Annoying your neighbours

[Codmate]

Yes - this is aimed squarely at all you guys that think it's really 'cool' to annoy others around you.

Personally I have had to move house *three times* due to noisy neighbours. You have no idea the problems your "bangin' choons" can cause.

Apart from the fact that some people have kids that need to get to sleep - the vast majority of the population have to work for a living and don't appreciate being kept up all night.

Personally I call the noise protection people as soon as I hear something starting these days, as I know it will be a while before they, or the police, arrive.

Excessive noise from your neighbours is like an invasion of your home and can cause huge stress and anxiety. A friend of mine actually took a baseball-bat to his neighbours stereo (the neighbour was lucky he didn't receive the bat to his head) after being driven insane by months of abuse.

If you want loud music late at night GO TO A NIGHTCLUB - that is what they are for. Otherwise STFU and leave me in peace.

I love music, play in a band, do home-recording and listen to music all the time. I always show respect for those around me though and play things at an appropriate level.

I don't care how drunk you are and how much you want to impress your friends - you would be surprised how quickly those friends disappear once the cops arrive.

As an aside, you might also be surprised how little exposure to loud noises it takes to permanently damage your hearing or contract tinnitus. I've taken to wearing Elacin ER-20 Ear Plugs at many gigs to protect my hearing, as I believe people simply mix too loud at concerts these days (especially in small venues) to compensate for the many people's damaged hearing (usually the sound engineer's own).
I know too many sound guys, musicians and roadies who wished they had taken similar precautions in the past, to not do so...

Thanks.

 

[Codmate]

7am is too early. Acceptable hours are between 9am and 9pm.
Even then, a certain level just isn't acceptable IMO unless you have prior agreement with your neighbours.

Drummers should pre-arrange practice times with their neighbours for instance.

I've not been able to hear my own TV on full volume before because my neighbours were playing 'music'. This was at 5pm - and is still unacceptable, regardless of the time.

Yes - some people work night shifts. This is yet another cause to be considerate. Be aware of those around you and their patterns. Choose appropriate times to be loud. If you need to be loud a lot of the time, get some sound-proofing installed.

Until you've been the victim of a noise nuisance you have no idea how stressful it is. It's even driven people to kill in the past, and I can understand why! People should also realise that loud music is intimidating and many people will be too scared to complain - especially if they are elderly.

Anyway - I'm glad most people here have the right idea. If anybody has problems, a good site to visit is http://www.nfh.org.uk/ (Neighbours From Hell in Britain). They have some good advice and support forums there.

 

[Codmate]

The first few whiners were missing the important task of mentioning wether they actually tried confronting their neighbours, and i'd make a wager at saying its likely they didnt.

People always like to moan, and less often like to actually to confront the people causing them distress.

We play loud music occassionally, well mainly me, and so do the neighbours occassionally. Its never after 9pm, and i think we're happy on both sides, all family members are over 16, so i don't think there's any chance of a before 9pm bedtime.

Though my mum hates loud music, except when its her, apparently mines too bassy for her, though she is sat below my room so she's gonna hear that more. My way round that was to play with more bass when shes out.

Where i live, its pretty easy to hear anyones loud music, especially those people 2 doors down, who have the occasionly family or friends parties that last to midnight. These parties sometimes last to 11pm, but its only 1 every 2 months or so, maybe less then that.

Every member of my family, minus my mum likes loud bassy music when they can, where my mum will just settle for treble.... however, i think i'm the only one here that doesnt moan about the noise when these parties go on.

How picky do people want to be?.....
Once in 2 months is acceptable to me.

I'm sure the people here have bigger issues, is it honestly that often?....

I've heard loud music coming from houses, and to me, if its not too often and at stupid times, let them do it, or be a sour grape and just whine. I know everyone has a different idea of what is acceptable, but i'd rather have a little give and take myself, i deal with loud music once in a while, and they do the same.

I suppose its the same people here complaining about music that complain about items being out of stock at the local shop.

However, i do understand how some people clearly have total disregard for others around them, and i've met enough of them, too many if you ask me.

However, secondly, i've also met just as many people that like to complain and whine about every little annoyance under the sun.

So i'm stuck asking myself, is this a thread of genuine personal suffering or of people being over the top whiney, or is it both.

Its a tough one.......

p.s. with all the stereotyping going on here, i guess i deserve to be in jail, because apparently i like to annoy my neighbours.

I'm a perfectly reasonable person thanks.
You're evidently a teenager, who has yet to have to live in the real world.

I've confonted many neighbours about noise in the past, with varying degrees of failure. IME people ignorant enough to produce enough noise to wake most of the street at 3am on a weeknight are usually not the sort of people to respond to a complaint from anybody but the police.

I totally resent the suggestion that complaining about noise is 'whining' and that anybody who is a victim of this kind of abuse is just some kind of fuddy-duddy.
Wait until you are paying through the nose for your accomodation and maybe you'll appreciate how noise, not only affects the quality of your lifestyle, but also the value of your property.

Consistent abuse from noisy neigbours can also produce/excacerpate depression and stress related illnesses.

I don't mind noise up to a certain level, at certain times - but unless it's been agreed beforehand, loud noise late at night is out of order. You wouldn't go around knocking on people's doors at 2am would you? So why play music that is louder than knocking on somebody's door for hours and hours late at night.

I really don't think some people here get the scale of the problem I'm talking about. I couldn't care less if you listen to some music, even quite loud up until around 9pm. As long as it doesn't interfere with what I'm doing then that's OK.

I've lived with neigbours that:
...had a flat party upstairs from me until 5am *every weeknight* - complete with hired DJs with a 1k rig.
...came home from work at 4am and practiced DJing loud!
...regularly had parties until 2am on weeknights

I have had to move house three times becuase of this crap.
Please do not try to tell me I'm some kind of moaning old man lest I bring my band round to your house and practice in your front room every time you need to sleep...