The’most British complaint’ was received by a neighbor from whom he had been kept awake at night by his Christmas lights.
The unnamed homeowner was sent a polite letter by his mail carrier, together with a timer for him to turn the lights off at night.
In the letter, the neighbour explained he and his wife had been kept awake by the flashing lights and that it triggered his Ménière’s disease, disorder of the inner ear that can lead to dizzy spells and hearing loss.
He then asked, “Could you use the timer?”.
To make things as simple as possible, the kind neighbor had set up the timer.
A photo of the note and timer was shared on Reddit’s Casual UK forum by the homeowner’s brother-in-law and sparked a wave of support from fellow users.
The unnamed homeowner was sent the polite, typed, and signed letter through his mailbox. Also included in the box was a timer for him to turn the lights off at night.
Reddit’s Casual UK forum shared the above photo by the homeowner’s brother. It sparked support from fellow Reddit users.
It said: “You’ll probably find this a strange note. But please take it as is.” This is a Christmas gift, if it’s not for you and your partner then for my wife and me!
“We’re not getting enough sleep right now because the bright lights flashing at us awaken us through the night, and cause my Meniere’s symptoms.
“Could the timer be used if you don’t really need them all night? It can be set to change between 8.30am, and 11..00pm.
“Set the pointer dial to the correct time by plugging the device into the mains sockets. Many thanks for your kind words.
The letter received a flood of positive responses.
A person said, “That’s much politer and more lovely than what your uncaring brother-in-law deserves!” It would make a lovely gift, and an apology note to be returned.
“There is nothing wrong about this. This is politely written. The solution was clearly explained. And it will help them a lot. It’s a pity your brother-inlaw was not offended.
The letter received many positive responses. Many people praised their neighbor for solving the problem.
Another added that the thought and effort put into it shows how genuine and real it is. It’s not a complaint, I’m sure your brother doesn’t see it that way. He’s asking someone very significantly for a favor.
Another said, “Totally agree.” They have been polite and respectful in their handling of this reasonable complaint. The majority of the problem solving was done by them. It would be nice if every neighbor was like that.
Unanimously, one person reacted negatively to the gesture by saying “What?” This is passive aggressive at its best. It would be much more polite to just go around and complain to them, but this is not British.
Many other responses condemned people who leave their Christmas lights on all night.
“My neighbors are leaving theirs on every day and night that I have noticed. It feels so odd to me. However, it may be a common practice in certain parts of the UK,” one said.
Another commented, “I live next to a neighbor who not only keeps them on at night but uses all of the flashing options. They have it in their living area, which is also the light source. Absolute psychopaths.
Others who responded to this thread said that people from their local area had also left on Christmas lights all night.