looking out of the window?

Question

I often work from home and my pc is positioned by the window in my living room. I live on a fairly quiet street and if someone walks along the pavement outside my house, they can see me through my window. Its amazing the amount of people that stare in almost as if they are seeing what kind of place i have! ( i hate net curtains or anything that restricts the light into my living room) I also stare out onto the street while im working. I just wondered what everyone thinks...........is it rude to stare into someones house as you pass their window, am i being rude by staring out onto the street? One woman last week actually stopped and pointed in at my sofa and said something to the person she was with, they walked on when they saw me sat here!!

It doesn't really bother me that people look into my house (apart from the lady that pointed out my sofa to her friend) my point was more why do people do it? Im guilty of it myself, if i walk past a house thats nicely furnished, i can't help but have a look!

Answer 1

People quite often look into the office I share will a colleague as we are an open door on a corridor of lots of closed doors. We sometimes wonder what they think they are going to see us doing! If I was brave enough I would love to moon at them to teach them not to look!!!

Answer 2

When I am a passenger in a car, I love to look inside houses through the windows as we drive by. I am always just curious about what other peoples houses look like on the inside. I don't know why. I don't think it's rude for you to stare out your own window. I do think that the woman who pointed into your house at the sofa and said something to who she was with, was rude, though.

Answer 3

It is very rude to look into other people's houses when passing by. That's invading people's privacy! Weirdly, a lot of people do it anyway even though they know it's rude. Some people are just curious to see what various homes look like.

I hate it when people do this. I used to live in a place where people walked by sometimes and most people looked in through the window when passing by. I even had a couple of incidents where people literally walked right to the window and put their hands between their face and the window to see better inside! It's incredibly rude.

I don't think it's rude to watch OUT of the window. The street on the outside is a public place, so you are not invading anyone's privacy by looking out onto the street (as long as you are not spying on someone there).

Answer 4

I personally think it is rude to stare into someone's house as you walk by. Unless you invite a person into your home they've no reason to be looking in.

However, it's a habit that is quite hard to break. God knows I detest doing it, but I still find myself peeking sideways into windows when I'm walking by. So unless you did obscure their view (which you've already said you dislike) then people are probably going to keep on looking in I'm afraid.

And no, there is nothing wrong at all with you looking out of the window :)

That woman who pointed however, seems just a bit overboard! I would have pulled a silly face at her when she realised I was there, if it was me ;)

Answer 5

I have to hold my hands up and admit that I look in peoples windows when I am out walking the dog especially at night when the lights are on . I am not being nosy really . I just find these little vingnettes of peoples lives fascinating . Especially at Christmas when the trees are lit up and the rooms are decorated .
You are not being rude at all looking out of your window thats what they are for after all . Next time someone looks in at you give them a wave . It will either embarass them that they will stop right away or you never know your friendly gesture might just cheer up someones day !

Answer 6

when we are children we learn our mannerisms and our vocabulary from adults around us now we are adults we get our design ideas usually from tv programs but some people seem to like finding out how other people decorate so stare in through peoples windows the lady who pionted at your setee was probably remarking to her friend that that is the type she would like it is rude but lots of people still do it i would take some of the others advice and wave at them they will be more embarrassed to be caught looking than you will be annoyed plus staring out the window is a normal thing if you are doing some very boring or tedious work your mind tends to wander and you end up staring out the window for some inspiration to kick start it again all of it is natural curiosity programmed into us from childhood

Answer 7

It would be rude to walk across your lawn and stare into your window, but looking up from the street isn't, especially if there are no curtains. If I see no curtains, I always look in windows I pass on the street, especially if it is a house that I like.

Answer 8

I always say windows are not there just to let light in.
I look out and i am totally not bothered if folk look in whilst
walking past,10 foot away, our living room window.
Our curtains are not drawn till well after dark and if we are outside near our window we always get hellos.

Answer 9

I know we are all brought up to think that it is rude to stare at people. There are moments when I think this rule can be relaxed - e.g. staring out of your car window at other motorists, on a bus etc. when we go out for a walk its natural to look around and who doesn't stare into other people's windows? I guess if you catch them looking at you, it would be classified as rude and brazen if they didn't avert their gaze and walk on but I think casual passing stares don't harm anyone. you have to be looking at them to be noticing them afterall. I laughed at your last comment about the nosey passerby admiring your sofa! That sounds just like what my mother would do!!

Answer 10

I love looking in at peoples houses as I walk past. I am not so keen when people do the same to me of course. I don't have nets either and if anyone stares in I usually wave, that is enough to embarrass them enough to look away