Saturday, September 20, 2008

Apartment life, or lack thereof

What were you doing this morning at 1:30 a.m.? I hope sleeping or doing something that you enjoy. I, on the other hand, was lying awake listening to what sounded like monkeys playing tackle football above me. Finally, after I had been laying there for an hour and half attempting to sleep while the thudding and booming above me continued, I decided to go up and ask nicely for them to quiet down. When I made it up the stairs, my trashy neighbor who is always cussing at her preschool-aged children (Example: Put down your f*!*&%$G baby doll!) was sitting outside with yet another random man (there's been several in the last few months). Here is the conversation that followed:

Me: Do you think you could tell your kids to quiet down a little? I've been trying to sleep for an hour and half.

Trashy lady: They're three years old (spoken in a hostile and sarcastic tone, which she maintained throughout this conversation)

Me: So because you have kids I have to stay up all night?

TL: That's what happens when you life in an apartment. Deal with it.

Me: Yes, we do live in an apartment. That's why you're supposed to be considerate of other people around you.

TL: They're three years old. It was his birthday. They had cake.

Me: Can't you tell them to just quiet down a little?

TL: It's the weekend. Do you have to get up and go to work in the morning?

Me: No, but my husband has to get up for a painting job and I'm going to be getting up with him.

TL: Well then you can go back to sleep when he leaves.

Me: It's 1:30 in the morning!

TL: Turn on a fan. Drown it out.

Me: We have the fan on.

TL: Then turn on some music.

Me: Music keeps me awake.

TL: There's 24 hours in a day. Find time to sleep. And if I'm not mistaken you're dog was out here a little while ago making noise (I guess his tags jingling qualified as noise) and I didn't complain about that

Me: *confused look on face: So you're comparing my dog being outside for 30 seconds to go pee to your kids jumping around for the last hour and half? My dog isn't keeping you up at night.

TL: I didn't say your dog was keeping me up at night

Me: *more confused: This is only the second time since you've lived her that I've ever complained about the noise (they've lived her for several months and are very noisy a lot)

TL: Yeah, you don't complain about the people next door playing their guitars!

Me: They're not out doing it at 1:30 in the morning!

TL: They're three years old. They knew we had kids when they moved us in up here.

Me: Fine. You can tell the police that.

TL: Fine!

Of course when I got back into my apartment I was seething. I didn't end up calling the police because I figured then I would have had to talk to them and I would have been kept up even later, but I might as well have because it took me an hour to calm down.

I told the management about this morning and they just said "We can't do anything unless you tell us when it's happening." I didn't know I had the option of telling them at 1:30 a.m., but apparently there's a number I could have called.

After my police calling threat of course they quieted down up there. I am just appalled that someone could be that dumb, rude, trashy, inconsiderate, hostile and downright mean. The second she saw me she was ready to fight. There was no apologetic tone, no attempt to even pretend that she cared. It was like talking to an angry brick wall with lower than average intelligence. Amazing.

I know who to call next time, but with people like her I'll probably end up with slashed tires or a keyed car once I put my money where my mouth is.

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