Annoying neighbors

[brightlotusmoon]

All settled in with Luna and Rose on the bed, freshly showered and everything. Fell asleep, restlessly, around 11:00.
Around 11:30 I heard what seemed to be firecrackers.
My bedroom window is directly above the front yard. If a car alarm goes off, I hear it. If some neighbor kids are blaring music, I hear it. If lovers fight, I hear it.
So, firecrackers.
Bam pow boom crackle crack crack boom.
The cats were getting nervous. I was getting irritated. But I fell back asleep, and Rose inched up next to me, and I put my arm around her and tried to calm her.
Around 12:00, bright white lights flashed in a massive burst and lit up the night. Followed, of course, by crazy firecracker booming noises.
At this point, I seriously contemplated calling the local police about a noise disturbance.
I called Adam instead. He suggested I ignore it, because stupid kids will be stupid kids. But see, I have a fear of fire. I panic if I even imagine a fire starting in this little townhouse community. And the lights and noises were coming from the wide yard directly across from my house. Adam talked me down for a bit. I went back to sleep. The noises stopped.
Okay, so who decided to set off fucking fireworks at 11:30 on a Wednesday night in August, in a townhouse community where there are families? Probably the same assholes who blare music at six in the morning on a Monday. Or the ones who leave trash scattered all over the sidewalk because they don't have trash service and assume that the trash people will just pick up random garbage lying around. Oh, that's always a fun thing to see.
I get that people might be insomniac and want to do shit when they can't sleep. Great. Fine. But try to do it quietly. And clean up when you're done. (For example, my roommate has cooked food in the middle of the night without washing his dishes, leaving a sticky encrusted mess in the sink the next day, which is especially irritating when my husband and I had spent time together washing everything in the sink beforehand. One time, I spent five minutes on a plastic bowl with a Brillo pad, and I will say that it really helps with getting the frustration vented. I don't know and don't care what the fuck was all over that bowl that needed a Brillo pad to be battled, but it was gross, and attacking it helped me calm down after a while. I've started seeing dishwashing as a perfect outlet for physically venting irritation and frustration. I may have injured a spoon or two, though.)
The point is, I can't comprehend what goes through my neighbors' heads at night sometimes.

Comments

[odilla.livejournal.com]

Honestly, if it went on for that long, you should have called the police.
That is uncalled for.

If they want do to those things, go to a field, or empty parking lot.

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I don't care if you want to blow shit up, just don't do it in a friggin neighborhood.

[odilla.livejournal.com]

we had a problem with our upstair neighbors.
We called the police on them.
Never had an issue.

Kids may be kids, but they should not impact on your sleep.
That's the way things work.

Next time, call the police. Have them take care of it.

And I'm right there with you on the sleeping issues.
a car door slams, I'm awake.

[wishkey.livejournal.com]

Right. Do it in the inside their house. *grins*

When I get seriously agitated I clean too. the sink has been sparkling lately.

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

There you go! *grin*

[celtic_maenad]

police should definitely be called in that situation. If this feels like not-an-emergency-enough-for-911, there is a non-emergency number to call, generally listed in the phone book.

You can't be expected to get out of bed to attempt to politely tell someone to knock it the fuck off. But the police can and will and have more force behind it than a small woman.

Plus, unless the law got changed in the last 15 years, there's a noise ordinance in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village - 10pm being the cut off if I'm not mistaken.

Hugs to you and your sleepy kitties.

[ronin-lethe.livejournal.com]

non emergency is 311 in most places. at least in most cities.

[celtic_maenad]

bwahaha! um. sorry, I've been living in Winchester too long I guess - there's an actual phone number, no 311. That would certainly be easier. :(

[ronin-lethe.livejournal.com]

well i could be wrong. i haven't live in not-a-city (chicago, nyc, vegas) since 1996. so maybe it's a city thing?

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

I think it is here, too, but there's also a standard number, either with a 240 area code or a 301 code. I think that number may be specific to certain complaints like noises, etc.
I need to look all this stuff up...

[odilla.livejournal.com]

it's 10pm in Fairfax County as well.

