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Friday, January 13, 2012
Housekeeping What Do You Do About Noisy Neighbors?
Posted by Trent Moorman on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 1:38 PM
- My floor. They are down there Greco wrestling and fetishizing baby fetished penguins.
I’ve been patient. I like music a lot. On occasion, I crank music as well, even some industrial metal when the bed-of-nails mood strikes. Some music needs to be cranked. Iron Maiden’s “Powerslave” for instance. Or Soundgarden’s “Room a Thousand Years Wide.” But cranking music is like anything, and must be done in moderation. Not incessantly. I stomp on the floor sometimes to get them to turn it down. It worked once, I think. But the next day, they were back at it. One thing I don't want to do is piss them off. This could lead to louder more incessant cranking. I had a friend who once had noisy neighbors. He left them a note that said, “TURN YOUR SHIT DOWN.” And he built a satanic altar in front of their door with a helix and a claw and lit candle. His neighbors stopped playing loud music. I don’t want to build a satanic altar though.
What do you do about noisy neighbors? What are my rights? What are their rights?
1
iunno, maybe just go knock on their door and tell em whatsup. just try to avoid passive aggressiveness.
4
If it's after ten PM call the cops. Call again. Call again.
If that doesn't work, wait until you're absolutely positive they're asleep, then use a circular saw to cut a beer keg in half right outside their door.
If that doesn't work, wait until you're absolutely positive they're asleep, then use a circular saw to cut a beer keg in half right outside their door.
5
I have wanted to knock on their door many times. But something always stops me. I don't know, I don't want to intrude. I hate to take away someone's moment of loud music. Because that's a necessary thing sometimes.
And if they're in there all mounted up with duct tape and lasso's and nurse outfits or whatever, I kind of want to let them have their privacy.
But damn, at some point, the incessantness becomes too incessant. I mean, wouldn't you get sick of being tightly duct taped after 6 hours?
And if they're in there all mounted up with duct tape and lasso's and nurse outfits or whatever, I kind of want to let them have their privacy.
But damn, at some point, the incessantness becomes too incessant. I mean, wouldn't you get sick of being tightly duct taped after 6 hours?
8
Complain consistently and loudly to the proper people (your building management, HOA, or local law enforcement). The loudest wheel gets the grease.
9
Be direct and handle it yourself. Asking your landlord to deal with the problem is a chickenshit way out. It makes them feel like you went behind their back (and you did) instead of speaking to them like a man. The truth is most people aren't trying to bother you--they just don't realize they're bothering you. Contact your landlord as a last resort--when it's clear they're not getting it, or don't care.
I'm actually going through the same thing with my downstairs neighbor right now. Over the past three months I walked down twice and politely asked him to turn it down. The next two times I called. The fifth time it happened, I asked my neighbor to send a formal complaint. My neighbor wasn't happy with me, but after a long phone call with him he was able to understand that it was a problem. In two weeks I haven't heard a peep out of him.
Results, son.
I'm actually going through the same thing with my downstairs neighbor right now. Over the past three months I walked down twice and politely asked him to turn it down. The next two times I called. The fifth time it happened, I asked my neighbor to send a formal complaint. My neighbor wasn't happy with me, but after a long phone call with him he was able to understand that it was a problem. In two weeks I haven't heard a peep out of him.
Results, son.
10
You could go talk to them when you don't hear music but suspect they are home. Say you don't want to be a drag, but it gets to be a bit much sometimes.
11
I just asked politely. Several times. I don't want to piss anybody off so I just ask politely as many times as it takes. And it finally takes. I have never had to report it to a landlord or the police.
13
Been there a thousand times over. Shit, in my younger years, I was the problem more than a few times...
First, start saving for a new place. But in the mean time—
Go down and talk to them, every time. It sucks, and will eventually result in listening to them whine about "what's fair", but you must. It will either, a) get through to them, b) wear them down until they move, c) have no effect, but you've been saving for a new place, right?
And most of all, be thankful it's not bongos.
First, start saving for a new place. But in the mean time—
Go down and talk to them, every time. It sucks, and will eventually result in listening to them whine about "what's fair", but you must. It will either, a) get through to them, b) wear them down until they move, c) have no effect, but you've been saving for a new place, right?
And most of all, be thankful it's not bongos.
14
I mean cut the bass IN half. Lower the bass. I think that would help. I'll bring them a cupcake when I face them. I can do it.
