. When our voices fade, emotions have a chance to surface, and in that comfortable hush, there's a feeling of security and love. [ I love being called 'love', although there are some exceptions Opens in new window ] Going to football matches in particular has taught me when to talk, and when to let go of any ego related to feeling unheard, because even earth-shattering news has no chance of getting aired if the football is good. On the sidelines is a sacred space where conversation, when offered, is unforced. I was at a match recently with six lovely lads, five of whom I barely know. The game wasn't great, giving more scope for chat, but a good bit of seat-swapping prevented any real flow or depth of conversation. A bag of Munchies was passed around and we each insipidly noted whether or not our square had any biscuit in it. The quietness on the pitch and in the stands created a sense of boredom. On the back of the Munchies chat, I asked the man to my left what chocolate he would pick if he went into a shop. Rolos, he told me. I grimaced, and everyone within earshot laid into him, setting off an animated conversation on the social acceptability of each of our nominations. We learned something about each other, and had a laugh about toffee-based treats. We were clamouring to have our preference heard when one of our players made a run for the goal with the ball at his toes, and we collectively fell into anticipatory silence.
