I just received an email that sounded pretty common lately, noisy neighbors as follows.

Hi saw your blog.. and i thought i needed some advice.

I have a neighbour whom are those “aggressive” types.

Ever since they move in six years ago, noise is never a stranger especially on weekends as this family seems to be deaf as they are so used to shouting.

Their kids pick up this habit and tend to scream and disturb our peace.

I usually try to tolerate until two years ago, when i started my degree programme, i thought peace will be precious, hence report them to town council as their mahjong game near the door and kids running along corridor is almost unbearable.

In this two years the noise continues, but they move their mahjong game into the flat.

Recently, they allow their kids to scream and shout as if they own the entire block. There was once i was cornered by pressure that i shouted shut up! They stopped. I thought at least there is a method that can shut their mouth.

Last week, same thing happen and as usual, i shouted at the kids from my room. This was the third time i ever shouted and this time the hooligan responded.

He hurled some vulgarities and intimidate me to getting out of the flat. He refuses to leave until i called the police.. He warned me to be careful and after the police left, they got worst.

How can i simply stop these people? Why do they need to shout? Why cant they close their door so to minimise noise?

They need fresh air? I close all my doors and windows, deprived of fresh air just to get some peace. Is this fair to me? And the threat they issue. It is not direct enough to charge them verbal abuse. What can i do?

Thanks for your guidance.Thanks lots

Note: I had edited out some of the “description” of your neighbors and hope to seek your understanding on this before I continue.

This problem sounds tricky to resolve as these neighbors sounded pretty hard to handle and confronting them may not be the best route to take.

Unfortunately, you had disturbed the “snake nest” and alerted your presence as the “one who complained” and anything that happened to them may be blamed on your head without reasons…

such as bird shit on their cars or someone allow their pets to shit outside their doors…yes..it will be blamed on you.

This may be the start of another violent drama unfolding crazily into a full blown neighborhood war zone that resembles the ancient fighting alley where the weaker ones dies without mercy.

However, I do believe there is a way to resolve this easily.

Firstly, understand your neighbors…

1. Learn as much as possible about your targets
   • How many children
   • Parents?
   • Working?
   • Working As?
   • What bothers them?
   • What they like to do normally?
   • Friends are like?
   • Nationality?
   • Alliance with nearby neighbors?

   In order to understand them, you must NOT go hard against them but do the soft method such as a friendly “morning” or “evening” will do or a smile, a nod while smiling.

2. After gathering all the information, plan what is your next strategy
   • Gather petitions signing from neighbors?
   • Report Police and ask for advice?
   • Join them and be as loud as them?
   • Become them?
   • Escape? Move house?
   • Be their friend?
   • Others e.g. post complains online here and put the their address here…(not unit number)

By shouting at the kids, you had created a grudge between them towards you and hence may create “safety issue” for you and your family.

The hardest is to swallow the pride and apologize for the previous encounter but with the police involve they might be more scared then you are, intimidation and vulgar languages are sometimes chargeable offense if you are able to capture the “video footage” of them in action.

For safety, get a proper CCTV with colors and sound outside your house and inside (pointing out) it will be the best but if not get a hand held ones fully charged near the door (not within reach from outside in case someone steal it) and use it if possible without their knowledge.

The police themselves uses video camera to capture any protest in public and sue the living day out of the people if they spread “false propaganda”.

Remember that you need some “alliance” from other neighbors that may be suffering from the same problem, get to know your neighbors near your target and ask them if they suffer similar problems.

If yes, get their contacts for future rally of “petition” signing.

A war is considered won by not starting one…best is not to anger them by doing stuff of mischief against them…as they MIGHT have a legal adviser behind teaching them how to sue you back if you make a wrong move like repaint their doors with red paint. (LOL)

The best is “do nothing but observe everything” and wait for them to make the wrong move with video evidence.

Do not “care” about them when the make noise as any provocation might generate retaliation in the worst possible way…some may be violent ways.

Personally, I do have a similar type of neighbor (pretty common) that shouts on their top of their lungs in heated “discussion” or “quarrel” almost daily between “son & mother”.

Their voices sounded like they are just beside you and can hear EVERYTHING THEY SAY and sometimes it’s pretty disturbing.

My temporary solution is my trusty $179 “shure” ear phones bought in apple shop with my favorite music and the noise goes silent after a while, maybe I am lucky or someone else had made a complain on my behalf but remember the whole floor can hear them shout…and scream pretty personal stuff…

Maybe the whole coffee shop downstairs are talking about their personal “stuff” like it’s the next “Edison Chen scandal”.

A cheaper alternative is those noise canceling ear muff that cost less than $20 bucks at DIY shop in bugis junction main shopping center, it’s those yellow construction types which you may spray paint it with funky colors or paste nice “bio hazard” logos.

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