15
10 a.m. to 10 p.m. deal with it or just move. outside those hours, ask them to turn it down to a point you can't hear it. when they give you the requisite seattle static, remind them you're not infringing on their snowflakeness, you're asking for a reasonable time for quiet. that fails, call the super. that fails, call the cops. that fails, call the landlord. i have some twentysomething dipshits in the next apartment that are fine until they all get home after the bars close on saturday night (friday they're fine). then they and their underage dipshit friends giggle and drink wine coolers and pound shitty dance music til 4. since it's only one night a week and they seem scared of me already, i bought a white noise generator, and in general let em be. all is well now.
17
I have a similar problem, however the cops will not do a darn thing about it. My apartment neighbors and I both took video of the people across the street throwing bottles into the street and shooting fireworks at people walking by and towards us. Cops still say they cannot do anything.
I'm thinking I should just shoot them.
And if that doesn't work, I'm planning on moving.
I'm thinking I should just shoot them.
And if that doesn't work, I'm planning on moving.
18
we live above a juggalo.' pysko klown '.his just recently turned legal adult girlfriend and his mom. the adult mom is a jehovah's witness..you could fill whole wal-marts with what she didn't know about ..well much of anything.he wasn't a juggalo when we first moved in but converted to one. he found out that i was a dj following a class trip to the hip hop exhibit at emp. in his eyes that made me 'cool'. shortly after the music started. his mom must have banished his stereo to his room which was directly below our bedroom.hardly ever during the day, but at night around 10 or so ( which i presumed was when he was fully awake ) the thumping started right below our bedroom and as near as i could tell continued until about an hour after sunrise. drove us fucking nuts. we politely talked with him about it on several occasions. we talked to his mom. we talked to his baby momma.. we left notes. we banged on the floor until he started swearing and banging back. we talked to the building manager who talked to him and threatened the whole lot with eviction but nothing worked. until i called the cops. i hate calling the cops, especially over some rooty poot self described 'klown', but after summoning them twice, his mom decided it would be best if he and baby momma lived in tacoma at baby momma momma's house. finally peace..
..oh.. and there was the time that i ran stomping through the corridors upstairs while blasting 'tosca'.. that worked a couple of times.. you could try that...
..oh.. and there was the time that i ran stomping through the corridors upstairs while blasting 'tosca'.. that worked a couple of times.. you could try that...
19
Yeah, go talk to them like human beings. Make a point to start out with some open-minded hello conversation first, don't just launch into " hey, u are loud" right off the bat. Be cool, try to connect on music, since you both share that to some degree. Don't mention you work for the Stranger.
If, after three or four chats, they haven't abided basic courtesy, review them in the Stranger and let them know about it. JK! Don't do that.
If they aren't gracious after you've talked to them a few times, you can lodge a written complaint to your landlord detailing the process you've gone through. And you can get their neighbors to engage in a letter campaign too.
Most importantly, be human and open-hearted with me, as with all people. N'est-ce pas?
If, after three or four chats, they haven't abided basic courtesy, review them in the Stranger and let them know about it. JK! Don't do that.
If they aren't gracious after you've talked to them a few times, you can lodge a written complaint to your landlord detailing the process you've gone through. And you can get their neighbors to engage in a letter campaign too.
Most importantly, be human and open-hearted with me, as with all people. N'est-ce pas?
20
People listening to that kind of music, or dressing as you imagine, are generally most kind and accommodating. Start off with talking and see if they're reasonable. At this point they have little to no idea it's bothering you. Maybe they're trying to drown out their roommates ridiculously loud sexcapades. You could put an icing pentagram on the cupcake.
21
Fnarf calls the cops first? That is one chickenshit move, that he should well know by now only incurs greater wrath.
22
Escalate. Talk to them once. Then talk to them when it happens again (and it will). After that, you have free reign to complain to the landlord or get the police involved until they get the message through their fucking skull.
23
@19 wrong. don't get seattle on them. you are there to talk to them about their loud music. don't tell them how much you enjoy seeing them getting mail, but never enough to talk to them until now. they caused a situation. you're trying to be reasonable about it. just say it.
letter-writing campaign? fuck. before or after you form a committee to explore it?
letter-writing campaign? fuck. before or after you form a committee to explore it?
24
If you're leasing an apartment or home, there is a very strong chance that there is a specific provision titled "Quiet Use", which is a term of art that means essentially: If you are bothering someone with your noise, you are in violation of your lease.
