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Neighbor Noise

What can be done when you have loud neighbors?

I can't tell you the amount of parties I've been to, where neighbors call the cops because of the noise. And you can't blame them. Sometimes a band is playing in the backyard. Othertimes, it's the stereo blasting. Or, it could just be a hundred people in the front yard at 1:00 a.m. And, neighbors deserve to be able to sleep.

Of course, I think they should chill out if it's New Year's Eve, or Halloween, or if it's neighbors that don't party every Friday night.

But what do you do if you have a neighbor that has a dog? I have neighbors now with dogs, but they don't bark all the time, so I don't complain. In previous years, I've had neighbors that had dogs go non stop. The police tell me to call some noise abatement number. They tell me I need signatures from two other neighbors. That makes sense. They want proof that it's not just one jerk complaining. But that did me no good, when all my neighbors have dogs.

I had an apartment once, where a guy would pick up his girlfriend at 5:00 a.m. with a loud honk of his horn. One day I opened my window, and as she walked to his truck I yelled "What the hell? It's 5 in the morning." I saw her get in the truck, and point up to me. Our complex had silence for the rest of the week, and then the honking started again.

One day, when I was working late on my computer, I was prepared. I kept my clothes on. I heard the honk. I ran downstairs, went up to the guy in the truck. Normally, I'm nice and civil about things like this. But I think continuous honking at 5:00 a.m. after being told previously, led me to the next step.

I calmly said, "How retarded are you? (I know that's not PC...) If you keep honking your horn this early in the morning, I'm going to kick your ass. You can call her on your cell phone, and tell her you're in the parking lot."

In broken English, this older guy said "I no have cell phone." I then calmed down a bit more, because at least he had a bit of an excuse. I explained how he could get out of his truck and knock on her door. Or how, she can look out the window for him, since she expects him at 5:00 a.m. And if it's a little more inconvenient, so be it. But we shouldn't all have to wake up upon his arrival.

He apologized, and I thanked him.

Of course, I didn't believed him. I was expecting a honk the following week. But, he surprised me and got it together.

As much as I appreciated the fact that I was able to talk sense into a moron, and I wish more discussions could go as smoothly...It disturbs me that people can't just think, initially, how their actions affect others.

Currently, my parents are having problems with their neighbors. They don't want to say anything, because they want peace in the neighborhood.

Oh well. It's their bed. They'll have to sleep in it. Or, try...while all the honking, car alarms, and parties rage on.

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I can't tell you the amount of parties I've been to, where neighbors call the cops because of the noise. And you can't blame them. Sometimes a band is playing in the backyard. Othertimes, it's the stereo blasting. Or, it could just be a hundred people in the front yard at 1:00 a.m. And, neighbors deserve to be able to sleep.

Of course, I think they should chill out if it's New Year's Eve, or Halloween, or if it's neighbors that don't party every Friday night.

But what do you do if you have a neighbor that has a dog? I have neighbors now with dogs, but they don't bark all the time, so I don't complain. In previous years, I've had neighbors that had dogs go non stop. The police tell me to call some noise abatement number. They tell me I need signatures from two other neighbors. That makes sense. They want proof that it's not just one jerk complaining. But that did me no good, when all my neighbors have dogs.

I had an apartment once, where a guy would pick up his girlfriend at 5:00 a.m. with a loud honk of his horn. One day I opened my window, and as she walked to his truck I yelled "What the hell? It's 5 in the morning." I saw her get in the truck, and point up to me. Our complex had silence for the rest of the week, and then the honking started again.

One day, when I was working late on my computer, I was prepared. I kept my clothes on. I heard the honk. I ran downstairs, went up to the guy in the truck. Normally, I'm nice and civil about things like this. But I think continuous honking at 5:00 a.m. after being told previously, led me to the next step.

I calmly said, "How retarded are you? (I know that's not PC...) If you keep honking your horn this early in the morning, I'm going to kick your ass. You can call her on your cell phone, and tell her you're in the parking lot."

In broken English, this older guy said "I no have cell phone." I then calmed down a bit more, because at least he had a bit of an excuse. I explained how he could get out of his truck and knock on her door. Or how, she can look out the window for him, since she expects him at 5:00 a.m. And if it's a little more inconvenient, so be it. But we shouldn't all have to wake up upon his arrival.

He apologized, and I thanked him.

Of course, I didn't believed him. I was expecting a honk the following week. But, he surprised me and got it together.

As much as I appreciated the fact that I was able to talk sense into a moron, and I wish more discussions could go as smoothly...It disturbs me that people can't just think, initially, how their actions affect others.

Currently, my parents are having problems with their neighbors. They don't want to say anything, because they want peace in the neighborhood.

Oh well. It's their bed. They'll have to sleep in it. Or, try...while all the honking, car alarms, and parties rage on.

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