Okay, I have about lost all patience with the people in my building. Every morning we are awoken by screaming kids and adults that don’t know how to speak quietly. And at night we cannot sleep because people are dropping things upstairs, doing laundry, cleaning, etc until 3 or 4am. We have asked the people upstairs to be quiet, but after a day or so it just goes back to the way it was. I am ready to explode so I am releasing my tension here. WHAT CAN WE DO? We do not want to move and we have spoken to our security guard, and they have even put signs all over the building that tell people to be quiet after 10pm. But nothing works and no cares!!! I swear I am going to grab one of those little $@*! kids yet!
Okay I feel better, but seriously what can we do? What are other peoples experiences, what works, what doesn’t?
I had a long experience with building noise, both inside (neighbors) and outside (funerals). I think I have tried almost everything but finally gave up and moved.
What is almost everything? For example, after repeated complaints, the funeral people got rain (on a clear night). The neighbors got lots of free rock and roll music and door bell music.
But be careful, an Acer technical writer (foreigner) got killed because he complained to his neighbor about the noise.
I have borrowed a pair of noise canceling headphones to try. They only work for steady noise; like A/C, fan, car, airplane, etc. They are not comfortable to constantly wear and do things. They are designed for resting or reading, but that is only a small part of anyone’s time
I just keep a nice, steady flow of white noise going (i.e. dehumidifier and fan or A/C). I also generally play some jazz as background music.
There is no way to change the people who live around you. Either get used to it, or move.
This reminds me of The Minute Man. He was an upstairs neighbor who would leave his windows open when he and the wife were getting down and dirty. The hilarous thing was that the whole show was over in about 45 seconds. Hence, the nickname. Poor woman .
i feel your pain, jeff…there’s a newborn in the flat next to mine that cries at all odd hours.
but i’d think that the noise cancelling headphones would be quite awkward to wear around the house…maybe you should engage in some noise warfare of your own - ye know, blast some classic rock up their arse until they surrender their nocturnal habits.
I just did the lex talionis and give an ear for an ear.
here’s what I do with my screaming neighbors and loud music.
I’d buy the big saw machine, and put it up three o clock in the morning going door to door.
I’d buy super equipped hifi and bass with excessive loudspeaker, and I’d play gregorian to funeral chant every night. I would scream too once in a while to let off steam.
Well even with a dehumidifer, fan A/C, and music going, I can still hear the screaming kids… And even though our bedroom is far away from our front door it still filters in… Anyone got a gun I can borrow?! Kidding, just kidding… I’m calm…
ROFLMAO AX!!! Excellent idea! Which reminds me another thing that drives me batty, every Sunday morning there are two kids who must be in band class because they play there blasted instruments at home, with the windows open! And they bloody suck! If they could play well I would actually be able to feel relaxed and listen to the wonderful classical music, but… no luck there either… sigh…
We experience all that you describe and more. Try the “pigeon man” neighbour who fires fireworks to train his pigeons early on Saturday mornings and man evenings. These fireworks tend to go of right outside our 7th story window. There is also the ktv pub that is in the alley outside our bedroom window. It only opens after midnight and appears to be most popular on Mondays at 3 am. There are also the large trucks on the street who love to honk there horns as they go by – no matter the time. We think it’s some secret code.
The level of unneighbourly noise we deal with daily would surely prompt a full scale assault by the police if it occurred in Canada. Not sure why people here seem to never complain. The lack of community standards such as this is one of the many unsolved mysteries of our life in Taiwan.
Yuanjiwu Dancing Music every day at 6:00 to 7:15 in the morning.
Yuanjiwu Dancing Music every night around 8 to 9 or so.
Mr. Portable Karaoke machine on weekend nights, 7pm to 11pm.
Some drum group every weekend afternoon, 2pm to 5pm.
Weekend markets.
The old deaf guy next door likes to leave his door open so everyone can enjoy his TV 24 hours a day.
