How to have a gentle word with neighbour ?

[LittleSkink]

We have lovely neighbours (mostly) but a few doors up they (who we dont know) have put in a gazzilion watt security light and leave it switched on a lot

I am sure others have had a similar problem, so how did you broach the subject in an amicable way?

[happy-kat]

Does it light up directly your garden?

You might be able to put a bit of board on a stick and hide it, like a giant lollipop sign you use when observing.

[pevsfreedom]

The most innocent/easiest way would be to be honest,

"Hi I live a couple of doors down, I look at the stars for a hobby and was wondering if there's anyway you could get a dimmer light for your security light or perhaps turn it off from whenever to whenever so I can see the sky because the light really makes it hard to see anything up there"

Of course I would rather move before approaching a neighbor about something like that, but that's just me. 

Best bet is to block it out somehow if possible. 

[Viewmaster]

Invite them around for a night time cup of coffee  and show them your rig.

 Let them see  the wonder of the stars through your scope/bins.

Then show them the problem you have with their lights.

[LittleSkink]

thanks folks - will drop round and say hi. The house is west of us and when it is on I can only look east, so it is very disruptive

The light itself is high up and seriously bright, it flood lights gardens in all directions - and they aren't particularly small gardens. We all have hedges around here so the light comes straight through them - no way to sensibly block the lights

[happy-kat]

I think your local Council might have guidelines on this, if it lights up your garden that is possibly light tresspass, I'd keep it polite and nice on asking to keep it amicalble.

good luck :-)

[carastro]

I had a similar situation with neighbours 3 doors away, the light wasn't on all the time, but it was activated by foxes etc and would suddenly switch on.

I asked them whether they would mind switching it off when I am in the obsy, and they were fine about it, in fact I hardly ever see it on now.

I think I was lucky though that they were sensible reasonable people.

My new neighbours next door who moved in a few months ago, seemed to want to have a good relationship with us so i requested from the outset that they didn't put up a bight light in the back garden.

I think try a polite explanation and request in the first instance, and maybe as said above invite them round to loom through the scope (with their light on maybe).

Carole 

[Dave_D]

i should invite the council round for a brew then... i have 4 streetlights within 50 yards (and 25 within direct line of sight) overlooking the only place i could set up in the flat i just moved to... doubt they'd be interested tho.

[pevsfreedom]

I'm lucky enough to have 40 foot tall hedges surrounding my entire property, neighbors and a main street surrounding me, can never seen lights even though they are everywhere. 

[happy-kat]

Lucky if you are happy with them, if they are on your boundary and over 2 metres and not yours it is not fun, thankfully the UK high hedge act offers some support.

[Spikey]

Street lighting and nuisance lighting are contentious issues on an astronomy forum and suggestions on how to 'fix' the situation sometimes defy common sense.

The moderation team would like to remind all posters that CRIMINAL DAMAGE IS ILLEGAL - do not post suggestions of criminal damage on SGL.

This includes air rifles, black paint, pointing lasers at the sensor, tampering with the electrics (you could die) and 'anything' else that prevent it from working.

Suggestions of illegal activity, even in jest, concerning tampering with any nuisance lights will result in 'WITHOUT WARNING' sanctions from the moderation team.

If this is unclear or you feel you cannot comply with this request please do not post on this subject.

Many thanks

The SGL Moderation team.

[Paul73]

I had some neighbours who sometimes left their million watt outside light on. I mentioned it. They apologised and said if they ever left it on by accident, then they had no problem with me giving them a knock or just popping round and turning it off.

I appreciate that it doesn't always work out that well. But you don't know until you speak to them.

Paul

[Sirius Starwatcher]

As for street lighting I am sure I read somewhere on the forum that a member approached their local council. The council took heed and changed the sodium orange lighting for a more friendly led hooded lamp I am toying with the idea myself as I have two street lamps in an awkward position lighting up parts of my Garden and will try and get the council to change them.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Honesty is the best policy. If that doesnt work i'd then try blocking out the light yourself. The last thing you want to do is get the council or police involved because they are breaking some kind of light pollution law. Remember you have to live beside each other and bad feelings between neighbours cant be a nice thing.