So you've got that, or you can go for the Seattle Noise Ordinance. Call the cops, they come out 3 hours later, and by that time the music may be off, if not, they come into your apartment (put away your drugs, Trent), and decibel test using a low end decibel meter that cannot exceed X low frequency decibels from inside your apartment with all windows and doors closed. They may be ticketed, or not. Personally, I'm not letting anyone tell me how loud I can be, whether it be my neighbor, landlord, or the police. But that's risky, and I have experience in these areas...
There is also the option of buying a gun, and talking about your gun all the time, but not ever threatening anyone, just talking about guns guns guns, and then everyone thinks your crazy and they don't do anything to piss you off. DO NOT THREATEN PEOPLE, just talk about all your guns and how you love them and sleep with them and put them in your butt.
Lastly, and this is the method I would use, so I'm recommending it over all others:
Ask very nicely as follows: "Hey guys, sorry to bother you, I'm your neighbor in #XXYY, and my name it Trent Moorman. I was just wondering if you'd consider turning it down a bit, or perhaps negotiating some times where the music is quiet, perhaps on a rotating basis? I actually like a lot of what you're playing, so I'm not requesting you never play loudly, just that perhaps you dial it back maybe 10% in volume, and perhaps 10% in duration. Whataya Say Fellas?"
Keep in mind, that you must be exptremely polite for this to work, and not at all condecening. My upstairs nieghbors moved in and tried to force me to play music quietly, but they were rude, and condecending, and I told them to go fuck themselves, and they came back 6 months later and were bigger dicks than the last time, and this time, I really tore them a new asshole, so I don't think they'll be coming back anymore... I been playing at these volumes for approximately 6 years, so they can take their new resident status and shove it up their ass, because I ALWAYS pay my rent on time, and I moved into this building because it's a good place to play loudly, which you already know.
If my neighbors would have asked me politely and with respect, and without making their stupid facial expressions (they're faces looked like I'd kicked them in the balls, even before I said anything, and it's weird because one is this little teeny man so small I'm pretty sure he's a female miniature pony, and the girlfriend, who surely wears the pants, but still prolly doesn't have balls), I would have turned it down for them right away. However, they were rude and so I returned the favor, 10 fold. Fuck them.
Just ask nicely and control your body language/ facial expressions. If that doesn't work, I'll have a talk with them.
More...
So you've got that, or you can go for the Seattle Noise Ordinance. Call the cops, they come out 3 hours later, and by that time the music may be off, if not, they come into your apartment (put away your drugs, Trent), and decibel test using a low end decibel meter that cannot exceed X low frequency decibels from inside your apartment with all windows and doors closed. They may be ticketed, or not. Personally, I'm not letting anyone tell me how loud I can be, whether it be my neighbor, landlord, or the police. But that's risky, and I have experience in these areas...
There is also the option of buying a gun, and talking about your gun all the time, but not ever threatening anyone, just talking about guns guns guns, and then everyone thinks your crazy and they don't do anything to piss you off. DO NOT THREATEN PEOPLE, just talk about all your guns and how you love them and sleep with them and put them in your butt.
Lastly, and this is the method I would use, so I'm recommending it over all others:
Ask very nicely as follows: "Hey guys, sorry to bother you, I'm your neighbor in #XXYY, and my name it Trent Moorman. I was just wondering if you'd consider turning it down a bit, or perhaps negotiating some times where the music is quiet, perhaps on a rotating basis? I actually like a lot of what you're playing, so I'm not requesting you never play loudly, just that perhaps you dial it back maybe 10% in volume, and perhaps 10% in duration. Whataya Say Fellas?"
Keep in mind, that you must be exptremely polite for this to work, and not at all condecening. My upstairs nieghbors moved in and tried to force me to play music quietly, but they were rude, and condecending, and I told them to go fuck themselves, and they came back 6 months later and were bigger dicks than the last time, and this time, I really tore them a new asshole, so I don't think they'll be coming back anymore... I been playing at these volumes for approximately 6 years, so they can take their new resident status and shove it up their ass, because I ALWAYS pay my rent on time, and I moved into this building because it's a good place to play loudly, which you already know.
If my neighbors would have asked me politely and with respect, and without making their stupid facial expressions (they're faces looked like I'd kicked them in the balls, even before I said anything, and it's weird because one is this little teeny man so small I'm pretty sure he's a female miniature pony, and the girlfriend, who surely wears the pants, but still prolly doesn't have balls), I would have turned it down for them right away. However, they were rude and so I returned the favor, 10 fold. Fuck them.
