Odd things your neighbours do?
Discussion
Frank7 said:
I began to notice maybe a year or more ago, that my immediate neighbour’s land line was permanently engaged when I called it, but I could usually reach him on his mobile.
I spoke with him a couple of weeks back, and mentioned the seemingly permanent engaged tone on his land line, was there a fault?
“No, it’s permanently off the hook”, he said.
When I queried the reason for that, saying, “If it’s something private, and you don’t want to say, that’s okay, I’m sorry to have asked.”
“It’s Jean’s, (his wife), sister in South Africa, she was always calling to say that they’d had this done to the house, that done, new furniture upstairs, new wooden flooring laid, air conditioning installed in the garage, so Henk can work on his truck in comfort, it was driving Jean nuts, so she just took the phone out of its cradle.”
I thought that that was a bit drastic, but it’s up to them I guess.
Sounds like a telephonic round robin letter Frank. Which reminds me, these hubris filled tomes will be arriving on our doormats soon. I'll never forget my all tme favourite from a friend we hadn't seen for many years:I spoke with him a couple of weeks back, and mentioned the seemingly permanent engaged tone on his land line, was there a fault?
“No, it’s permanently off the hook”, he said.
When I queried the reason for that, saying, “If it’s something private, and you don’t want to say, that’s okay, I’m sorry to have asked.”
“It’s Jean’s, (his wife), sister in South Africa, she was always calling to say that they’d had this done to the house, that done, new furniture upstairs, new wooden flooring laid, air conditioning installed in the garage, so Henk can work on his truck in comfort, it was driving Jean nuts, so she just took the phone out of its cradle.”
I thought that that was a bit drastic, but it’s up to them I guess.
' Jocasta has been learning the flugelhorn this year '
nonsequitur said:
Sounds like a telephonic round robin letter Frank. Which reminds me, these hubris filled tomes will be arriving on our doormats soon. I'll never forget my all tme favourite from a friend we hadn't seen for many years:
' Jocasta has been learning the flugelhorn this year '
I thought that had been made up when I read it on another thread a while back.' Jocasta has been learning the flugelhorn this year '
Frank7 said:
wildoliver said:
Frank7 said:
I began to notice maybe a year or more ago, that my immediate neighbour’s land line was permanently engaged when I called it, but I could usually reach him on his mobile.
I spoke with him a couple of weeks back, and mentioned the seemingly permanent engaged tone on his land line, was there a fault?
“No, it’s permanently off the hook”, he said.
When I queried the reason for that, saying, “If it’s something private, and you don’t want to say, that’s okay, I’m sorry to have asked.”
“It’s Jean’s, (his wife), sister in South Africa, she was always calling to say that they’d had this done to the house, that done, new furniture upstairs, new wooden flooring laid, air conditioning installed in the garage, so Henk can work on his truck in comfort, it was driving Jean nuts, so she just took the phone out of its cradle.”
I thought that that was a bit drastic, but it’s up to them I guess.
4/10. No mention of taxis. Could do with some drama. Suggest inserting a crocodile to the story somewhere.I spoke with him a couple of weeks back, and mentioned the seemingly permanent engaged tone on his land line, was there a fault?
“No, it’s permanently off the hook”, he said.
When I queried the reason for that, saying, “If it’s something private, and you don’t want to say, that’s okay, I’m sorry to have asked.”
“It’s Jean’s, (his wife), sister in South Africa, she was always calling to say that they’d had this done to the house, that done, new furniture upstairs, new wooden flooring laid, air conditioning installed in the garage, so Henk can work on his truck in comfort, it was driving Jean nuts, so she just took the phone out of its cradle.”
I thought that that was a bit drastic, but it’s up to them I guess.
Jean’s sister brought Jean a crocodile skin handbag when the sister and herj husband came over a few years back, and Jean left it in my taxi, when I drove her and Steve, her husband, to a restaurant at Tower Bridge.
