Man faces accusations from neighbor for returning his wife's lingerie weekly. AITA?
"AITA for picking up my neighbour’s lingerie?"
Bears96
So there’s this couple who lives across from me (as in our balconies face each other) on the floor above mine. Now ever since they moved in, I’ve noticed the wife tends to do her laundry typically on the same day, and she has her husband hang it out on their balcony to dry once it’s finished.
Now I don’t know if he’s just ignorant or just doesn’t care, but he sorta just drapes the clothes over the railing rather than hanging them up properly. What ends up happening is that smaller and thinner pieces of clothing like lingerie (bras and underwear and whatnot) end up falling off the railing where the wind then carries them to MY balcony.
Even so, mistakes happen so I take any that fell inside, make sure they get properly dried, and hold onto them until I can awkwardly return them the next morning. The wife is obviously embarrassed but thankful towards me for not letting her lingerie get lost.
Fast forward many months and this is still happening like clockwork on a weekly basis. Me and the wife are now pretty much on an unofficial schedule that she comes by my apartment to pick up her lingerie the morning after laundry day.
It doesn’t matter how many times she tells her husband to fix the problem it never changes (she works during the time they need to be hanged so she can’t do it herself.
Now after all of this, I run into her husband one afternoon and he’s ANNOYED at me. He didn’t shout, more sharply worded, but he made his point clear. He doesn’t like what I’ve been doing, I shouldn’t be touching his wife’s lingerie let alone keeping it overnight in my apartment.
According to him, me taking a married woman’s intimate clothing is creepy and violating. And if I was really just returning it I wouldn’t keep it overnight and instead come to their apartment late at night to return it immediately. He also spent a while completing that his wife was giving him a hard time for how he was hanging the clothes thanks to me. Calling it an “a-hole move” on my part.
I don’t believe I’m the AH in this situation. I’m the one making up for HIS mistake’s and returning the lingerie to its owner at my earliest convenience. Like a good neighbour SHOULD do. I get that it’s a very intimate item but I feel like I’m innocent here. AITA?
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP's post:
_mmiggs_
NTA. Going in to their apartment and rummaging through her underwear drawer is creepy. Picking up her underwear when the wind blows it on to your balcony is a neighborly act. If he doesn't want you to handle his wife's underclothes, he needs to peg them out properly. This is all on him.
30ught6
The only AH I can identify in this situation is the other ladies husband. I guess just throw everything that falls on your balcony, either in the trash or over the rail. Or donate it to the goodwill. That fella sounds like an insufferable prick.
ExistenceRaisin
NTA. This is insane. HE is the reason you have to handle his wife’s lingerie. This is his fault, not yours. If he doesn’t want this to happen, he needs to learn how to hang washing properly.
olive_us_here
NTA- It’s a kind thing for you to do, and I’m surprised they haven’t tried to fix this issue. Husband is out of control that he wants to inconvenient you more. Next time you give back the undergarment, include some clothesline clips.
HTowncoolGuy35
NTA. By now, he or his wife should've come up with a way to secure them better. If anybody gets off on it, it's them. I don't see any other reason for them not rectifying the problem.
MySweetValkyrie
NTA. He could prevent this by just hanging a line and getting some clothespins. If I were you though I'd collect it in like a shoe box or something to show you're not rubbing yourself on it or whatever he thinks, don't know if you already put it away somewhere inconspicuous.
But even with this he'll probably still feel a certain way but whatever... This is his problem to solve and you're doing what you're supposed to do with it so you're not in the wrong. Her husband is goofy.
Stefie25
NTA. While I do kinda agree that you shouldn’t hold onto overnight, not for the reasons the husband said, but just cause it’s weird IMO to hold onto someone’s stuff when it’s easy to just give it back right away by walking upstairs.
Personally this would get irritating really quick & I would have told the wife after the first few times that if it continues, whatever ends up in your yard is now going in the trash.
SalaryExpert5491
NTA. How incompetent do you have to be to not be able to hang clothes? I’d probably say no more though, it’s terrible for the wife but if her husband can’t figure it out she needs to do it. I’m nice but no way I’m picking up someone’s underwear all the time.
greenpepperprincess
ESH. Everyone here is acting weirdly. Your problem would have been solved months ago if you just threw the underwear away the first few times it happened.