Just ask nicely and control your body language/ facial expressions. If that doesn't work, I'll have a talk with them.
25
This Seattle passive agressive Asperger shit is just ridiculous. Leaving clever notes, spinning revenge scenarios, and calling the cops? I swear the adult population of this city must be 48% autistic.
Put on your big boy pants and go over and talk to them. You never know. You might just get invited to the orgy.
Put on your big boy pants and go over and talk to them. You never know. You might just get invited to the orgy.
26
For a brief period at my old apartment, I lived above some college kids who occasionally liked to blast Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" at 5:00 in the morning, at such high volume that my bed shook. Another neighbor went down to talk to them, but I believe the response was something like "Fuck you, you stupid asshole". At that point we got the manager involved, and soon after they were gone.
Moral of the story? Talk to them first. If that doesn't work, then go up the chain of command (manager, landlord, law enforcement) as needed until it stops. But try talking first. It's good to know your neighbors anyway.
Moral of the story? Talk to them first. If that doesn't work, then go up the chain of command (manager, landlord, law enforcement) as needed until it stops. But try talking first. It's good to know your neighbors anyway.
27
Do what this guy did and get all NIMBY!:
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/…
The sound of happiness is disgusting.
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/…
The sound of happiness is disgusting.
28
I have been the noisy neighbor. Straight up. Not industrial metal all day noisy, but having shows at my house and weekend band practice and fire pit in the back yard noisy. Most of the time I labored under the delusion that we couldn't be heard through our neighbors walls, but I was wrong.
Once, our neighbor brought us cookies. She wanted to ask us not to practice after 4 on sundays, perfectly reasonable. She brought the cookies because she said she didn't want to come over empty handed. It worked brilliantly. We had a good chat about the neighborhood, I unraveled the mystery of their lawn ornaments and we never felt like we were at odds with each other, even though up until that point we were really pissing her off.
Maybe bring a small gift is what I'm saying. People are a whole lot less likely to want to step on the toes of someone they feel at least some camaraderie for than someone who's filling the role of de facto parent, yelling at them to turn that racket down. When you think back to that Michael Jackson video, ask who you identified with more: Macaulay Culkin or his asshole dad? The answers will come.
Once, our neighbor brought us cookies. She wanted to ask us not to practice after 4 on sundays, perfectly reasonable. She brought the cookies because she said she didn't want to come over empty handed. It worked brilliantly. We had a good chat about the neighborhood, I unraveled the mystery of their lawn ornaments and we never felt like we were at odds with each other, even though up until that point we were really pissing her off.
Maybe bring a small gift is what I'm saying. People are a whole lot less likely to want to step on the toes of someone they feel at least some camaraderie for than someone who's filling the role of de facto parent, yelling at them to turn that racket down. When you think back to that Michael Jackson video, ask who you identified with more: Macaulay Culkin or his asshole dad? The answers will come.
30
Based on past Slog history, I'm guessing this would not be considered a problem if you were on a major street, if your neighbors were operating a space frequented by the local hipster community, and/or if they were cranking Pitchfork-approved selections.
Inconsiderate neighbors suck anywhere, and I feel for you, but the hypocrisy of this city's quasi-urban youth is stunning.
Inconsiderate neighbors suck anywhere, and I feel for you, but the hypocrisy of this city's quasi-urban youth is stunning.
31
Microphone.
Digital delay.
Amp.
Speakers.
This is particularly effective against the neighbors who have loud "conversations". Nobody wants to hear themselves repeated like this.
Digital delay.
Amp.
Speakers.
This is particularly effective against the neighbors who have loud "conversations". Nobody wants to hear themselves repeated like this.
33
@23 - heh! No, I'm just trying to use basic psychology: if you come at someone with guns blazing, you'll encounter strong defenses, so better to start by being human, engaging as a human, and then addressing the issue. You'll have greater success getting what you want that way. As to "letter writing campaign", I mean simply talking to your neighbors and seeing if they'll write the landlord too. Many complaints, etc., squeaky wheel, etc. Democracy in action takes work, you know. It aint all just Law & Order or Judge Judy or something. So to make it work, you have to engage with people on an open-minded level. I'm not talking about starting bullshit conversation, I'm talking about trying to find a common ground first. Have you not found that that works more effectively than starting out with complaints right off the bat?