Naturally, just as any of London’s finest would have done, I returned the bag to Jean.
Best I could come up with at short notice, sorry.
Europa1 said:
nonsequitur said:
Sounds like a telephonic round robin letter Frank. Which reminds me, these hubris filled tomes will be arriving on our doormats soon. I'll never forget my all tme favourite from a friend we hadn't seen for many years:
' Jocasta has been learning the flugelhorn this year '
I thought that had been made up when I read it on another thread a while back.' Jocasta has been learning the flugelhorn this year '
Edited by nonsequitur on Friday 14th December 12:17
Current neighbours are generally ok. They don’t mind me doing car maintenance in the drive anyway.
On one side I have seen them in their garden once a year in the six years I’ve lived in my house. They have had a used disposable barbeque sitting out there for 18 months now (council?). What is weird is that there are boxes piled up against their back door and all the curtains in the rear windows are drawn. It’s as if they are scared of the garden. I don’t know why they don’t just move to a flat.
On the other side is a great guy. He might even be on PH. I’m pretty sure he goes to the FoS every year. Anyway, he has about 5 cars. He explained to me that he’d rather have 5 relatively cheap cars to do different jobs than one car to try to do everything. Hence he has a people carrier for the family, a Merc S class saloon for distance driving, a Merc SLK for himself, an SUV for the wife and another convertible because he likes convertibles. Makes sense to me. His wife says he knows nothing about cars so there’s always one of them in a garage having something done.
In a previous house it was a different story. One couple moved in. She didn’t seem to work or drive and probably had a learning difficulty. He did work and drive. They had a Volvo estate and an MR2. These got changed for a 3 series estate. They never seemed to lack money to buy stuff. I saw him at Sainsbury’s wearing their uniform once. A bit later I saw him in the back garden looking a bit shocked so I asked him what was up. He said that he was a lorry driver for Sainsbury’s and they were outsourcing so he didn’t know what was going to happen to his job. I told he he’d probably get TUPE’d over. Next time I saw him he said he’d been promoted to Fleet Manager and was working hard to learn the job.
Fast forward a year or so and him and the wife are clearly packing to move out. My wife, being like that, takes me next door to say good bye. We ask where they are going and get this story about how he works for Siemens, his department is going to close but they have asked him to move to Washington DC to train the new team, he’s waiting for his Green Card but the US are giving him a hard time about his weight and are checking something with his University.
We get home and my wife says that he’s had a phenomenal career change from Sainsbury’s Fleet Manager. I say he’s either on a witness protection programme or a compete fantasist.
After they've moved out I see his landlord in the garden finally fixing the fence. I ask if the previous tenants did a runner. He say that they did but until then they’d been model tenants. He then adds that when they moved out they took the garden sheds, half the kitchen cabinets and the door bell.
My guess is that they are the sort who lived beyond their means until debts catch up with them then do a runner somewhere else.
On one side I have seen them in their garden once a year in the six years I’ve lived in my house. They have had a used disposable barbeque sitting out there for 18 months now (council?). What is weird is that there are boxes piled up against their back door and all the curtains in the rear windows are drawn. It’s as if they are scared of the garden. I don’t know why they don’t just move to a flat.
On the other side is a great guy. He might even be on PH. I’m pretty sure he goes to the FoS every year. Anyway, he has about 5 cars. He explained to me that he’d rather have 5 relatively cheap cars to do different jobs than one car to try to do everything. Hence he has a people carrier for the family, a Merc S class saloon for distance driving, a Merc SLK for himself, an SUV for the wife and another convertible because he likes convertibles. Makes sense to me. His wife says he knows nothing about cars so there’s always one of them in a garage having something done.
