Grump

[Brij]

I'm being a right grump today, so I thought I'd have a whinge to get it off my chest.

The people who live above me are noisy buggers. Normally at night it's ok though, but last night (well, 2am this morning), a couple was sleeping in the room right above mine! No noisy rumpy-bumpy but they were talking and laughing really loudly, and I did some loud coughing to try to alert them to the total soundproof-less-ness of the building, which they ignored/didn't hear. So I knocked politely but deliberately on my ceiling to try to get them to shut up so I could sleep. They made a puzzled noise and shut up for a bit, but just as I settled back down, they carried on again - loudly enough that even my ear-plugs didn't shut it out (which I hate wearing anyway cos they make my breathing sound wierd, and don't tend to come out in the night, so my alarm clock can't wake me up in the morning!). Eventually I got to sleep, but then at blinking 7am they start again! So I put the radio on really loudly (probably disturbing all the other neighbours!) and went back to sleep for a couple of hours... and anyone who listens to Chris Moyles can imagine what bizarre dreams that gave me! So of course I missed my alarm, and my lecture (which wasn't important, and there wasn't a register anyway, but I wanted to go!).

Now there's some inconsiderate cow standing behind me, in the study area of uni (which ok, is a series of booths in a corridor, but everyone knows and keeps the noise down) on her blinking phone! Fair enough, a quiet call wouldn't do any harm, but she's been on it for more than half an hour, is frankly shouting, and the conversation is so incredibly inane that I really can't concentrate.

Yes I am an Oscar.

Thank you for listening, I am done

[Annpan]

Grouch away Brij... some people eh

We eventually got our noisy neighbours to shut the hell up, when John went up to knock on their door at 2am in his jim jams telling them that his heavily pregnant wife needed some sleep, but even after that we still got the occasional noisy night (and when you have a tiny baby, that is no fun at all.)

The other time we had noisey neighbours, every time they were too loud I would put my radio up against the wall with a pillow over it (on my side and turn it up full for about 20 seconds... always worked (might be a bit more awkward against a ceiling though)

[Brij]

Now someone's just slammed their laptop down next to me to bleep away on their phone!

I would love to call on the neighbours to tell them to shut up - I can be pretty scary (esp when I'm all makeupless and ready for bed)... but I don't have access to the main foyer of the building (our flat's built on the side) and without knowing their number, I don't know which buzzer to keep pressing at 2am.

I'll put up with the noise during the day (well, that's why I'm at uni right now instead of at home - that and free heating and t'internet...) - even though their music taste is totally awful! But at night... and they have a kid in one of the flats up there, and the poor thing's full of energy, but instead of taking them out to the garden (it's a shared garden) they just let it run round full-pelt indoors. I've thought about going up and asking if they'd like me to watch the kid for a bit in the garden but maybe that'd just look weird?

I also don't get these people who slam their feet around as if they don't have ankles... my flatmate does it, and surely it must hurt? The only time I'd ever make a racket like that is if I'm wearing really high heels or something!

Grr... People!

[StripyPixieSocks]

Noisy neighbours are a complete nightmare.

A guy moved into the flat downstairs last year and then his 'cousin' and then his 'cousins' girlfriend and now the original guy isn't there (allegedly at his Moms house while she is out god knows where fetching 'the rest of the family' but the story changes frequently when you ask... he was on holiday last time we asked.)

Since said 'cousin' moved in OH has had to go down there 4 times (and he doesn't look friendly when you've got him out of bed, he's still half asleep with bed head and a grimace) to tell them to turn their ruddy thumpy thumpy music down!

This 'girlfriend' turned it on so loud one morning we though out stereo had come on full blast...

So... while on the phone to our housing association yesterday OH mentioned the fact the original tennant is no longer there and did they know... they didn't!

So we're hoping Little Miss gobsh*te (because oh boy is she loud and their kitchen is under our bedroom and she seems to like to hang out there talking loudly and laughing even louder and this 'cousin' are going to get booted out so we can get some peace!



Didn't realise I was so angry about it...

I already have mental issues, depression and insomnia the last thing I need is neighbours who never shut the hell up!

Hope you get some peace tonight OP :)

[Brij]

Thanks! I hope your scheme works out too! I have friends who swear that it's me being unreasonable, that at least once a week it should be ok for them to make as much noise as they want all night, but I find it very hard to sleep!

I could play music all night to help me sleep, but that would disturb the other neighbours (not that they ever complain), which kind of seems beyond the point.

Alas I'm just in bog-standard privately-rented accommodation, and the landlord of the other flats isn't the same landlord as mine (who is lovely), so there's not alot I can do but keep thumping.

I've taken to taking a tot of whiskey to bed to help me relax enough to get to sleep, but surely that's not healthy in the long run!