34
Recent college grads can be a problem: like the dipshit who turned up his sound system so high my bed upstairs vibrated, as did the living room couch when I tried to sleep there, too.
The big problem: he cranked the sound up AND THEN WENT TO A BAR.
The manager and I had pounded on his door relentlessly, and after 1 am I called the cops several times, who happened to be busy on a Saturday night.
By 2:30 am I'd given up, had made a reservation at a local hotel, so I could get some sleep that night. I'd packed a bag and was heading out when numbnuts showed up at 2:45 a.m., still didn't turn the din down and he was OUTRAGED when I told him I'd called the cops.
After all, he'd put up with his roommate's loud music in the dorm. I reminded him that the apartment building wasn't a dorm, and luckily for me, the frat boys moved soon after.
Previous frat boys had left their system cranked when they passed out one night, something with a cut that included gunfire: which woke me, repeadtedly if I'd managed to doze through the bass vibrations of the other songs.
I believe the manager learned his lesson (the neighbor on the side of that apartment is a much more vicious complainer than I) and no longer rents to recent boy grads with damaged ear drums.
The big problem: he cranked the sound up AND THEN WENT TO A BAR.
The manager and I had pounded on his door relentlessly, and after 1 am I called the cops several times, who happened to be busy on a Saturday night.
By 2:30 am I'd given up, had made a reservation at a local hotel, so I could get some sleep that night. I'd packed a bag and was heading out when numbnuts showed up at 2:45 a.m., still didn't turn the din down and he was OUTRAGED when I told him I'd called the cops.
After all, he'd put up with his roommate's loud music in the dorm. I reminded him that the apartment building wasn't a dorm, and luckily for me, the frat boys moved soon after.
Previous frat boys had left their system cranked when they passed out one night, something with a cut that included gunfire: which woke me, repeadtedly if I'd managed to doze through the bass vibrations of the other songs.
I believe the manager learned his lesson (the neighbor on the side of that apartment is a much more vicious complainer than I) and no longer rents to recent boy grads with damaged ear drums.
36
Just talk to them about it.They probably have no idea they're driving you crazy.Passive aggressivenalter construction would just piss me off and make me turn it up.A friendly "hey, could you turn it down a bit" would be make me want to be a good neighbor.
37
I've found that it's helpful to say when you don't mind them cranking it up and enjoying their music. If you say "Hey, I don't mind that you guys like you're music loud (as I do too), but when it's all day it can get overwhelming. Can you not play it that loud for more than a couple hours a day?"
Then the neighbor usually says that they didn't know it was that loud, which invites you to say "Yeah, it's totally vibrating my furniture." Then they feel like assholes. You have won.
Then the neighbor usually says that they didn't know it was that loud, which invites you to say "Yeah, it's totally vibrating my furniture." Then they feel like assholes. You have won.
38
I had on-again/off-again issues with my downstairs neighbors in my old crappy apartment, mostly loud music that would inexplicably start up at 3 a.m. on a Thursday morning. Two of them were too cowardly to even come to the door when I knocked. The third was the reason I moved into a much more expensive apartment. I started out by being polite when asking them to turn their shit down, which they did but then passive-aggressively shouted insults through the ceiling once I got back to my apartment. Since my apartment manager was a fucking asshole, I didn't go to her until the neighbors escalated to the point that I seriously thought they might resort to violence.
The lesson I ultimately learned is to never confront neighbors like that directly. Go through your landlord. They are violating their lease and, if the noise persists after 10 p.m., the law as well.
And the only way they don't know that they're bothering people is if they're straight out of college like Judibrowni's neighbors. Odds are they know full well, they just don't give a fuck, and asking them to show you the most basic respect and decency will only piss them off.
The lesson I ultimately learned is to never confront neighbors like that directly. Go through your landlord. They are violating their lease and, if the noise persists after 10 p.m., the law as well.
And the only way they don't know that they're bothering people is if they're straight out of college like Judibrowni's neighbors. Odds are they know full well, they just don't give a fuck, and asking them to show you the most basic respect and decency will only piss them off.
39
My advice is: be a grown-up. Your an intelligent human being and can only assume that your neighbours, if they are clever enough to use a stereo, are probable clever enough to realize that there are limits to what other people enjoy hearing.
