What's This Country Coming To, part II

[Anonymouse]

To explain:

I live in a council flat, one of four in a two-up-two-down arrangement; I'm upstairs. Downstairs is a communal hall, with one front and one back door. The stairwell goes down the side of one upstairs flat (as in Pic 1), turns ninety degrees, then turns ninety degrees again, coming down parallel to the outer wall and front door. So under the stairwell there's a bit of spare space, where I put my bike next to the wheelie bin (Pic 2) - I'll be damned if I'll leave it outside, even chained up, given what kids are like these days.

Now, for some reason which entirely escapes me, the bloke in the downstairs flat (to the right of Pic 2) has a hornet in his bonnet - can't be a bee, it's too bloody big and has way too much attitude - about my bike. There is ample clearance between the bike (which only isn't in the picture because it's at Halfords, getting a spoke replaced) and the door, and it isn't in his way at all as he comes out of his flat. Well, he might have to step a few inches to his left as he's going in or out of the front door - cry me a river, bitch; at the end of next month my useless so-called bosses are doing away with the night shift, so I'm taking an involuntary pay cut of nearly £75 a week because I'll no longer get the 30% shift allowance. And he thinks he's got bloody problems?!

But the other day he asked me - though frankly it sounded more like he was telling me - to put the bike upstairs instead. I was too lost for words to respond at the time. He mentioned that he's getting a bike in the next couple of weeks; I'm thinking "So what? Why is that a problem? There's plenty of space downstairs." Look at that stairwell - would any of you want to haul a bike up and down those stairs, in such a narrow stairwell, every bloody day? No, thought not.

Then this morning it got worse: while I was trying to get to sleep after a hard night's work, I could hear this git practically shouting about the bike still being there. Never mind any of the other three tenants who're trying to bloody sleep, oh, no. Never mind that if I were stupid enough to do it, it'd breach my tenancy agreement because it would partly block the stairwell, which is obviously a health & safety issue in the event of a fire (all too likely, given that my fellow upstairs neighbour is a bit of a prat when it comes to chip pans).

Worst of all, I heard him rant: "If 'e doesn't move that [expletive synonym for fornication which I'm not allowed to use here even though it was what he said] bike, I'll put it in the back yard, and I don't give a [scatological expletive synonym for excrement] if the kids nick it."

What, fellow forum users, do you make of that?

I should mention in passing he's a southern jessie, definitely from daaawn saaarf given his accent - and his irresponsible, inconsiderate attitude seems to confirm all the stereotypes and prejudices held by denizens of the North towards those of the South. Such childishness is frankly disgusting in a thirtysomething - especially one with a girlfriend who's got a kid of her own. He's such a loudmouth, in fact, that I'm seriously considering reporting him as a nuisance neighbour; it doesn't seem a day goes by without him bitching - at needlessly high volume - about summat and nowt, and I'm sick of it.

I'll tell you this for nowt - when my bike comes back from Halfords, it's going back in its usual place against the railing, and I'm going to chain it there - let's see him shift it then.

[Pia]

You put your bike next to that bin and he complains?

I'd ring the council, and tell them to come out and take a look, if it's causing issues they will advise on where you can keep your bike if they agree it's in the way.

[Osem]

Can't add to what Pia suggests but would just point out that ethnicity, size, shape, sex, place of birth, etc. etc. etc. do not preclude anyone from being a selfish moron. I mean look at John Prescott for God's sake I may be a southern jessie but I'm not stupid enough to think that everyone born in N. Wales and educated in Yorkshire is an inarticulate, incompetent, twit....

[fireman328]

Sadly, donning my fire safety hat, there should be NO storage or impediments to means of escape on any route which may be used in case of fire, and the means of escape should be constructed of materials which are inherently fire retardent. Sorry but thats the way it goes. The plastic wheelie bin is also a hazard.

move the bin and lock it to the railings and tell him where to go (as you said)

[alferret]

So us from down south are jessies? Typical northern assumption that is IMO, I'm from "daaawn saaarf " and I aint no jessie.

