noise ordinance

i cannot stand my upstairs neighbors.

the family consists of a 2 year old (adorable)0 an 8 year old (cutie, but troubled and defiant) and mom. (mid twenties, totally incompetent.) i get that the kids will be up early, running around, and being kids. i have nothing to say about that. what i DO have something to say about is the five AM banging. BANGING, not running about. it shakes the walls in our apartment, and wakes us up at unreasonable hours, almost every single day. we’ve had conversations with the landlord, he doesn’t care. we’ve had conversations with mom, she is apologetic, and honestly, does try to keep it in hand, but isn’t ever successful. mostly because she’s in the bedroom sleeping while the kids run wild up there. some mornings, it sounds like they’re rearranging furniture. at FIVE AM.

this morning was no different, except i’ve had enough. the running around was not an issue, but when they both started jumping up and down, and throwing shit at walls, and banging around beyond that, i banged on the ceiling right back. it stopped for a minute, but started up again, so i banged again. well, turns out mom has a new boyfriend staying with her, and he didn’t like that. so he started too. i hollered for them to cut it out – and he banged HARDER. i thought it was the eight year old (he’s totally done it before, i wouldn’t put it past him.)

that set me on fucking fire, and i hauled my ass up the stairs to knock on the door. i WAS going to see if i could get mom to make the kiddos stop, just for another hour (this was at 7am. already TWO HOURS of this nonsense.), but i had to catch my breath before i knocked, or all i’d do was huff and puff in her face for a minute – not a great look. then, i heard dude’s voice, saying something along the lines of “that was NOT cool.” i thought he was addressing the eight year old, and since things quieted after that, i decided not to knock after all, and turned and started back down the stairs.

this motherfucker decided to open the door, and address me. he certainly was not quiet or respectful, and the “conversation” he was him telling me he can’t control the fact that the kids are running around, and that my issue with that seems like a personal problem. he asked if he was breaking the law, but i said i wasn’t interested in involving the law, i was TRYING to address it respectfully with the neighbor. he went on and on about fuck me and this was HIS house (it’s not.) and HIS KIDS (they aren’t) can make all the noise they want in HIS HOUSE. that’s when i informed him that, actually, there’s a noise ordinance in our town, and from 10p until 9a on the weekends, it is, as a matter of fact, against the ordinance to exceed certain decibal levels. he told me that sounds like another personal problem, and that i should call the cops. after his little tirade, mom came to the door, clearly straight from bed, and was semi-apologetic. i told her, i GET that they are kids, and i GET they’re going to run around, but the banging…can’t the BANGING wait until day time hours? she says “he likes to bang his toy on the wall and the floor.”

….are you fucking KIDDING ME?

then, dude is all You came up here to knock on the door and BOTHER US at SEVEN AM. dude, did I FUCKING WAKE YOU? sounds like a fucking YOU problem, not me. and i didn’t end up knocking, this idiot decided to open the door as i was on the third step downstairs. and i said that. but i didn’t knock on your door, did i? no. i didn’t. and he’s all “I HAVE IT ON VIDEO.”

uh. what, me standing silently in front of your door, with my hand up ready to knock, then me turning and walking away? good, enjoy watching that video! idiot.

as i got to my door, he said something else not very smart, like “you’re an adult, move somewhere else” and “next time just call the cops.” i looked at mom, shook my head, and said “if that’s how you want me to handle it, rather than talking to the neighbor directly first, that’s what i’ll do.”  and i went inside and locked back up. it’s been much better since, with just the usual kids running about sounds.

dude, you TOLD ME you can’t control your kids, and that that is MY problem? what fucking world does this asshat live in? maybe try NOT being in bed when your TODDLER is up and about would help. maybe NOT letting them do WHATEVER they want at all times would help. hell, maybe THERAPY would help, i don’t fucking know. can’t control them? or fucking WON’T?

i know the answer. it’s WON’T.

i cannot WAIT to move out of this fucking hell hole.