OK, here's an absolute classic interaction with our crazy neighbour. This was our first interaction with them other than meeting them and waving across the driveways, and happened a few years back.
My Mum was visiting and accidentally brought in our neighbour's wheely bin after collection, instead of ours. Our was actually across the road because we were late putting it out and had to catch the truck on it's return trip down the cul-de-sac, which Mum didn't know. I had no idea about any of this until after this incident, when I was trying to figure out what had caused this "disaster".
Next evening about 6pm, my neighbour rings the doorbell, I answer with my 2yo twins clinging one to each leg, they're full on in "arsenic hour", screaming and carrying on, Daddy's late getting home to relieve Mummy, food is cooking, news is blaring - you get the picture?
First words out of her mouth, no hello or anything: "You've got our bin!"
Me: "Um, oh, sorry about that! Please take it back."
Her: "But where's YOUR bin?"
Me (seeing that she's upset): "I don't know, but don't worry about it, if we have your bin, please take it and we'll sort out where ours is."
Her: "But you must have had a bin ... I know that's our bin because it's got a sticker on it from the place where my husband worked for forty years..." (blah blah blah)
Me: "Yes, we had a bin, and we put it out, but I have no idea what's happened and I'm sorry. But you please take yours and we'll sort out where ours is."
Her: "Well, you may think that sorts the problem but did you know that my husband has spent the whole day walking up and down the street in the heat, looking for our bin. Do you know what that could have done to him, at his age? He's lucky he didn't have a heart attack. And even after all that, he couldn't find our bin so he had no choice [?] and was forced to steal somebody else's bin. Now I'm worried that he'll be in trouble with the police for stealing. He couldn't cope with jail at his age. You do know what they do to men in jail, don't you? Now I know you young people think it's not all that shameful these days, but at his age, being sodomised would just kill him. Are you trying to murder my husband?"
Me, with a dropped jaw, looking for the Candid Camera crew to jump out: "uh um uh ...." (so eloquent)
Can you beat that for psycho????
My Mum was visiting and accidentally brought in our neighbour's wheely bin after collection, instead of ours. Our was actually across the road because we were late putting it out and had to catch the truck on it's return trip down the cul-de-sac, which Mum didn't know. I had no idea about any of this until after this incident, when I was trying to figure out what had caused this "disaster".
Next evening about 6pm, my neighbour rings the doorbell, I answer with my 2yo twins clinging one to each leg, they're full on in "arsenic hour", screaming and carrying on, Daddy's late getting home to relieve Mummy, food is cooking, news is blaring - you get the picture?
First words out of her mouth, no hello or anything: "You've got our bin!"
Me: "Um, oh, sorry about that! Please take it back."
Her: "But where's YOUR bin?"
Me (seeing that she's upset): "I don't know, but don't worry about it, if we have your bin, please take it and we'll sort out where ours is."
Her: "But you must have had a bin ... I know that's our bin because it's got a sticker on it from the place where my husband worked for forty years..." (blah blah blah)
Me: "Yes, we had a bin, and we put it out, but I have no idea what's happened and I'm sorry. But you please take yours and we'll sort out where ours is."
Her: "Well, you may think that sorts the problem but did you know that my husband has spent the whole day walking up and down the street in the heat, looking for our bin. Do you know what that could have done to him, at his age? He's lucky he didn't have a heart attack. And even after all that, he couldn't find our bin so he had no choice [?] and was forced to steal somebody else's bin. Now I'm worried that he'll be in trouble with the police for stealing. He couldn't cope with jail at his age. You do know what they do to men in jail, don't you? Now I know you young people think it's not all that shameful these days, but at his age, being sodomised would just kill him. Are you trying to murder my husband?"
Me, with a dropped jaw, looking for the Candid Camera crew to jump out: "uh um uh ...." (so eloquent)
Can you beat that for psycho????