Where then is annoying noise, I always grin and bear it until 10.
If it stops, good.

If it doesn't.. then I get testy and send ncalrod to stop it.
if it doesn't... the cops get called.

I have a list of numbers by the phone - including non-emergency numbers for both the police and the fire department.

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

I used to have that specific number written down -- I once called it last Independance Day when the neighbors right next store got too rowdy.

Yep, that ordinance is still in effect here!

[ronin-lethe.livejournal.com]

okay, see in the future you need to call the cops about shit like this.
there are noise ordinance laws that vary by county and state but the standard is 11 pm. additionally, your community will have its own regulations (usually called "CC and R s"--you may recall 45 some odd pages of "no-you-may-not" from when you bought your house) and setting off fireworks violates those as well, thereby jeopradizing their homeownership.

plus fireworks are illegal in maryland.

don't put up with other people breaking the law and scaring your cats just cause you don't want to make waves. you don't have to tell the cops who you are or where you are calling from. say you're a neighbor, and it's bothering you, and it's unacceptable, and they need to come do something.

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

*nods*
You're right, I absolutely should do so next time (and there will be a next time, sadly). I need to actually find the general number for the local police and put it in my cell phone.

Fireworks are still illegal in MD? I thought so but wasn't sure.

Last night was a fine example of me being typically passive aggressive. So I appreciate this comment! I shouldn't be afraid of calling the cops on idiot rowdy neighbors like that.

[flyingshaman.livejournal.com]

I think you've just perhaps answered why I love doing dishes so much, or why I started doing them and loving them - they're a great outlet for frustration, and then they become a meditation for me!

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

Yep!
There are days when I'll see a pile in the sink and groan out loud because I just don't want to do it -- but when I actually start getting into a rhythm, it's so meditative.
Er, except when I have seizures while washing the big knives. Yeah, that was fun.
For some reason, the combination of running water and repetitive motions can sometimes lower my seizure threshold!

[flyingshaman.livejournal.com]

I know! It's so wonderful when that happens. I enjoy so much the rhythm.

Ouch. That doesn't sound good!

That's awesome!

[datajana2007.livejournal.com]

Um, not trying to poke my nose in or anything (if it seems like I am, sorry), but you shouldn't have to clean up after your roommate. If he won't clean up after himself, don't let him use the dishes. Make him buy his own and if he doesn't clean them up, you can just put them in a garbage bag and place them in his room. Maybe the smell or lack of cooking utensils will eventually make him "learn" how to clean up after himself.

Yeah, I've had experience in this area myself. It's highly annoying.

Just my two-cents.

:/

Also, I'm also fearful of fires. Whenever my husband and I leave our apartment, I turn off EVERY light and the heat lamps for our two lizards. I also double-check that everything is turned off at night before going to bed because if I don't, I'll lay awake in bed full of anxiety and end up getting up and checking again anyway. It annoys my husband, but it's a TRUE fear and I can't help it.

:(

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know, I know. Sigh. Trust me. All the friends who know about that have told me not to clean up after him (my husband even suggested bringing the dirty dishes to his room and piling them on his bed), but... I just can't help it. They're our dishes. They need to get washed. I keep trying to talk myself out of it, and then I need to make dinner, and someone has to clean the dishes, and I want clean plates and silverware...
It's a cycle.
My roommate is a great guy, a good friend. But recently, he's been a lousy roommate.
I haven't wanted to say anything on LJ because he reads my journal and we're mutual friends here. But between the lack of housework, the lack of rent money, and him getting defensive when we ask about either one, I'm frustrated beyond imagination. And that's being polite.
But you're right, I shouldn't have to wash his dishes.

Adam tied a long thick rope to our bed, which is directly under the window. This way, if there is a fire, we have an escape route. Sort of. This eases my fear of fire sightly, but it doesn't help my fear of heights! Or the concern about how to get the cats out.

[morningstar4.livejournal.com]

At that time of night on a weeknight, you can BET I would have called the cops. Then again, maybe I'm just a cranky old lady...