Let's say, hypothetically, that your neighbors across the way are having a party...

[melissel]

...a big party. And they're playing loud house music. And it's getting to be time to put the kids to bed, but their bedrooms are in the corner of house closest to the party, so it sounds like the party's in your backyard. And you've never met or spoken to (or even seen) these neighbors before, so it's not like you have a comradely relationship or anything.

 

Would you call the police and ask them to come and ask them to turn the music down?

 

The family who lives directly across the street from them has two toddlers, so I bet it's hypothetically driving them nuts too :glare:

[MyBlueLobsters]

It would depend on the time of night. I wouldn't personally call unless it was past 11 PM. I would put fans in the kids rooms and just try to drown out the noise. Maybe around 9:30 or 10 you could have DH walk over and ask if they could turn it down a tad. I know how frustrating of a situation that is though!

[melissel]

Ha! Never mind. My neighbor just banged on my front door to let me know that he went over to get the address of the house to call the police, and as he walked over, a police car pulled up in front of the house in question, and the music has gone off. He asked the officer how late they'd be allowed to play the music until, and the officer said, "Until I show up."

 

So, problem solved, I guess. It's too bad, because everyone deserves to have a good party now and then, but it was incredibly loud, and it's bedtime for more than one family around here, I'd bet.

[melissel]

It would depend on the time of night. I wouldn't personally call unless it was past 11 PM. I would put fans in the kids rooms and just try to drown out the noise. Maybe around 9:30 or 10 you could have DH walk over and ask if they could turn it down a tad. I know how frustrating of a situation that is though!

 

Thanks Emily. I was kind of thinking the same thing, timewise, but the music was so loud, stuff in the bedrooms was vibrating, and they're on the opposite corner from us! It's totally off now, which is a bummer for them--I wouldn't have minded if they'd just turned it down.

[Puma Mom]

I wouldn't call the police at 8 pm for a rare loud party. Personally, I'd either walk over and ask if they could lower the volume a bit or, much more likely, I'd put up with it for a while longer.

 

I would and did call at midnight for a very loud party that was 300 yards away, deeper into the neighborhood, and sounded like it was next door. It is a once/year party, but I think midnight is plenty late to blare the music for the entire neighborhood to "enjoy".

[MyBlueLobsters]

Thanks Emily. I was kind of thinking the same thing, timewise, but the music was so loud, stuff in the bedrooms was vibrating, and they're on the opposite corner from us! It's totally off now, which is a bummer for them--I wouldn't have minded if they'd just turned it down.

 

Glad it's taken care of! Yikes, if stuff was vibrating in YOUR house...what was it doing in THEIR house!

[Rosie_0801]

Isn't it basic manners to inform your neighbours if you're planning a late night bash? Either invite them, or give them time to organise to spend the night elsewhere?

 

Rosie

[melissel]

I wouldn't call the police at 8 pm for a rare loud party. Personally, I'd either walk over and ask if they could lower the volume a bit or, much more likely, I'd put up with it for a while longer.

 

Yeah, I was kind of thinking 9:30 or 10 would be my personal cutoff, because it was so loud in the kids' rooms. I can't say I'm not glad someone did the dirty work for us all though!

 

Glad it's taken care of! Yikes, if stuff was vibrating in YOUR house...what was it doing in THEIR house!

 

Yeah, my neighbor on the OTHER side of my house thought the music was coming from our house, and he's only about 40 feet away from us. It was actually across the street from us and up the other side of the block.

 

Isn't it basic manners to inform your neighbours if you're planning a late night bash? Either invite them, or give them time to organise to spend the night elsewhere?

 

Rosie

 

That's exactly what my loud-music-and-party-loving DH said. We think it was a backyard wedding reception, but we're in a little suburb--the houses are fairly close together. When he went by as he got home from work, he could still hear the music from the yard, but now we can't hear it in the house, and the kids are asleep--whew!

 

Thanks for the input, everyone!

[Jean in Newcastle]

I know it is all over but I'll tell you what we've done when the "frat boys" kitty-corner to us have a party. We get sleeping bags and move the kids into our room for a sleepover. Then after enough neighbors have called the police for them to actually show up (and yes, they will only respond if more than one neighbor calls around here!) - then we pick up the sleeping kids and put them in their beds.

[melissel]

I know it is all over but I'll tell you what we've done when the "frat boys" kitty-corner to us have a party. We get sleeping bags and move the kids into our room for a sleepover. Then after enough neighbors have called the police for them to actually show up (and yes, they will only respond if more than one neighbor calls around here!) - then we pick up the sleeping kids and put them in their beds.

 

You know, that never even crossed my mind. Our bedroom wouldn't have worked (it's actually the closest one of all of them), but the living room would have been OK. I'm so not good at thinking outside the box! Thanks for the thoughts. Fortunately, this is not a common occurrence here, but I'll remember the general idea for the future!

[stripe]

Yeah, how about when you go ask the neighbors to turn it down, which they do, but immediately after you leave, they turn it UP? We called the police. Who came and told them to turn it down. And after the police left -- up again! The officer was not amused to see them again.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

It's midnight here and I just got back from walking over to my neighbor's house and telling them to pipe down. No fun. And they're still yelling. Or whooping. Or hollering. Or whatever your favorite red-neck yell is called. :glare:

[FlockOfSillies]

It's 10 or 11, so I'd be within my rights to call the cops after that point.

 

Glad it ended well for you, though.

[MomofSeven]

I give my neigbors a mulligan each year. I figure each family is allowed one big bash and I don't want to be the killjoy just because I've got little kids. I close the kids windows, put fans and noise makers on, and dh and I suck it up until we finally fall asleep.

 

If this was a habit of the neighbors, then I would talk to them about it. Otherwise, I let them have their fun - it's summertime and it's just one night.:)

[Tammy]

I can't imagine having to spend the night elsewhere because my neighbors are being too loud. I think it is only common courtesy to lower the music at 11pm.....

[phathui5]

I would have definitely asked the neighbors to turn it down before I called the police on them.

[Snickerdoodle]

I give my neigbors a mulligan each year. I figure each family is allowed one big bash and I don't want to be the killjoy just because I've got little kids. I close the kids windows, put fans and noise makers on, and dh and I suck it up until we finally fall asleep.

 

If this was a habit of the neighbors, then I would talk to them about it. Otherwise, I let them have their fun - it's summertime and it's just one night.:)

 

:iagree: