Vigilante 4

[Ishard]

For the last two years I have had 1 and a half plots, the full plot is covered in couch so tends to not look so tidy but I get some great crops despite this and the half plot is riddled with tree root so I have raised beds of various sorts. None wanted this half plot so it had NEVER been cultivated.

I have used old fish pond filters, doors, wardrobes, sideboards, old planks of wood and more recently tyres. I also have a caravan on the half plot (disguised as a wooden shed with nicely green painted feather edged boards and flowers growing up it) because as a female I will sometimes need to go to the loo and cant squirt behind a bush as the guys can. lol I have permission from the council for the caravan.
I also plant in straw bales and use straw as a mulch on both plots.
This half plot is a great way to show how to recycle.  ;)
The topsoil has cost me a fortune so I'm not buying planks to have everything uniform.


Now, the problem I am having at the moment is that there are 4 guys who have had their plots for many years and complain about anything I do. 
They have complained that I put posts in the ground and grew strawberries and tomatoes in hanging bags over my other crops.
They complained about the caravan, although I told them I had permission and it just looks like a shed now.
They laughed and complained when I put down weed supressing membrane (for the couch) and covered it with wood chippings to grow brassica through.

By the way, one of the guys gave up this plot cos he couldnt get rid of the couch despite him saying that he had sprayed glyo 14 times.

They stand together laughing and gossiping about my plots IE 'Whats she doing now?' etc etc.

The latest is that they have complained to the council that I have tyres on the plot and I MIGHT leave them behind when I leave the plot!!!
Firstly I'm NOT leaving (although they are trying hard to make me)
Secondly they don't know if I will leave the tyres ( I wont)

The guy who made the complaint came over to me and told me he had compained and asked if the council had contacted me, I replied 'No', he wondered away saying 'Our council are crap aren't they?'

They didn't complain to the council about the guy that has tyres on his plot, just me.

My tyres have planted in them; tomatoes, aubergines, peas, strawberries, pink fir apple spuds, squash, pumpkins, melons and salad crops, each crop/tyres are in a neat block of 8 tyres.

Now I am starting to feel bullied and harasses by these guys. What do I do?  I'm sick and fed up of trying to ignore them and am beginning to not want to go to my plots. Hubby says to ignore them but they are getting worse and worse.

[Ishard]

[Fork]

Bullies!

I know what I would do but then again its not what a lady would do.

Go to the council yourself and complain about their behavior.You should not have to tolerate that sort of stuff.

[caroline7758]

I reckon you could sue them for harassment and sexual discrimination if you wanted to go that far. Hope you get support from the council. Your plot sounds great to me- have you got any pics?
Good luck- it's not fair that you have your enjoyment spoilt by these people.

[Buster54]

Ishard
Check out  your Tenancy Agreement ours says - Not cause or permit any nuisance or annoyance to the occupier of any other allotment garden.

Contact the allotment office at your local council by phone and letter(it makes it official in writing and keep a copy)explain the problems you are having with these  guys how their conduct and attitude is upsetting and offensive and are taking away your rights dignity and feelings,ask for the allotment officer to meet you on your plot and walk him or her round explain what you are doing as you did for us and ask if he or she has any concerns,when you have done your tour ask if you can have a letter sent to you and them from the allotment office(offer to pay any costs)regarding his or her tour and could they politely point out if he or she thinks they could be in breech of their tenancy agreement if it continues.Keep a record of any more comments time and dates,its quite obvious the game they are playing trying to move you out so they can move in now you have sorted it

[Deb P]

They stand together laughing and gossiping about my plots IE 'Whats she doing now?' etc etc.

Now I am starting to feel bullied and harasses by these guys. What do I do?  I'm sick and fed up of trying to ignore them and am beginning to not want to go to my plots. Hubby says to ignore them but they are getting worse and worse.

The first comment is fairly typical of a group of well established plotholders who like nothing better then having a target to pick on. You don't tend your plot the way they wish to, that makes you a target. This is very unfair, but you can if you wish put up and just ignore them.

However, reporting you repeatedly to the council is plain harassment. The fact that one of them asked if the council had contacted you indicates that they really are trying to find a reason to either get you evicted or make you unhappy enough to make you leave. Do not give them that satisfaction! You obviously enjoy your allotment, and they are affecting how you feel about that. Could your OH come down with you to the plot for some moral support for a bit? I bet they will not say a word with him about. Bullies are usually cowards, and do not respond well to being directly tackled about their behaviour. 

I agree with Buster54 about writing to the council, they are so PC these days I'm sure they will have several policies to tackle harassment and will leap into action..... ::)

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, but don't forget they are in the wrong, not you! ;)

[Ishard]

Thanks for your replies  ;D

Sometimes Fork I really wish I was a man as life would be so much simpler in things such as this.  ;)

Im not sure that I would go quite that far yet Caroline but its certainly an option that I will let THEM know I have if needed for the future.

Great advice Buster!  I shall do exactly as you have suggested, in its entirety!
Many thanks.

Ps THEY have started on someone else as well I heard this morning, by starting a rumour that a certain new tenant is stealing.  I have known the guy for 3 years outside of the allotments and have never known him to steal but he does have a ponytail so that marks him as 'different'.

[Ishard]

Thank you Deb.  ;D
You are right, Im NOT going to give up and go away and it is THEIR problem and not mine.

Monday morning will see me marching down to the council to get this sorted once and for all, using the councils own rules of course lol

[saddad]

The fact that they are starting on someone else would suggest they are getting bored by your not beeing seen off by them. Stick at it, and give the bloke with the ponytail some moral support when you see him next!  :)

[BarriedaleNick]

Ishard - you'd be welcome on our site anyday your plot sounds great to me.