In a previous house it was a different story. One couple moved in. She didn’t seem to work or drive and probably had a learning difficulty. He did work and drive. They had a Volvo estate and an MR2. These got changed for a 3 series estate. They never seemed to lack money to buy stuff. I saw him at Sainsbury’s wearing their uniform once. A bit later I saw him in the back garden looking a bit shocked so I asked him what was up. He said that he was a lorry driver for Sainsbury’s and they were outsourcing so he didn’t know what was going to happen to his job. I told he he’d probably get TUPE’d over. Next time I saw him he said he’d been promoted to Fleet Manager and was working hard to learn the job.
Fast forward a year or so and him and the wife are clearly packing to move out. My wife, being like that, takes me next door to say good bye. We ask where they are going and get this story about how he works for Siemens, his department is going to close but they have asked him to move to Washington DC to train the new team, he’s waiting for his Green Card but the US are giving him a hard time about his weight and are checking something with his University.
We get home and my wife says that he’s had a phenomenal career change from Sainsbury’s Fleet Manager. I say he’s either on a witness protection programme or a compete fantasist.
After they've moved out I see his landlord in the garden finally fixing the fence. I ask if the previous tenants did a runner. He say that they did but until then they’d been model tenants. He then adds that when they moved out they took the garden sheds, half the kitchen cabinets and the door bell.
My guess is that they are the sort who lived beyond their means until debts catch up with them then do a runner somewhere else.
wildoliver said:
Frank7 said:
wildoliver said:
Frank7 said:
I began to notice maybe a year or more ago, that my immediate neighbour’s land line was permanently engaged when I called it, but I could usually reach him on his mobile.
I spoke with him a couple of weeks back, and mentioned the seemingly permanent engaged tone on his land line, was there a fault?
“No, it’s permanently off the hook”, he said.
When I queried the reason for that, saying, “If it’s something private, and you don’t want to say, that’s okay, I’m sorry to have asked.”
“It’s Jean’s, (his wife), sister in South Africa, she was always calling to say that they’d had this done to the house, that done, new furniture upstairs, new wooden flooring laid, air conditioning installed in the garage, so Henk can work on his truck in comfort, it was driving Jean nuts, so she just took the phone out of its cradle.”
I thought that that was a bit drastic, but it’s up to them I guess.
4/10. No mention of taxis. Could do with some drama. Suggest inserting a crocodile to the story somewhere.I spoke with him a couple of weeks back, and mentioned the seemingly permanent engaged tone on his land line, was there a fault?
“No, it’s permanently off the hook”, he said.
When I queried the reason for that, saying, “If it’s something private, and you don’t want to say, that’s okay, I’m sorry to have asked.”
“It’s Jean’s, (his wife), sister in South Africa, she was always calling to say that they’d had this done to the house, that done, new furniture upstairs, new wooden flooring laid, air conditioning installed in the garage, so Henk can work on his truck in comfort, it was driving Jean nuts, so she just took the phone out of its cradle.”
I thought that that was a bit drastic, but it’s up to them I guess.
Jean’s sister brought Jean a crocodile skin handbag when the sister and herj husband came over a few years back, and Jean left it in my taxi, when I drove her and Steve, her husband, to a restaurant at Tower Bridge.
Naturally, just as any of London’s finest would have done, I returned the bag to Jean.
Best I could come up with at short notice, sorry.
I did take a taxi home, I was driving it, remember?
Rostfritt said:
I can't remember the last time I called someone's landline. And I don't think I have ever called an immediate neighbour on the phone.
It’s very rare that I call a land line either, usually if there’s no reply from a mobile number.My wife’s brother always calls her mobile, or mine, but his wife, and one of their daughters always call our land line, the other daughter, and their son, always call our mobiles, go figure.
I take your point about calling an immediate neighbour, very lazy of me, but in my defence, our house is a three storey town house, with living room and dining rooms both on the first floor, so I’d have to descend two short flights before walking maybe four of five paces to their door, as I said, no excuse, sheer laziness.
Especially as they are not one of those bunch of nutters who won’t answer the door, or pick up the intercom if they’re not expecting anyone.
