I live in a big apartment building with very thin walls. And it so happens that my bedroom wall - where I rest my weary head - is right next to the bedroom wall of the apartment next door.
For the first year that I lived there, I had a cute French neighbor named David who had a very active, ahem, bedroom life. I would hear him and his girlfriend quite often....at all hours of the day and night. Sunday mornings seemed to be a favorite time for them. But, honestly, all that noise just sorta made me laugh and didn't bother me much. Really, after 5 minutes or so, they were done and I could fall back asleep.
In that first year, I also had a mysterious noise from upstairs. The couple that lived above me had a new baby, and it took me months to figure out that the weird, regular creaking noise that I heard every single night was a rocking chair. We have hardwood floors, so I could hear every move that the rocking chair made. But I got used to that sound eventually and then they moved away.
About 6 months ago or so, a new neighbor moved in to the apartment right next door. I've only seen her once or twice in the hallway, and we've never spoken. Well, she now takes the cake on most annoying neighbor noise. She has what I believe is an alarm/clock radio that is set to go off every morning sometime between 6 and 7. Now, I wouldn't mind if it was just a beeping alarm that went off for a minute and then she shut it off. Nope. She uses the radio function, set to one of the local news stations. And she has the volume turned WAY UP and it's RIGHT NEXT TO MY HEAD. Does she turn it off quickly once it comes on? Nope. She keeps it on the whole time she's getting ready - about an hour or so in the mornings. And, of course, she gets up much earlier than I do. Today I woke up to a blaring-loud discussion of the Dubai Ports World story. Aaaargh!
So.... what do I do about this? As I see it, I have 4 options, of varying degrees of likely productivity and overall satisfaction. Tell me what you would do?
Option 1: Status quo. Just plan that I'm getting up earlier now and that her alarm is my alarm.
Option 2: Slip a polite note under her door asking her if she could turn the volume down. (I've never talked to her before, and I'm really nonconfrontational in things like this, so I'd rather leave a note than knock.)
Option 3: Bang loudly on the wall in the mornings.
Option 4: Call the management office to file a complaint, they would then send her a notice.
I'm ruling out any stick-it-to-ya game theory response, like just cranking up my own tv volume or something. That wouldn't solve anything and would only make other neighbors angry.
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8 comments:
Well my advice is to do the one thing you don't want to do - knock on the door and speak with her.
I had to do this with our upstairs neighbor. She has a habit of doing what we call "Sunday morning slow jams" where she blares her music. It got to be so annoying that I just went up and asked her to turn it down.
I understand your hesitation, but honestly most people see a note as a sort of passive-aggressive technique.
You might first knock on her door, introduce yourself, ask a bit about herself, is she settled into her new place, etc. Then casually bring up the topic of her radio alarm.
(And believe me, I totally understand, as I'm a complete avoider of confrontation. But sometimes you gotta just bite the bullet.)
yep. knock on the door.
say hi, sorry this is the way i'm introducing myself to you, but i;m wondering if you could turn down the volume of the radio.
its the ONLY option.
Aw, you guys are gonna make me be all gutsy and confrontational?!? I'll be so nervous!
But what if she's never home when I try to knock? Then can I leave a note?
THEN yes you can. But you mention in the note that you tried to stop by in person, and apologize for the less personal note.
(I should consult my new Miss Manners book at home on this.)
I had the same problem in my old building in Bethesda. The exception being that she would forget to turn the alarm off if she was not home on the weekend, which meant I'd be awoken on the weekend with no way to get the alarm to stop. She probably doesn't even realize that you can hear it. Either speak to her personally or leave a note. If that doesn't work, then bang on the wall. Good Luck!
Do it in a completely non-confrontational way...Butter her up with some welcome muffins at 6:30 some morning and say welcome to the building, we're up, here's breakfast, but how about tomorrow we turn it down a little? Oh and please let me know if any of my habbits bug you as well and I'm happy to be accommodating?
It's better than a bitch slap...
PS My word verification is ticmyaff...which I translate to tick em off...how coincidental!
Mother-effer. Her radio was BLARING at 6:30 this morning. My alarm is set for 7:30. I was so angry. I actually got myself motivated and put on a sweater and walked down the hall. I knocked, but there was no answer, which is not a surprise cuz I could hear through the door just how loud the radio is in her entire apartment. Damn. So I just wrote a note and it's going under her door when I leave. I can't even go back to bed cuz it's so damn loud.
I appreciate the thought, but she's not getting any welcome muffins. She's not new - 6 months is a lifetime in apartment living - and I'm not feeling so neighborly.
This is ridiculous. I was *this close* from banging on the wall.
earplugs and a vibrating alarm for yourself?
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