[Gillysdad]

You need a bit of a helping hand with these idiots. Next time they start, pick up the biggest container of Deadly ;) Weedkiller :o you can find...and ask them if its best applied when its windy or should it be applied during the night when its quiet. I think they might get the message... ::) ;D

[Unwashed]

Hi Ishard

These blokes are behaving unacceptably and I feel for you.  Your council needs to take action.  You might actually get a better response if you contact a councillor and let the councillor take up your case with the council officers.  Your council has a legal duty under the Equality Act 2006 to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment and to promote equality of opportunity between men and women.  I'm sure your council will choose to support you, but there's plenty of scope for encouraging them to if they don't.

[Unwashed]

You need a bit of a helping hand with these idiots. Next time they start, pick up the biggest container of Deadly ;) Weedkiller :o you can find...and ask them if its best applied when its windy or should it be applied during the night when its quiet. I think they might get the message... ::) ;D

Behaving agressively is the very worst thing to do because 1. you'll make yourself feel retched, 2. you'll undermine your position, 3. you'll alienate any support, 4. you'll escalate a silly situation into something much worse.

If you're confident of the situation the best response is to be assertive.  Tell these blokes that their attention is hurtful and unwanted and that they should keep themselves to themselves, and that if they don't leave you to enjoy your allotment in peace you'll make a complaint of harassment against them to the council.  Do it calmly and politely.

[Ishard]

Thank you for the compliment Barriedalenick  ;D  If I was nearer then I would certainly think about it.

Oooh Gillysdad it is soooo very tempting to do just that but it wont get it sorted out in the long run. I'm sure I would have felt a whole lot better your way in the short term lol

Thank you Unwashed for your empathy, great advice and information.  I will quote the Equality Act 2006 at the council as well as the previously suggested the anti harassment Act nd then will follow my visit by a letter detailing it all and asking the council what they are going to do about it and give them a time frame in which to reply to me.

In the meantime I may stand up straight, take a deep breath and tell the 4 guys to politely mind their own business or else!

Sadad I hope you are right and they are moving on from me, although I dont wish their behaviour on anyone. I certainly will offer my support to my friend and anyone who they target.

[lightyears]

i was in this postion earlier this year, i had enough and asked them outright what their problem was, whilst having my brother-inlaw who is built like an ox standing behind me. the cowdly stood down and have no said a whisper since. They obviously have to much time on there hands, maybe you should suggest that they do some work on there plots rather than gossiping wasting time.

[Sparkly]

Whilst I think the OP is getting unfairly harrassed, I can't see the link to sexual discrimination. Shouting sexual discrimination (or other types of discrimination) when their is not a direct line undermines the whole system IMHO.

In response to the OP. I would tell them directly that they are harrassing you and that is a criminal offence. If they persist after this point I would ask for the community police officer to come and have a word with them.

People are rude, gossip and display this sort of behaviour because they think it is okay to be like that. Most people won't want to get into any trouble and will stop (at least to your face) if you make it very clear to them.

If they don't.....

Then make an official complaint to he council. I am pretty sure you must have a clause about harrassment of other allotment holders. Then make a complaint to the police.

[Gillysdad]

I'm pleased you spotted the wry humour in my posting Ishard. I thought the weedkiller ::) easier to get hold of than an AK47 ;D.
You could have some fun with the group picking on you.....hide a few quid in a plastic bag in the garden. When they start off dig it back up in front of them. Oh how I wish I could be there to help, the potential is endless. ;D ;D

[Mrs Soup]

This is a terrible situation to be in - you have all my sympathy.

Small minded bigots like this are incredibly difficult to deal with, they obviously feel insecure about the newbies on the site and this sort of playground behaviour is unfortunately the only response they have. It's the case that a small number of men still think that women should not have allotments, so whatever you do will be wrong.

Our (female) site secretary got a mouthful from a tenant who got a written warning for non-payment of rent, his tirade ending with "this is what happens when you let a woman into a man's world".

My feeling is that telling them ther actions are harrassment will give them an additional opening for bullying.  you not rising to their bait and not giving up is obviously making it boring for them - keep it up, and make friends with their next target, there's always safety in numbers.

Are any of them ever there on their own? Bribe them with strawberries or some other crop they haven't got, ask him for advice, flirt a bit. You can then thank him for the advice /ask him if he enjoyed the fruit in front of his mates  - divide and conquer

Is there any long standing tenant on the site willing to openly admire your plot in their hearing or back you (or the chap with the ponytail) in some other indirect manner?

Keep a diary of the occasions and comments to take along when you see the allotments officer, this will lend weight to you case. I presume you have no site management who can have a quiet word.

You must not let these people win - don't give up - you have plenty of support on here.

[Sparkly]

Shout sexual harrassment and then start flirting with one of them when they are on their own?  :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

Crazy!! nothing like opening a complete can of worms...

It may because you are a woman, it may not be...

All the evidence you have is they are moaning about the way you are cultivating your plot and harrassing you about this also.

That in itself is very unfair. Deal with the problem, don't dig yourself really into the mire.

I really wish you luck in dealing with the situation. I am lucky that I get on really well with other allotment holders and I can't imagine how awful it would be in a situation like yours.

Like I said in my earlier post...

Go to the committee. If that doesn't work go to the council. If that doesn't work go to the police..

You could try the first step of trying to be really nice to them. Yes offer them strawberries etc. You may win them over  :)

[1066]

Hi Ishard, whatever route you chose to sort this bullying out I wish you good luck. And I appreciate how hard it must be to keep on going to the allotment with all those idiots around when all you want to do is grow some fruit and veg!
So keep your chin up and I hope something gets sorted for you soon

1066

[Mr Smith]

Ishard,
           Sorry you are having these problems but it does not surprise me that it takes four of them, you know I'm at the other end of town so I will pass, ;)