Frank7 said:
My wife’s brother always calls her mobile, or mine, but his wife, and one of their daughters always call our land line, the other daughter, and their son, always call our mobiles, go figure.
The 'other' daughter will possibly be on a contract where landline numbers and same network mobile numbers are included in the package, but other mobile networks are not.Lemming Train said:
Frank7 said:
My wife’s brother always calls her mobile, or mine, but his wife, and one of their daughters always call our land line, the other daughter, and their son, always call our mobiles, go figure.
The 'other' daughter will possibly be on a contract where landline numbers and same network mobile numbers are included in the package, but other mobile networks are not.Frank7 said:
Lemming Train said:
Frank7 said:
My wife’s brother always calls her mobile, or mine, but his wife, and one of their daughters always call our land line, the other daughter, and their son, always call our mobiles, go figure.
The 'other' daughter will possibly be on a contract where landline numbers and same network mobile numbers are included in the package, but other mobile networks are not.Frank7 said:
nonsequitur said:
I'm like that. Always use landline. My mobile, always switched off, is for emergency type calls only.
Is that a good idea though, unless you mean that it’s switched off when you’re at home, otherwise, how would someone contact you in an emergency if you were out?
I've just moved into my first house, thus far haven't spotted any odd behaviour, but in the spirit of the thread there are a few odd things about the house and it's previous owners:
- the kitchen has two sinks but no draining board. What need could anyone have for this combination?
- the bath had a shower head but no bracket or rail, so could only be used if you sat down in the bath and held it over you. It's not that they took the rail with them, there's no evidence of one ever being there.
- no shelves, and again no signs of them ever having being fitted
- no exterior lights
- fireplace blocked off by duck taping some perspex over it, then painting it
- a summer house in the part of the garden that doesn't get any sun
All but the last one I can or have already sorted, but still strikes me as a bit weird you'd live in a house for 6 years and do nothing to it to make it your own.
- the kitchen has two sinks but no draining board. What need could anyone have for this combination?
- the bath had a shower head but no bracket or rail, so could only be used if you sat down in the bath and held it over you. It's not that they took the rail with them, there's no evidence of one ever being there.
- no shelves, and again no signs of them ever having being fitted
- no exterior lights
- fireplace blocked off by duck taping some perspex over it, then painting it
- a summer house in the part of the garden that doesn't get any sun
All but the last one I can or have already sorted, but still strikes me as a bit weird you'd live in a house for 6 years and do nothing to it to make it your own.
Russian Troll Bot said:
I've just moved into my first house, thus far haven't spotted any odd behaviour, but in the spirit of the thread there are a few odd things about the house and it's previous owners:
- the kitchen has two sinks but no draining board. What need could anyone have for this combination?
- the bath had a shower head but no bracket or rail, so could only be used if you sat down in the bath and held it over you. It's not that they took the rail with them, there's no evidence of one ever being there.
- no shelves, and again no signs of them ever having being fitted
- no exterior lights
- fireplace blocked off by duck taping some perspex over it, then painting it
- a summer house in the part of the garden that doesn't get any sun
All but the last one I can or have already sorted, but still strikes me as a bit weird you'd live in a house for 6 years and do nothing to it to make it your own.
Just moved in to your first house you say? And needs some modifications? That sounds like the perfect opportunity to start a build/renovation thread in HGIY! - the kitchen has two sinks but no draining board. What need could anyone have for this combination?
- the bath had a shower head but no bracket or rail, so could only be used if you sat down in the bath and held it over you. It's not that they took the rail with them, there's no evidence of one ever being there.
- no shelves, and again no signs of them ever having being fitted
- no exterior lights
- fireplace blocked off by duck taping some perspex over it, then painting it
- a summer house in the part of the garden that doesn't get any sun
All but the last one I can or have already sorted, but still strikes me as a bit weird you'd live in a house for 6 years and do nothing to it to make it your own.
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