If you got a problem with the bloke tell him, dont sit on your hands and then bitch here, bitch to the bloke you got the problem with.

Makes me laugh when someone has a problem with another and instead of sorting it out they feel the need to tell everyone other than the person it concerns.

[Monty731]

As this chap is a southerner he has both a legal and moral right to boss you around. You have no choice, bow down before the one you serve, you're going to get what you deserve.

Is he the sort of pr**k you can't reason with? If so wait until he starts storing his bike down there and then call the council. Neither of you will be allowed to store you bikes in a stairwell, but at least he has been inconvenienced as much as you. Petty? My middle name.

[Hugh]

Or he could just have a reasonable chat with the guy, explain why it's there, and reach a compromise.

It's a thought.

[Taf]

Originally Posted by fireman328

Sadly, donning my fire safety hat, there should be NO storage or impediments to means of escape on any route which may be used in case of fire, and the means of escape should be constructed of materials which are inherently fire retardent. Sorry but thats the way it goes. The plastic wheelie bin is also a hazard.

Ditto... they even binned loads of plants and sisal mats that old dears had outside their front doors................ to comply with the fire regs...

[Anonymouse]

Answering several points:

Neither the bike nor the bin are in the stairwell; they're under it and are therefore neither a hazard nor an obstruction. Look at Pic 2 again.

I would bitch to him, but I'm not the one with the damn problem! I don't have any problem with him keeping his bike down there, so why is the reverse not true?

Sorry about the southern jessie crack, but he is the stereotypical southerner. Note stereotypical, not typical. My best friend's from Devon.

I am so bloody annoyed by his pretentious arrogance I'd much rather pop 'im one than rant on a forum, but then I'd probably be evicted. I haven't decided whether to infuriate him by being all sweetness and light - and believe me, it wouldn't take much to infuriate this ****** - or just lock up my bike and tell him where to go and what to do when he gets there; it depends on whether I get my bike back from Halfords before he gets one. The one thing I won't do is leave it loose, in case he really is so selfish and irresponsible as to leave it outside.

At the moment, because the bike isn't there, he probably thinks I've just shouted "Jawohl, mein Fuhrer!" and obeyed his lordship's southern command. We'll see what happens when he discovers he's wrong. No-one on this frickin' planet has any right to tell me what to do. This arrogant git is going to discover that it takes more than a bad attitude and a loud voice to intimidate me.

[tweetypie/8]

Originally Posted by alferret

So us from down south are jessies? Typical northern assumption that is IMO, I'm from "daaawn saaarf " and I aint no jessie.

If you got a problem with the bloke tell him, dont sit on your hands and then bitch here, bitch to the bloke you got the problem with.

Makes me laugh when someone has a problem with another and instead of sorting it out they feel the need to tell everyone other than the person it concerns.

well said.

Originally Posted by Anonymouse

To explain:

I live in a council flat, one of four in a two-up-two-down arrangement; I'm upstairs. Downstairs is a communal hall, with one front and one back door. The stairwell goes down the side of one upstairs flat (as in Pic 1), turns ninety degrees, then turns ninety degrees again, coming down parallel to the outer wall and front door. So under the stairwell there's a bit of spare space, where I put my bike next to the wheelie bin (Pic 2) - I'll be damned if I'll leave it outside, even chained up, given what kids are like these days.

Now, for some reason which entirely escapes me, the bloke in the downstairs flat (to the right of Pic 2) has a hornet in his bonnet - can't be a bee, it's too bloody big and has way too much attitude - about my bike. There is ample clearance between the bike (which only isn't in the picture because it's at Halfords, getting a spoke replaced) and the door, and it isn't in his way at all as he comes out of his flat. Well, he might have to step a few inches to his left as he's going in or out of the front door - cry me a river, bitch; at the end of next month my useless so-called bosses are doing away with the night shift, so I'm taking an involuntary pay cut of nearly £75 a week because I'll no longer get the 30% shift allowance. And he thinks he's got bloody problems?!

