I was very rude today (not like me at all)

Oh Frida don't you worry! Everyone is allowed to lose it sometimes.
It's usually much more effective when you are not usually like that.

Good for you!

Don't worry, frida. Mind you, I'd feel the same as you do! I expect it was an expression of your frustration with the council for not getting a move on and your neighbour was rude anyway. It looks like one of those "if only" moments: if only a reply such as "Oh, please do contact the council! It might make them hurry up and collect it, which they said they'd do weeks ago!" had come into your mind. But I expect it didn't because of the neighbour's churlishness in implying that you were bringing the neighbourhood down. Stupid man.

frida don't regret what you said - to come to your door with that attitude is unfair. He has made assumptions without knowing what you have done about the machine being collected - he is the one who should have regrets. He could just as easily have come to your door and asked you if you needed help or information about getting it collected.

Good for you fridawhat was he doing nosing round your back garden any way,I am normally laid back but an incident a few days ago with a sad little man a few days ago regarding children in the street and my GD in particular who was guilt free had me hollering like a fish wife lol

Would he have spoken to you like that if you had been a man?

I think I would have taken more pleasure in explaining to him that you have already paid the council to take it away but that after two weeks they have still not taken it.

If you had been politely concerned, it would have taken the wind out of his sails much more effectively.

Why are you on such a short fuse at the moment?

jingle, it's easy to be self-righteous after the event. I'm sure we all think if the 'right' response later, but I know my instinct would have been, at the very least, to tell him to mind his own business and then maybe park a couple of old cars in the garden as well.

Yes. That did sound self righteous didn't it.

I still think a more considered answer would have been better. frida's name is going to be mud now amongst the neighbours!

I expect her charming neighbour had muddied it already. Just how much more shocking can you get than leaving a washing-machine outside to be collected?

Maybe frida needs to cultivate her "be rude to me and I'll bite your bloody head off" persona, and then nitwits like His Nibs would leave her and her diabolical garden junk alone.

Trouble is that when the council finally collects the machine, the rude neighbour will think that he was responsible and has put frida in her place.

Oh gosh, yes absent!

Perhaps she could put a note through his door explaining the situation.

Am I over-thinking this?

Feisty Frida

Your post made me smile. How satisfying it is sometimes just to respond in that way to pompous/annoying people.

I have been known to give the finger to other drivers who are aggressive to me without reason and I do occasionally use the f word when arguing with husband to get my point across. Sometimes the doors are open so I think maybe the neighbours can hear as well.

It's instead of wearing purple!

juragran and I play 'Hard cop, soft cop' when we get bad service - guess who is the hard cop?

Greatnan

The council would never have left that bloody fridge on my lawn for a fortnight!

Nor mine: I don't have a lawn.

I once swore and gesticulated at a woman who cut me up before some traffic lights when I was dropping my son off at college. Called her a f***ing moron! She got out of her car at the lights and apologised profusely. Took the wind right out of my sails!

Frida who did he think he was! Neighbours should be neighbourly and helpful! @hello I notice your old washig machine in the garden . Do you need help getting it to the tip?' is what he should have been saying but he did not!

So uk Off was the matching reply!

How about putting a notice up in your garden along the following lines:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AND PARTICULARLY THE RUDE MAN WHO CAME TO MY HOUSE

I called the council on ..... May
On......May I paid £12 to have my old washing machine removed
On 19th June a very rude neighbour came to my house and abused me about my washing machine.
I am as irritated by the delay as you might be.

If you would like any more information please ask POLITELY.

Or something like that. It would show up the man who may well have been moaning about you to the neighbours and make it clear to him that you had already dealt with it.

Good one Alison!

Well Done Alison

Good thinking Alison!
I put letters through my neighbours' doors when one tried to whip up others to complain about trucks delivering stuff for our building works. I was v polite but invited them to offer the solution to the problem of getting items to my property without temporarily blocking their parking space whilst stuff unloaded.
Several have since said they hoped we did not think they were rude and unfriendly! We had only been living here for 4 months (small cul de sac and only one person came to say hello when we moved in and she was the only one who offered builders use of her parking space.. she is also the oldest resident!)

I would also send a message to the Council's waste disposal manager informing him/her that their tardiness has caused you distress. How about a letter too the local press?

Annobel As long as the letter refers to the neighbour!