Eine kleine Unverschämtheit!

[muckefuck]

So I haven't bitched about the neighbours upstairs because, well, it's tedious. And on some level, I just need to get over myself. Besides, they haven't been that bad lately. At least, I seem to remember fewer incidents of having to flee the office in order to avoid the thumping of their overamplified Eurotrash. (Or is that just a sign of getting over myself? Nah, probably just the season.)

But now they're back in my sights. I had a bad night Wednesday, and Herr von Stomp's clomping around until midnight helped not at all. The next day, I came home to find my honey in a state of agitation after a series of unfortunate events. First, the doctor cancelled his appointment after making him wait over an hour. Then he foolishly tried to call the Worst Home Depot in Chicago to check on our screen door. Finally, the doorbell rang and it was UPS with a package for Frau von Stomp. "She said just to ring any of the buzzers and someone would come and sign for it."

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

This is the woman, remember, that doesn't have the time of day for anyone else in the building. Her husband at least responds when I greet him (which is more than he does for monshu), but neither one actually interacts with anyone else in the building, let alone contributes to it in any way. (Yes, they're renters, but they're not the only ones.) And now we're expected to sign for her packages?

I was furious. So furious, in fact, that I knew going up to give them a piece of my mind was a Bad Idea. How do you even talk to such people? How do you explain the social compact to someone with such a huge sense of entitlement and so little consideration for anyone else? Especially since I don't want to explain; I just want to break their legs.

Comments

[richardthinks.livejournal.com]

Sign for the package, hide it in the broom closet and send them a hostage note for it. Or, maybe better, a treasure hunt clue. With letters cut out of the newspaper and everything.

I know, it's way too much work, and maybe actionable. But I'd be sorely tempted.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I am sorry that monshu didn't hold onto it. It could've been a bargaining chip in my attempts to get some more peace at night.

[gorkabear.livejournal.com]

I also live with (southern) Eurotrash. In fact, we're all that in my building.

In my case, however, it can be summarized as "loudness":

First of call, the couple living next to mine argue all the time. Even their dog looks sad. They're having a baby in a few months time.

Then the family below me scream beyond tollerance to their children. Their level of screaming and shouting is far from reasonable, and we're Mediterranians, so we should be used to this, but it's beyond limits. I have spoken to another neighbor and we don't know what to do, as calling the police is useless.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I should explain that I was using "Eurotrash" in the sense of "a pejorative term for Eurodance or Europop" not "a pejorative term referring to various perceptions of some Europeans". (Not that I don't ever listen to Eurodance myself, but I try not to subject others to it if I can. Blood relatives excepted.)

They're having a baby in a few months time.

That should fix things.

calling the police is useless.

What about the landlord?

[richardthinks.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda curious about the Eurotrash-in-the-American-market element of Brüno: how it plays to different audiences, whether it's important that he's supposed to be European, or Austrian, or merely not-American.

...but that mild curiosity won't lead me to actually watch the film.

[leiny.livejournal.com]

gez, sorry to hear all that. We really don't have any problems where we are at. The chain smoking alcoholic lesbian that lives next to us is depressing (she on the porch with a bottle of wine at 8am almost every morning) but we can deal with that.

[fengshui.livejournal.com]

Did you sign for the package? You weren't obligated to do so.

[peredur-glyn.livejournal.com]

Dwi'n cydymdeimlo. :(

I just want to break their legs.

Hyd yn oed wedyn, dwi'n tybio y bydden nhw'n ffindio ffordd i allu cnychu'r un mor egnïol ac erioed, gwaetha'r modd...! Rhai pobol...

[peredur-glyn.livejournal.com]

(Or am I getting confused, that these aren't the neighbours performing loudly every night? So many posts to read, I get confused.....?)

[darkphuque.livejournal.com]

What about the condo association, or some such group that makes decisions in your building? Complain, Complain, Complain... especially since these are renters and not owners. Remember.. its the squeaky wheel that gets the oil.

or... spend $500 and find someone to break legs.... expensive, but satisfying.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I think I'd rather spend $5,000 and soundproof the ceilings. For all I know, the next batch will be worse.

[gorkabear.livejournal.com]

(I realized you meant music when I was commuting back home)

They're owners of their own appartment. In Spain it's the norm. I'm the only one that rents, and the owner is so powerless as I am. But I'm considering really calling the police and do the complete process.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Os hynny yw tarddiad y trwst, maen nhw'n defnyddio melin draed i'w neud!

[innerdoggie.livejournal.com]

How old is your building? I've noticed that newer building have poorer sound-proofing than old ones. Maybe investing in the ceiling would be good, and heaven knows people could use the work these days. Besides maybe somebody cute would be working on it.

Still, we can be noisy here to the woman in the apartment below us. I might ask her what times of day would work for her for me to start a (noisy) exercise routine and which room is better so I'm not Frau von Stomp myself.

Other thought: is the aloof unfriendly woman just shy? I get mistaken for aloof when I'm really being shy. I'm less shy at age 50 than age 20, so it happens less often these days.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I dunno. Are you so shy that you can't say "Hello" when you pass someone who you know has been living in your building for a year?

It's not a new building, it's an old building that was rehabbed several years ago. The builders just cheaped out on the soundproofing in the same way they cheaped out on everything else.

[innerdoggie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not that shy -- and probably wasn't at my peak.

Gut rehab on the building? Soundproofing the ceiling still sounds like a good idea. I wonder what goes into doing that.