But the other day he asked me - though frankly it sounded more like he was telling me - to put the bike upstairs instead. I was too lost for words to respond at the time. He mentioned that he's getting a bike in the next couple of weeks; I'm thinking "So what? Why is that a problem? There's plenty of space downstairs." Look at that stairwell - would any of you want to haul a bike up and down those stairs, in such a narrow stairwell, every bloody day? No, thought not.

Then this morning it got worse: while I was trying to get to sleep after a hard night's work, I could hear this git practically shouting about the bike still being there. Never mind any of the other three tenants who're trying to bloody sleep, oh, no. Never mind that if I were stupid enough to do it, it'd breach my tenancy agreement because it would partly block the stairwell, which is obviously a health & safety issue in the event of a fire (all too likely, given that my fellow upstairs neighbour is a bit of a prat when it comes to chip pans).

Worst of all, I heard him rant: "If 'e doesn't move that [expletive synonym for fornication which I'm not allowed to use here even though it was what he said] bike, I'll put it in the back yard, and I don't give a [scatological expletive synonym for excrement] if the kids nick it."

What, fellow forum users, do you make of that?

I should mention in passing he's a southern jessie, definitely from daaawn saaarf given his accent - and his irresponsible, inconsiderate attitude seems to confirm all the stereotypes and prejudices held by denizens of the North towards those of the South. Such childishness is frankly disgusting in a thirtysomething - especially one with a girlfriend who's got a kid of her own. He's such a loudmouth, in fact, that I'm seriously considering reporting him as a nuisance neighbour; it doesn't seem a day goes by without him bitching - at needlessly high volume - about summat and nowt, and I'm sick of it.

I'll tell you this for nowt - when my bike comes back from Halfords, it's going back in its usual place against the railing, and I'm going to chain it there - let's see him shift it then.

The bin looks out of the way, you put your bike next to the bin? If so I can see no problem, it's not in the way of the stairs in any way. Go round and knock on his door and ask him what the problem is. As far as I can see there is nothing wrong with where your bike is.

[Hugh]

Originally Posted by Anonymouse

Answering several points:

Neither the bike nor the bin are in the stairwell; they're under it and are therefore neither a hazard nor an obstruction. Look at Pic 2 again.

I would bitch to him, but I'm not the one with the damn problem! I don't have any problem with him keeping his bike down there, so why is the reverse not true?

Sorry about the southern jessie crack, but he is the stereotypical southerner. Note stereotypical, not typical. My best friend's from Devon.

I am so bloody annoyed by his pretentious arrogance I'd much rather pop 'im one than rant on a forum, but then I'd probably be evicted. I haven't decided whether to infuriate him by being all sweetness and light - and believe me, it wouldn't take much to infuriate this ****** - or just lock up my bike and tell him where to go and what to do when he gets there; it depends on whether I get my bike back from Halfords before he gets one. The one thing I won't do is leave it loose, in case he really is so selfish and irresponsible as to leave it outside.

At the moment, because the bike isn't there, he probably thinks I've just shouted "Jawohl, mein Fuhrer!" and obeyed his lordship's southern command. We'll see what happens when he discovers he's wrong. No-one on this frickin' planet has any right to tell me what to do. This arrogant git is going to discover that it takes more than a bad attitude and a loud voice to intimidate me.

However, you also said in the OP

he might have to step a few inches to his left as he's going in or out of the front door

Your couple of inches might be a foot to him (you know what we men are like when it comes to measurements ) - it is outside his door, and not yours - think how you might feel in his place, having to dodge round a bike every time you went in and out of your door - mediation is always better than confrontation (imho).

[Maggy J]

Whose bin is it?If it is his could be he thinks he has squatters rights.

However is there any other sort of communal space outside your flat?Have you checked your rental agreement?If that says nothing about the space then challenge him to prove to you that the space belongs exclusively to him.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by alferret

So us from down south are jessies? Typical northern assumption that is IMO, I'm from "daaawn saaarf " and I aint no jessie.