[Milims]

Have you ever thought of contacting your local environmental health officer? They can start with start with a friendly warning to your neighbour and end up putting recording equipment into your house to record the level and incidences of the noise disturbance. Word of cauting tho - it may also record you We had a lovely recording of an elderly couple who argued about who's turn it was to fill the coal bucket and a lady with very bad wind who used the toilet several times a night

[linzibean]

We had neighbours next door to us in a flat a couple of years ago, who managed to make so much noise that they disturbed our sleep through three very thick Victorian stone walls! It was social housing for drug addicts (thanks for not mentioning that one, landlords!), and if we weren't being disturbed by their partying and drum playing, then we were woken by the pleasant sound of a police battering ram first thing in the morning. This was in a very quiet, pretty area which you would never associate with such behaviour! The last straw was being threatened and spat at by one of the nutters when packing our car one day. Now we live out of town with our nearest neighbours half a mile away, it is truly glorious!

[mrsflibble]

awww brij, dont let it get you down. is it uni accomodation or an actual private let flat? if it's uni then complain to the accomodation department.

I remember once at uni having to phone security cos my neighbour wouldnt shut up, they'd put the same song on constant repeat, REALLY LOUD at midnight. security ended up breaking the door down cos the last time someone did tht it was a suicide; turns out my neighbour wasn't even in there!

[Brij]

Flibster, I am in private rented accommodation, when I was in halls, there was a guy above me who pee'ed really loudly, and a loud irish chick, who was a friend, so I'd just text her and tell her to shut it, other than that, it was no problem at all... if the room wasn't so small I'd never have left!

I have put on the same song over and over again on full volume and gone out to the bookshop a couple of times. I had hoped that they might hear it when they turned off their music (it doesn't normally last more than a couple of hours) but it doesn't deter them... and I wouldn't do it at night, I have at least 3 sets of neighbours, of which at least 1 has kids, and that would just make me as bad as them!

Will think about the environnment health officer, but the problem is, they're not normally loud (only once or twice a week), I'm just one of those people that finds it hard to sleep if there's any noise at all (unless it's a hoover or washing machine, then I'm asleep in seconds!).

Bring on the end of uni!

[mrsflibble]

http://tinyurl.com/65ou3f ebay item: vibrating under pillow alarm clock. perfect for if you wear earplugs lol!!

[Helsbells]

I know exactly how you feel Brij, I had noisy neighbours at uni too, but what can you do?!?
Its so frustrating. Just think hard about when you get to leave!!
I wear ear plugs every night now cos I got so used to them at uni, I cant sleep without them now, comfort thing I think!

[Big Al]

Grouch away Brij... some people eh

We eventually got our noisy neighbours to shut the hell up, when John went up to knock on their door at 2am in his jim jams telling them that his heavily pregnant wife needed some sleep, but even after that we still got the occasional noisy night (and when you have a tiny baby, that is no fun at all.)

The other time we had noisey neighbours, every time they were too loud I would put my radio up against the wall with a pillow over it (on my side and turn it up full for about 20 seconds... always worked (might be a bit more awkward against a ceiling though)

The easiest way to shut neighbours up is to have a cd on replay and on full volume but what you do is set the cd on hold whilst you go outside sand use the remote control to turn the cd on. Slipknot, The scorpions, saxon ACDC et al will all do nicely.
You can, if like me then knock on the door of the neighbour and ask them to tell you if the cd jumps when on full volume then walk off for an hour or so. It's amazing how this works.....

[Brij]

Last night I had my little bro and sis over for the night, the neighbours started talking about 1am and at 5.30am I was still laying in bed fuming... hammering on the ceiling just made them swear at me, they then kept it up for another half hour. Then they were slamming around with their morning ablutions at 9am! So I've reported them to the environmental health agency. If I keep reporting them every time they do it (about 3-4 times a week), eventually I should be able to sleep (and not just cos I feel smug)!

[StripyPixieSocks]

Last night I had my little bro and sis over for the night, the neighbours started talking about 1am and at 5.30am I was still laying in bed fuming... hammering on the ceiling just made them swear at me, they then kept it up for another half hour. Then they were slamming around with their morning ablutions at 9am! So I've reported them to the environmental health agency. If I keep reporting them every time they do it (about 3-4 times a week), eventually I should be able to sleep (and not just cos I feel smug)!

Keep a diary, times and what they do, it will come in handy later when you're further along the line and it's what you will be told to do anyway.

[carolinej]

We used to have noisy neighbours. The husband took a dislike to me. My husband was nights, and just after he left for work, the neighbour would turn his drum machine on really loudly and go out for the night.

I had 2 small children, and things really got on top of me. That was years ago, and now we have moved to a detatched house. I will never be able to have joined on neighbours again. If we are visiting friends and I can hear noise coming through the wall, I get really panicky, even though it isnt my house and it doesnt matter to me one bit!!!

So you have my total sympathy.

Oh, and on the subject of ear plugs, they always hurt my ears as they are a bit big. Can you buy smaller ones, or have I got strangely small ear holes??!!??

Its not the neighbours that keep me awake now, its the dog snoring!!!!

cj