Yesterday I was working in the yard...

[unicron44]

cutting the grass, painting the deck and shed, and replacing wood in said deck. It was very hot outside and I was absolutely drenched in sweat. Also I didn't want to get paint on my clothes so I took off my shirt. Plus with it being summer I decided to work on my tan.

My neighbors next door were having a cook out with family. I'm assuming it was for the Independence Day, better late than never, and his daughters were outside. The they kids which I'm going to guess are between 6 and 13.

Well I guess my neighbor didn't take kindly to me and my brother not having shirts on and came over to give us a piece of his mind. He said, "Guys put some shirts on I don't want my daughters seeing that." And he just walked away.

Now I've never spoken a word in my life to this guy and it really caught me off guard. My brother and I are just normally built so it's not like we're trying to show off our bodies. and we weren't bothering them.

Was this justified?

EDIT: Some have asked, and yes it was my yard.

 

[viranimus]

Yes.. completely justified... Its a father... concerned about his daughters who are charging into hormonal territory.

So take it as a compliment... Daddy thought you looked good enough to be a threat.

 

[Henkie36]

Well, I think you are right. I mean, it's not like you are going to downtown LA without a shirt, that would be akward. But what if you would have a swimming pool in the garden? Would your neighbour complain about that if you went swimming without a shirt?

 

[Crystalite]

hm, I guess he never lets them go to the beach?
I see people work shirtless all the time in the summer, sometimes its pretty, sometime it aint.

And anyway, 6 is not in puberty, and even 13 might not be.
I think your neighbor is just stuck up - our jealous.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Yes, a 13 year old girl is going to go into a hormonal sex rage because she saw her neighbor without a shirt on.

I mean, its not like its something she'd see on TV, at the beach, on the internet, in magazines, on book covers, at a gym, near a minor road used by joggers...

I mean, come on. Ridiculous.

 

[NinjaOnXTC]

I say that if he had a problem with it, he should have attempted to stop it from affecting his daughter, even though he did attempt to do this by asking you, it would have been much more effective for him to simply of shielded his daughter from the view by taking her inside or something. It sounds to me like he didn't take her to the beach/pool often either, if it's the same where you are as it is in New Zealand.
That or he's just jealous because you're making him self conscious about his weight, you know, you were actually exercising and possibly he wasn't? I don't know, it's late here...

 

[Rabish Bini]

I can see where he's coming from, but if he said it the way you worded it, he's a prick. He could've been much kinder about it, maybe introduced himself and asked nicely.

EDIT: Thinking about it more, does he keeps his daughters locked away in the house, away from internet and the beach and stuff? Seems silly to me.

 

[zarguhl]

It's a scientific fact that if a girl sees a shirtless man before 18 she will become a stripper. You should know this!

 

[Gxas]

I mean, its not like its something she'd see on TV, at the beach, on the internet, in magazines, on book covers, at a gym, near a minor road used by joggers...

She could see it in a house! She could see it with a MOUSE! She could see it here, or there! SHE COULD SEE IT ANYWHERE!?

Wait... That's not...

OT: He is justified, however, if you are on your own property, I really don't think he could do anything about it. As someone already said, is he going to complain if you had a pool and were swimming? What is he going to do, ask you to swim with your shirt on from now on?

Go outside again today and take your shirt off. If he bothers you about it, just say that it is hot and you're not doing anything outside of your rights as a human being.

 

[Lawnmooer]

Well... That's a bit strange...

I get that he would like to shield his daughters, especially when maybe one of them has/is soon to start getting very hormonal, but it does seem a bit over the top... Especially when I can't walk around town without seeing at least 6 topless guys.

As long as you were in your yard (You haven't specified who's yard you were working in, if it was his yard then he may have had some reasoning...) and you were not actually trying to show off (Like making sure the girls were watching while you and your brother were massaging oil onto each other) it should be fine.

Heck nudists go into their yards wearing nothing (Though they can be complained to by neighbours) most of the time people don't care because they don't go around snooping in on other people yards and such...

 

[Thaluikhain]

I mean, its not like its something she'd see on TV, at the beach, on the internet, in magazines, on book covers, at a gym, near a minor road used by joggers...

She could see it in a house! She could see it with a MOUSE! She could see it here, or there! SHE COULD SEE IT ANYWHERE!?

Heh...

Yeah, a parent has to try shielding their kids, but at the same time not being over-protective, or infringing on the rgiths of others or...fuck it, easier not to breed.

 

[John the Gamer]

That because you were doing MANLY things with your MANLY brother and he feared his wife would leave him for not being as MANLY... or something.

I my eyes: He was talking out of his arse. Maybe you should have taken of your pants as well to prove your right for free will and the face you can do almost anything on your own property.

My mom for instance, in her college days she lived next to a crazy woman who spend her evenings dancing all naked in her backyard with "Fairies and Elves". Yeah... Well I guess everyone is entitled to their own crazy pastimes.

Spoiler: I could understand if you looked like this though... I'd fear my doughters wellbeing as well (though I dont have any yet)

 

[Caffeinemancer]

Personally? I was reeaallllyyyy boycrazy at 13. Seeing a couple of hottie boys wandering around shirtless would have been sugarnated fantasy fodder for at least a good 6 months, so hey. Take it as a compliment?

Though if it were me, and I were a guy, shirtless in my own yard, doing my own thing, when some weirdo comes up to me, spazzing about lack-o-shirts in the middle of friggin SUMMER, I would have told him to stuff it and came back outside in tiny swim trunks or something. Just to prove the point that I can do what I want on my own property. (And this is why my karma sucks.)

He doesn't have any actual right to demand you do much of anything. You weren't naked. Shirtless is hardly something to get up in arms over. That guy is lucky you're nice enough to humor him.

 

[Artina89]

It was summer and you were in your yard. I take it he is going to lock his 13 year old daughter indoors all summer because I have been around town and I have seen a lot of guys without shirts on. Maybe he should give her a bit of credit and assume she is not going to jump on every topless guys she sees.

 

[Sigma Van Lockheart]

He said he did not want his daughters seeing that what he ment was he did not want his wife seeing that.In short HE BE JELLY.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

What an absolutely ridiculous and silly person, and he has some nerve striding on to your property and basically ordering you to do it. Next time he comes walking onto your property take your pants off revealing a speedo. And tell me where you live, because I'll have to...uh...

Spoiler: see what he's so upset about.

But if you want to humor him-you can buy some A-Shirts next time you plan to work outside. They breathe a lot better then regular cotton t-shirts and they'll cover you up in case he fears seeing your nipples again. Because as we all know, nipples are evil.