Not Dancing To our Tune

[McFly]

I agree Mia.

 

I would actually go further and say that even if it had been "full scale amps on the go playing heavy heavy metal or a set of decks playing banging techno tunes", then calling the police as an initial course of action is still not right.

 

If the noisemakers proved unco-operative with polite requests to turn down, then calling the cops would possibly be an acceptable option. But as an initial response I think it's just cowardly and unnecessary.

[Mia]

Here Here McFly!!

 

For example a few weeks ago on a Wednesday night at around 2.00am the flat above us decided to have a party a bit annoyed but we could still get back to sleep so that was fine, then we got woken by people speaking, then I realised that there was someone speaking in the stairwell (tennement flat very noisy stairwells!!) so I got up looked through the spy hole and there was a girl sitting on the stairs speaking on her mobile! I told myself to wait 15 minutes and if she hadn't gone by then to deal with it, which I did by opening the door and saying do mind speaking somewhere else, she said ok and left.

 

As soon a I got back into bed the music was turned off!! No need for the police!!! Take heed people treat as you like to be treated!!

[Njugle]

Thanks JustMe, you're a gentleman and a scholar.

 

It would indeed be interesting to find out the whereabouts these incidents occured as to identify where some old people sitting in a garden constitutes a public disorder (i'm betting westerloch for one ).

 

Big city mentality, in a peerie toon.

 

Unless of course they were singing about the pheasant plucker and his son

[Ghostrider]

In the interests of fairness, what's omitted from that letter is IMHO far more important than what's included.

 

There's nothing concerning the characteristics of the location of either incident. Were they taking place in a rural or urban enviornent? If rural with a decent gap between neighbours, then it was a very OTT reaction, but in an urban one it's a wholly other matter. Urban housing used to be largely built in "street" formats, one or two lines of side by side houses one or both sides of the road, in that situation whatever noise any one individual made rarely affected anyone except their immediate neighbours either side and those directly facing them, if any did, the "street" design allowed noise to largely disperse without being troublesome to most other people. The last 30 years or so has seen a marked shift towards building in clumps and groups, often partly or wholly surrounding a central public area, the aim, assumedly, to promote a sense of micro community and inclusion for all, as the central area automatically becomes one all resident use frequently. The down side of this philosophy is that when you surround or semi surround an area with walls at least 8 foot high you effectively create an echo chamber, with whatever noise is made within it retaining most of it's volume as it travels all round the area, but at the same time becoming somewhat distorted by the echo effect, which can, and often does leave all neighbours "enjoying" the music at almost the same volume as the participants, but with the acoustics of the area making it sound as attractive as a tom cat fight.

 

Also, the sound insulation qualities, and acoustics of many more modern houses are very variable. Particularly in buildings containing groups of flats, or to a lesser degree in lines or terraced houses, it can be anything from excellent to virtually zero. Take the following example, many years ago, I lived in a house in Sandveien for a short time. Neighbours either side, both lots multi kid families, so definitely not no noise people, yet I can say I only very rarely heard a thing. At the moment I have neighbours either side again, and I am the very unwilling audience to just about every noise they make, the dividing walls do not reduce the overall volume of their noise any, they simply filter out certain pitches, usually at the higher end of the scale, and remove the sharpness of the rest. End result, if either of them were to be having an acoustic sing song, I'd hear the singing like the singer had a bucket over their head, and I'd hear the bass sections of the music only, which is effectively half of the song, but both equally loudly as they could hear it themselves. Even if they're playing something I would like if I could hear it al proplerly, I'm certainly not going to like it at the same volume but mangled to muffled vocals and just the bass line.

 

Simply calling the Police over noise would on the face of it seem excessive in the circumstances, and no doubt on many occasions it is simply lazy people who find it easier to pick up the phone to the Police, than wander on over for a quick word. However, it should also be borne in mind that in some instances it could well be an elderly or disabled person who is simply incapable of walking as far as the neignhours, and neither knows their name of phone number, so have no other avenue of redress but involve the Police. There are also bound to be situations previous bad blood exists between people, and a complainer knows any approach to the nighbour in question can only escalate issues rather than solve them.

[JustMe]

A quiet word can go wrong.......I had a very quiet word with the lass in the flat upstairs and I think she has taken fright and adopted a silent regime. All that I asked was if she could keep whatever visitor she sometimes had from cranking up the volume on her stereo so much that I could not hear my tv. Going to have another quiet word to say that I can bear some noise.

[McFly]

A quiet word can go wrong.

 

Indeed.

 

But I reckon it's far less likely to cause ill feeling than calling the cops without any warning.

[Guest perrie-lipper]

It seems that this is not a lone incident, and there are other people who have been on both sides of the coin to noisy neighbours.

 

Also those who cant bare other people wanting to do what most humans like doing-having fun and enjoying life.

 

And the search goes on to find out WHO is the worst neighbour in Shetland maybe!!!!!!

[ArabiaTerra]

Ghostrider writes :-Also, the sound insulation qualities, and acoustics of many more modern houses are very variable.

 

I agree. The design of the houses could use a little more thought too. I grew up in a Victorian 'Villa' in central Lerwick, detatched with 3 foot thick stone walls - not a problem.

 

Granny and Grandad lived in a terraced house in Goodlad Crescent. This was also a fantastic house for noisy people as at one side there was an alleyway and the other side had the front door and stairwell. No downstairs rooms backing against the neighbours.

 

In contrast, the houses in Nederdale were built with the stairwells and bathrooms at the ends of the house and the living spaces butting up against each other. Result: You could hear your neighbours when they were going about their normal daily lives.

 

Having said that, older does not nescessarily mean better. I currently live in a 100 year old council bedsit with neighbours either side and a flat above. There is no problem with the neighbours on either side, but the noise from upstairs is terrible. I hear them get up, use the shower, I hate their taste in music (80's american cock rock) and their taste in TV (Soaps and BB) and should they decide to get passionate.... well, lets just not go there, ok? (Think worst ever Hotel experience)

 

The really annoying thing is that these people are not doing anything remotely obnoxious, simply living a normal life in a building with crap sound-proofing. God knows what they think of my music.

 

So, a plea to any practicing or budding architects out there. If you ever find yourself designing public housing, remember sound insulation. It will be appreciated.

 

Does anyone know about the relevant building regulations concerning this?

[snurtmunchkin]

No winder dey phoned da police, has du iver heard him play, boy!