Ok, so I've got this problem with my downstairs neighbor. Apparently, he got himself a lady friend at some point during the holiday season. Since the new year, I have had the pleasure of being woken up (from a dead sleep, and I'm not a light sleeper) at least 4 times by loud (and literal) banging. Oh, and with a moan and yelp thrown in for good measure, which I notice once the banging has jarred me from my restful night's beauty sleep. The first time it happened, I thought, well, everybody has a loud night once in a while, and this is what I get for not buying a house. The second time, I was slightly more peeved, but wasn't sure how to handle things because, well, it would be embarassing and effort-filled for me to go downstairs at 2:30 AM and ring the doorbell until the guy realized he should stop fucking and deal with my complaint. The third time, I thought, well, if it happens again....
[Aside: I know, I should probably suck it up and get earplugs, but I have a hard time falling asleep with them in, and I really don't think that I should have to accommodate this fool below me when it makes my life more difficult. I think I'd rather complain to my landlord each and every time it happens from now until the end of time.]
The fourth time (that I've kept count) was last night. I couldn't get back to sleep for two hours, probably in part because my ire kept me awake. I thought about writing a note, but now I'm thinking I'm just going to complain to the landlord and let them deal with the embarassment of telling this dude to quiet down. (Normally I think a direct approach with one's neighbors about noise crap is best, but I feel like this is a somewhat more sensitive situation than, "hey, could you turn your stereo down?")
Pathetically, one of the reasons I've held off on complaining was because I wondered if I was just being a crank because I'm in a bit of a dry spell myself. Yeah, I realized last night that were I in a relationship I would have complained about this two weeks ago. This isn't about my sex life but about the neighbor's. And it's about the volume of it - directly below me - between the hours of midnight and 5 AM. Dude, have sex on the floor or in the shower or in the living room. Buy some sort of contraption to make the bed stay in place. I don't care what you do, but the amount of banging involved in sex does not make it good sex - particularly for one's neighbors. In fact, it's kind of gross to listen to.
And so now I've got a stack of papers I need to have graded, but of course I didn't wake up in time to grade them because I needed to sleep two extra hours, and I have but 40 minutes before this needs to be done and I need to teach. I am not a happy person. Not at all.
12 years ago
4 comments:
I'd leave a note for the neighbor. Short, sweet ... just saying I'd appreciate it if he could be a bit quieter between 10 pm - 5 am. If he's embarrassed, so what?
Haha. You brought back memories of both "sex girls" (I had one in the units on both sides of my apartment, though thankfully not at the same time). I knew the names of both of their boyfriends without having met either. I never left a note or said anything; I'm curious how the neighbor will react if you do leave a note.
I'd start with a note on the door the next morning... something like, "I hope everything is ok in your appartment, it sounds like someone was in some pain with all that moaning and banging, please let me know next time if you need me to call 911".
That will probably do the trick. If he ignores you, play dumb with the landlord and ask if there is late-night construction downstairs....
I had a similar problem involving a bulldog. It would bark for an hour EVERY night at midnight, and an hour EVERY morning at 6am. This was because the owners got home at midnight and left at 6am. I made various formal complaints but the landlord said she "couldn't do anything."
But it seriously ruined my life and I couldn't get ONE decent night of sleep because most days I would stay up for hours fuming about my frustration, or I would have to get up at 6am and stay up.
Have you spoken with the landlord before? In my experience they don't really help out unless it's illegal. So I would leave a note on his door. A very, very polite and politically correct note. Anyway, those are my thoughts. Good luck!
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