WTF?!?! STFU!!

When I lived in Johnsburg, and it came to noise in the middle of the night, there wasn't much to worry about. If you did hear a lot of noise, something was wrong. The most you would hear is your neighbors neglected dog  who will just not. stop. barking. All it would take was a simple 'SHUT UP!' out the window for the silence to begin again. Sure, people had parties. They were either in someone's basement, so  it was very unlikely you would hear, or outside in the summer. If your party was outside, and you lived in a neighborhood, you never had to worry about how loud you were, because in our small town, there was no one to disturb.... because everyone was there! If you weren't in a neighborhood, you lived on a farm. Which allowed you to pretty much do whatever the hell you wanted. BIG bonfires, kegs in the backyard, and cornfields to pee in.

For the most part, the 'burbs are quiet.

Moving to Chicago, I knew I was in for a rude awakening. That awakening happened every night for a straight week when my first dorm apartment was right next to EL. Sirens at all hours of the night. Children (aka underclassmen) running down the halls yelling. But eventually you just started getting used to all that. Even my next dorm apartment and my boyfriend's apartment were blocks away from the tracks. Didn't bother me. It makes going back to the burbs weird. The silence almost becomes noise, stinging your ears.

Moving into the apartment we are in now, I was thinking we can handle any excess noise that may be produce outside our building. As we speak I can hear sirens (a police station is two blocks away!) and the Green Line is just one block away. We can handle that.

But what I can not handle is idiot, ignorant neighbors. Lately, I've been seeing way too many of my friends Facebook status's about asshole neighbors blasting music and yelling at 2 A.M. I've been there! I've been one of those people bitching about my neighbors.

Unless you are wealthy, when you live in Chicago, you will either live in an apartment complex, or a house with two or more units. When you live in Chicago, as anywhere else, you have the right to have people over whenever you want. You have the right to play music. When you live in Chicago, you need to understand that there is probably only a couple inches of plaster/wall between you and your neighbor.

You should know, and accept the fact that:

• If you don't use your inside voice, we can hear you. I will judge you.
• When your fighting with your partner/spouse, we can hear you. As I'm sure you can hear us. 
• When your favorite team scores, you yell, they can hear you. When your favorite team loses, they can hear your profanities. 
• When you have your girlfriends over for wine night, your neighbors can hear the 'woo' girl, and they'd like to strangle her. 
• If you're getting freaky, and you push your partner against the wall, we can hear you.

These are things that I have learned to accept that I may hear out of my neighbors, and they may hear from us too. It's about being considerate. Making sure you do these things at normal hours and are just simply AWARE of your neighbors.

You should know, that the following  are completely unacceptable:

• Playing any type of music late at night/early morning. If you can't hear yourself speak and the beverage in your glass is rippling to the beat, its too loud.
• Bringing back 50 of your drunk friends at 4 A.M, 25 of them women with stripper heels. click. click. click. thump. "hahahaha. I'm so clumsy." No, you're drunk.
• Having drug-related fights on a Sunday night, when you live in a building with families. 
• Threatening the guy in the hallway who is pounding on your door because you owe him money and you stole his girl.
• Having your bass so loud, that our bed is vibrating, and I'm forced to re-arrange my furniture, so I can sleep without feeling like I'm in a Motel 25 cent vibrating bed. 

What I don't understand is how oblivious people can be. How stupid. The problem is, the society that we live in today, I don't think some of these 'trouble neighbors' actually think they are doing something wrong. 

Let me explain those different types:

The D.J: (he/she may also be in a band) They work weird hours. They don't live in our world. They get up at 4PM, lay around till 11PM, go to work, and continue the party at 5AM, and go to bed at 11AM. They don't notice anyone who isn't living this lifestyle, and that includes their neighbors. If you confront them, they will most likely be drunk or in the clouds, and have this 'it's not my problem' attitude. The worst part about it is they pull out the 'This Is What I Do' card. They act like we are trying to stomp all over their dream if we ask them to pipe down. Yeah, your music does suck, but be my guest, continue your dream...at normal hours...The 'Everyone Is So Against me 'card, "people are always trying to make me look like the bad guy" (uh, I'm sorry but who is the more productive member of society?). Oh, and if they pull out the 'Race' card, just walk away. You aren't going to win.

The Drunk: they don't realize they are being that loud. You've been there. Give them a break, unless it happens every night (which in that case they made need AA) or its music that is loud. If its the person banging stuff around and talking real loud, they'll pass out soon. Hopefully.

The Oblivious One: they honestly have no idea how thin the walls are. They don't know that your bedroom wall is right up against their speakers. They don't know you can hear their conversations. They don't know...you get the picture. Confront them. Tell them exactly whats up. You might think they are playing dumb when they tell you they had no idea about the noise, but really, they are that dumb.

What do you do if it just won't stop?

• Grow some balls.
• Confront them first, unless its a situation where you think you are in danger.
• Call the cops. Every time it happens. No matter what hours. Our neighbor was having ragers that would start at 7AM and go till 5PM. Technically that's not within 'quiet hours'. But its OBNOXIOUS and disturbing the peace. Call the cops.
• Contact your landlord and/or management. Give them details. Every. little. detail. 

I still can't wrap my head around how people are these days. How someone could be so ignorant and stupid that they know deep down inside that they are being disruptive, but they truly do not care. How do you live like that? Why have I only encountered these types of people in the city? I'm sure there are some in the suburbs, but not so frequent. Is this something the city does to us?