MRT shopping mall air conditioning vents run from 6am to midnight.
Omnipresent jackhammer noise.
Other than that, my place is very quiet. The thing is, when you’re looking at a new place and you like it enough, it’s wise to stick around for a day or two to see how noisy it gets. I didn’t do that, and I wish I had. My landlord is nice enough to be putting in new windows, though, so hopefully that will help.
This is one I haven’t heard before. Do tell all … :shock:[/quote]
I think I remember that. Didn’t he work for Mitac, though? My friend’s sister lived down the hall from him. If we are thinking about the same incident, these chicks were drunk and having a party. The guy looked like late 30s, early 40s, I think, had a bit of an intimidating frame and went to their door and complained about the noise. They got into a match, trading x-rated insults and one of the chicks stabbed him with a fruit knife. Of course, she was “so drunk” that she totally had no idea she stabbed the guy.
If the noise is from neighbours on the same floor you can try and sound proof your place a little with wall rugs, door hangings etc.
If from above it is a little harder, there are some noise absorbant tiling your can buy (try B&Q) or perhaps sounds studio tiles (more expensive).
I realise this will cost you $$ but if you dont want to move then this is an option.
If all as fails… I once lived in a building where there were loud children and adults. I found that screaming out at them at all hours to shut up worked quite well.
I think I have got used to noises back in Jakarta. I’ve been spoilt here, no sounds near my apartment. Only me bothering the neighbor sometimes when I move the table and it’s cricketing sound really grates ears.
Back in jakarta where I used to live, the Azan sounds at 5:00 in the morning, moslem start to pray the Subuh prayer, from then on you will hear people selling kerosene crying “Nyak nyak nyak”, then comes the Mas selling Tek-tek noodle hitting bamboo stick to the sound of “tek tek tek tek tek” hence tektek noodle and all kinds of mobile stalls and groceries that comes too and fro the small gangway I used to live. What a neighborhood!
When I first came to Jakarta, I was really bothered by all this sounds to the point of neurotic. I needed a shrink back then. It was really depressing. But after living for a couple of years, I start to get used to it. Azan wouldn’t wake me up. Nor the Nyaknyak and tek tek. I sleep sounds and ignore all sounds. Only the alarm clock can wake me up
Maybe you should throw a huge party at your place and when they call the police due to the noise, you would have a good excuse to just kill (or maim) them. This is called anti-noise terrorism.
What I did was move up the class ladder a bit. I moved into a building that screened all potential residents. No betel nut chewing, Taiwan beer drinking, shaved headed, sandal wearing yokels in our building. Mostly teachers and business men. Lot’s of rules in the building and sure you pay a little more but your sanity is worth it.
My opinion is that you get what you pay for.
I don’t live there anymore, but it was damn comfortable while it lasted.
Yet abother benefit of rooftop apartments. I get no noise from downstairs whatso ever, there’s no next door apartment and, of course, no upstairs. There’s the nightmarket across the street, but if you have a look around you can pick up on that sort of thing before you move.
Other benefits of rooftops are the view, huge balcony and lower rent (because Taiwanese don’t like them).
[quote=“Sir Donald Bradman”]Other benefits of rooftops are the view, huge balcony and lower rent (because Taiwanese don’t like them).
Brian[/quote]
If they don’t like them, who do they keep building them? :shock: Well I have to agree, my last place was a rooftop, and was virtually silent inside once the windows were closed. The lack of noise works both ways – you can crank up the stereo without too much risk of your neighbors sticking pins into voodoo dolls of you.
.
The thing is, when you’re looking at a new place and you like it enough, it’s wise to stick around for a day or two to see how noisy it gets. I didn’t do that, and I wish I had. My landlord is nice enough to be putting in new windows, though, so hopefully that will help.
and all kinds of mobile stalls and groceries that comes too and fro the small gangway I used to live. What a neighborhood!