Advice for noisy neighbors?

[_Sam Harris]

First of all, let me say I am CISED that I finally have internet at home. Soon I'll be working, and I'm going back to school. Yay!

Ok, my upstairs neighbors either have a brothel running, a crack house, own a horse, or refuse to sit their kids down from time to time.

They are up all hours of the night. My son wakes up to feed in the wee hours, but he doesn't cry (he grunts, LOL). When I'm feeding him, I hear them running back and forth. Their kids drop things on the floor every 15 minutes. You hear them screaming constantly. They were running around in the hallway one night at midnight...unattended. The wife likes to run around in heels. She blasted Christmas music all through the season. I couldn't sleep. They wake my son up sometimes.

I can clock their movements. Every morning at 7 their loud alarm goes off. Then the cell phone vibrates on the floor. They can never set that thing on a table. I hear stomping 24-7, until I hammer on the ceiling, and then they'e quiet for a few hours.

I want to complain to the management office, because I believe that they simply didn't buy carpets for their wood floors like required. They've been there so long that they still have parquet. We have carpet. Sometimes carpet makes a huge difference. The bumping just woke my son up again. I'm about to catch a charge.

Advice?

[_The Nehor]

There is no problem so difficult or complicated that it can't be solved by murdering everyone even remotely involved. You know what you have to do.

[_Sam Harris]

Nehor, that is far too tempting in most situations...but I don't want to try to raise little Steve from behind a glass wall, so I have to find another way.

[_Dr. Shades]

In life, it's often surprising what you can get just by asking.

I suggest taking Steve Jr. with you and knocking on their door. With a distraught and distressed look on your face, explain how all the noise keeps him awake day and night, and how you're worried about his health. Then ask them politely and respectfully if they'll keep the noise down or otherwise go easy on the floors.

It sounds simple, but hey, its chances of working are better than doing nothing at all.

[_Sam Harris]

I keep saying I'm going to do that. But then I assume everyone is as ghetto as I am, and I'll end up in an argument. Best to do it when he's not wailing, because that's when I get really mad...

[_Dr. Shades]

I keep saying I'm going to do that. But then I assume everyone is as ghetto as I am, and I'll end up in an argument.

Avoid, at all costs, putting them on the defensive. The trick is to get them to see you as the victim. If, by your manner, they perceive themselves to be the victim, then they will retaliate by continuing on business as usual.

To get them to perceive you as the victim, smile a lot and say "please" way more than is necessary.

Best to do it when he's not wailing, because that's when I get really mad...

DON'T say anything to them when you're mad. You want them to have sympathy toward you, not to be angry with you.

[_Sam Harris]

I'll do my best, though I have a feeling that in this neighborhood few will care.

When I was living with my mom, the neighbor just behind us insisted on remodeling his house at midnight. He used a power saw often. I called the cops, because in that case there IS a noise pollution law...

[_Dr. Shades]

I'll do my best, though I have a feeling that in this neighborhood few will care.

Who knows, you might be surprised. Appeal to their nobler instincts. Remember, they're used to everyone being the exact same way they are. If someone (you) treat them with respect and actually say "please" instead of making demands, who knows, you just might appear as a shining star.

When I was living with my mom, the neighbor just behind us insisted on remodeling his house at midnight. He used a power saw often. I called the cops, because in that case there IS a noise pollution law...

You were well within your rights, of course. Just curious, but did you confront him first?

[_Sam Harris]

I didn't confront him, but other neighbors did. Mom and Stepdad are part of the homeowner's association, and they're constantly having problems with people doing things like that. There's one rule where, if you are a cab driver, you have to park your cab on the street outside the development (a block away). One dude keeps refusing. He spray painted the car of the person who reported him.

Home Improvement dude used to see me peeking out my bedroom window at him, he'd just keep on sawing away. I figured it was common sense to not be making such noise at midnight. He told the officer that he worked during the day. Um, who doesn't?

I was glad when he moved...

[_Yoda]

I agree with Shades. You would be surprised what simply asking politely can do. You might even end up being friends with this family as a result.

We had a similar experience when we lived in a downstairs apartment and the girls were small.

The Mom upstairs had teen-age girls. We actually ended up being good friends and hanging out together. LOL

Her girls even babysat my girls occasionally.