So you go down there on a sunday afternoon and you put your best neighbourly smile on + and talk to them. Just tell them its fine its just that you "work wierd hours" (perhaps a lie) and need to sleep or that "this house has really thin walls and floors and you can hear a bit too much". Just be nice about it, fuck bring some cake and say "I dont wanna come off like someone who has a hissy fit about nothing - heres cake - could you turn the stereo down a bit?". Worst case scenario their idiots and you just lost some good cake. Best case they remember you as that nice cake-person and remember you making them thing about your needs more easily.
Stomping on the floor does nothing. Hell *I* would crank up my music if anyone did that...
So you go down there on a sunday afternoon and you put your best neighbourly smile on + and talk to them. Just tell them its fine its just that you "work wierd hours" (perhaps a lie) and need to sleep or that "this house has really thin walls and floors and you can hear a bit too much". Just be nice about it, fuck bring some cake and say "I dont wanna come off like someone who has a hissy fit about nothing - heres cake - could you turn the stereo down a bit?". Worst case scenario their idiots and you just lost some good cake. Best case they remember you as that nice cake-person and remember you making them thing about your needs more easily.
Stomping on the floor does nothing. Hell *I* would crank up my music if anyone did that...
40
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/12/tak…
A whiny letter from a disgruntled student named Dave Hubbard appeared in the Amherst Student in 1984, addressed to "Members of the Free World"; this guy was dismayed because others had dared to complain about the constant stream of loud music coming from his room.
A few days later the following letter appeared in the same paper. The student was David Foster Wallace.
A whiny letter from a disgruntled student named Dave Hubbard appeared in the Amherst Student in 1984, addressed to "Members of the Free World"; this guy was dismayed because others had dared to complain about the constant stream of loud music coming from his room.
A few days later the following letter appeared in the same paper. The student was David Foster Wallace.
41
In college, our neighbors kept my roommate up all night with some crazy party. He (stupidly) left them an angry note. They returned the note, scribbled out, and with a threat that if we had a problem with them "we can get physical." So we promptly cranked the stereo and played Olivia Newton John's "Let's Get Physical" for a while.
In the end, someone else called the cops on them a week or two later. They came pleading to us to not do that again, and we happily told them it wasn't us. Looks like we're not the only ones who were sick of their douche-y antics.
In the end, someone else called the cops on them a week or two later. They came pleading to us to not do that again, and we happily told them it wasn't us. Looks like we're not the only ones who were sick of their douche-y antics.
43
"It sounds like they are throwing plywood around. Or performing some sort of Greco Roman wrestling competition/extreme thrash bondage ceremony on the walls. Sometimes it gurgles. They live below me. When there is gurgling, I picture them sacrificing small animals such as baby penguins, and duct taping themselves to a girl dressed up like Smurfette."
the noisy music couldn't be nearly as annoying as your writing.
the noisy music couldn't be nearly as annoying as your writing.
44
When knocking on their door and politely asking them to crank down the volume a touch results in an eyeroll from the offending neighbor, I like to wait until early the next morning to crank up the volume on *my* stereo. It doesn't take more than once or twice for them to get the hint.
Disturb my sleeping time and I'll disturb yours.
Disturb my sleeping time and I'll disturb yours.
45
It's gonna be a process. Talk to them first during a time when they're home but quiet. Then talk to them again--like others have said, it's gonna happen again--when they're noisy. If nothing happens go to the landlord. If nothing happens after that, call the cops.
I wouldn't be a dick, just be as neutral as you can be. I also wouldn't bake them cookies either because I don't believe in catering to assholes, particularly in a situation where said assholes have been crapping on you. Really, they ought to be bringing you beer or some kind of bake goods to make up for what they've put you through although that will never happen.
I've dealt with this periodically throughout my adult life and expect to for the rest if my days thanks to astronomical student loan payments and working in an underpaid, under-valued field; I won't be buying a house except maybe if I reincarnate up the social ladder but I don't believe in that.
