Couple regrets being good neighbors after elderly man’s entitled son-in-law expects his kids can use their Wi-Fi for free: 'I don't even know his name'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Feb 8, 2025 9:00 AM EST

If you grew up in a big family, you know the struggle of battling for decent Wi-Fi. Your brother's screaming into his headset while playing video games, your sister's glued to her phone scrolling social media, your dad's up late working from his laptop, and you're desperately trying to stream your favorite show without it buffering every two seconds. It's enough to make you want to launch the router out the window.

But as frustrating as slow Wi-Fi can be, what's worse is someone trying to mooch off your connection entirely, like the guy in this story. A young couple lives in an apartment complex and were nothing but kind to their upstairs elderly neighbor. They would help him with groceries, share plates of leftovers, you know, the whole neighborly deal. But when the old man's family moved in, his son-in-law decided he could take advantage of the couple's kindness. 

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  • "WIBTA If I Denied My Neighbor's Family Access to my Wi-Fi?"

    So me (25M) and my fiance (24F) live below an older guy in our apartment complex. His name is Doug, he's super nice, kinda lonely and has a really sweet little Chihuahua. We have a pretty good relationship with him; I've helped him set up his cable and his new phone, made
    via DiscombobulatedNut
  • plates for him on nights that we had a little leftover dinner, helped get his groceries from his car. Just neighborly stuff. Well, a couple weeks ago his daughter, son in law and their 4 kids moved into his 2 bedroom apartment with him because they
    via DiscombobulatedNut
  • lost their home (I don't know the details). He told my fiance that they would be staying with him until they got their taxes and hopefully could find a place. Now, that's a major break in the lease but I've not said anything as Ive been homeless before and understand how hard it is,
    via DiscombobulatedNut
  • especially with kids. All I've done is ask that he keeps his grandkids quiet past 9 pm as they've stomped and ran around and woke up me and my two kids multiple times. He's managed to get them quiet His son in law, who he isn't a fan
    via DiscombobulatedNut
  • of, came down to our apartment a couple days ago while I was at work and asked my fiance if he could use our wifi sometimes so that his wife could continue to homeschool their kids. She was caught off guard by the question as we've never met the guy, don't even know his name and
    via DiscombobulatedNut
  • wasn't really expecting the question at 8 pm. She said she didn't know anything about the wifi (as a way to just run him off) and that I handled it all. He asked when I would be home and she told him 11 pm and he was like "oh that's too late, I'll just come by tomorrow.". My fiance advised
    via DiscombobulatedNut
  • that he shouldn't but he did anyway. Last night around 6:45, we had just sat down to eat dinner and he comes knocking on our door. I ignore it, as I'm eating dinner and our 3 year old has the flu so he was extremely fussy. A couple
    via DiscombobulatedNut
  • Cheezburger Image 10464539392
    via Brock Wegner For Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • minutes goes by and he knocks again, and I ignore it as I'm still eating dinner and trying to get our 3 yr old to calm down and eat. I wake up this morning to a note on the door asking if they could use our wifi as Doug doesn't
    via DiscombobulatedNut
  • have it and his kids really need to continue their curriculum but I have a feeling they also want to just mooch off of our wifi. Also his wife is a SAHM and has had plenty of opportunity to ask me when seeing me outside in passing. WIBTA if I Denied them access?
    via DiscombobulatedNut

  • The audacity of this man is enough to make you want to ignore him completely. But as some clever commenters pointed out, there are more reasons this couple should deny him access to their Wi-Fi than just his entitlement. Who knew? 

  • Real-Back6481 NTA. Don't do it. Anything someone does on your line is your responsibility. Download something illegal, commit a cybercrime, anything like that, you will have to deal with it.
    via r
  • There was a bar I used to like to go to with free wi-fi, they ended it because someone downloaded a TV show over the wi-fi and the bar got a DMCA letter, which was not just a scare tactic as this was a business. The bar was fined heavily.
    via r
  • Just imagine the bad stuff someone else could do on your line and having to deal with it, I think you'll agree, it's not an option.
    via r
  • SnarkyBeanBroth If you need plausible deniability - "I'm sorry, my workplace has security requirements for my connection. I'm not allowed any connections other than my household." or
    via s
  • something similar. Yes, you should just be able to say "No." and be done. It sounds like Doug needs to get his own internet and/or upgrade what he has. But I understand if you want to keep your cordial relationship with Doug and don't want to rock the boat.
    via s
  • That's before we get to the point that homeschooling is usually a choice, and other folks aren't required to subsidize optional life choices. You already pay for free education in your city via your taxes. If these kids need to be homeschooled for a non-optional reason (like medical), then the
    via s
  • school will usually step in to make sure that happens. I had to homeschool my daughter for a year, and the school provided materials and a teacher that came by once a week to make sure we were on track (this was before home internet was widespread).
    via s

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neighbors kids neighborhood-drama son in law wifi parenting petty couples family elderly entitled people apartment
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