I lived alone in a cheap, un-rehabbed loft on the East Coast about 20-some years ago when a band moved in. The first week I met one of the guys, showed him where the laundromat was and hung out with him while we did laundry. Soon after that, he and his bandmates would walk on the roof and peer into my skylights (for some reason they could access the roof from their apartment but I couldn't through mine) and would yell to me through the walls. One Friday night I was getting into bed around two in the morning when they started playing "The devil went down to Georgia" super loud. I got dressed and went to their door (fortunately, we didn't share a hallway even though we were in the same building.), rang the bell several times. One of the band members answered the door. I asked him if they could keep it down since it was after two am. With an exaggerated politeness he told me they would. I wondered what was coming since I knew he was bullshitting me. I remember wanting to yank his head around by his septum piercing while also processing the fact that as a 90 pound woman this wouldn't be an option. So I returned to my apartment, pretending that I believed him. Iit was dead quiet for about five minutes until the band and their various partymates yelled "Fuck you cunt!" as loud as they could. I was pretty scared, given that they had access to my roof so I called the cops. Shortly thereafter I realized I probably wouldn't be safe staying there so I hopped on my bike and rode to the cooperative art gallery where I showed my work as It was the only place I could go. On my way there I got a flat tire but kept going anyway, garbage men catcalling me, promising sexual favors as I went. I finally made it there and went to sleep on the floor where I dreamed about half naked chubby middle-aged men and women bellydancing around me. The next morning I called my landlord who gave me the "boys will be boys" speech and said I should be understanding because it was "their first apartment.". I gave notice and moved out a week later. I later heard that these guys destroyed the apartment and that the landlords had a hell of a time getting those guys out of there.
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I wouldn't be a dick, just be as neutral as you can be. I also wouldn't bake them cookies either because I don't believe in catering to assholes, particularly in a situation where said assholes have been crapping on you. Really, they ought to be bringing you beer or some kind of bake goods to make up for what they've put you through although that will never happen.
I've dealt with this periodically throughout my adult life and expect to for the rest if my days thanks to astronomical student loan payments and working in an underpaid, under-valued field; I won't be buying a house except maybe if I reincarnate up the social ladder but I don't believe in that.
I lived alone in a cheap, un-rehabbed loft on the East Coast about 20-some years ago when a band moved in. The first week I met one of the guys, showed him where the laundromat was and hung out with him while we did laundry. Soon after that, he and his bandmates would walk on the roof and peer into my skylights (for some reason they could access the roof from their apartment but I couldn't through mine) and would yell to me through the walls. One Friday night I was getting into bed around two in the morning when they started playing "The devil went down to Georgia" super loud. I got dressed and went to their door (fortunately, we didn't share a hallway even though we were in the same building.), rang the bell several times. One of the band members answered the door. I asked him if they could keep it down since it was after two am. With an exaggerated politeness he told me they would. I wondered what was coming since I knew he was bullshitting me. I remember wanting to yank his head around by his septum piercing while also processing the fact that as a 90 pound woman this wouldn't be an option. So I returned to my apartment, pretending that I believed him. Iit was dead quiet for about five minutes until the band and their various partymates yelled "Fuck you cunt!" as loud as they could. I was pretty scared, given that they had access to my roof so I called the cops. Shortly thereafter I realized I probably wouldn't be safe staying there so I hopped on my bike and rode to the cooperative art gallery where I showed my work as It was the only place I could go. On my way there I got a flat tire but kept going anyway, garbage men catcalling me, promising sexual favors as I went. I finally made it there and went to sleep on the floor where I dreamed about half naked chubby middle-aged men and women bellydancing around me. The next morning I called my landlord who gave me the "boys will be boys" speech and said I should be understanding because it was "their first apartment.". I gave notice and moved out a week later. I later heard that these guys destroyed the apartment and that the landlords had a hell of a time getting those guys out of there.
47
"My advice is: be a grown-up"
ooh, that's a lot to ask of mr. moorman. i mean, have you read his column?
just kiddin', trent. like a previous poster said, put on your big boy panties and deal with it. if it's not too much to ask, be charming and pleasant when dealing with your neighbors.
ooh, that's a lot to ask of mr. moorman. i mean, have you read his column?
just kiddin', trent. like a previous poster said, put on your big boy panties and deal with it. if it's not too much to ask, be charming and pleasant when dealing with your neighbors.
48
Be nice and ask them to turn it down, one time. After that, call your building management and complain, every time they pull that bs. Keep complaining until it stops. I live in a cheap-@ss building in Greenwood, have had a few 'post-greek-system' neighbors who seemed to think that living in a grown-up building was the same as their frat or sorority. Being nice once didn't do much, but after asking once I didn't feel bad about complaining again and again. Good Luck.
49
Sweet tapdancing Jesus, Moorman, pull up your big boy panties and grow a pair. And, for fuck's sake, do not take them a fucking cupcake!
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