i was having a really great, disturbing dream about hugh laurie last night when, around 3 am, voices woke me up. deep in loud, enthusiastic conversation, the 4 people on the rooftop deck across the street from my open bedroom windows laughed, opened beer bottles, smoked, told jokes, related stories about someone's crazy uncle and a drunk girl screeched like she'd never had fun before.
their voices boomed across the empty, quiet, sleepy street. i knew my roomie was useless in joining me in exasperation - she sleeps like a hibernating bear. there would be no support from her room. so i laid there, listening to them for 15 minutes, hoping one of them would realize that their noise was bouncing off my apartment building like great big bowling balls. but, no. they got louder. their stories became more exciting. and the drunk screechy girl wouldn't shut up.
so i had no choice.
'911 emergency.'
'hi. i have a noise complaint.'
'where are you, maam?'
'i'm at [boop], on the corner of [boop] and [beep]. they're across the street from me on the [beep] side and they're having some kind of party and they're loud and it's 3 am. i'm sorry.'
'no problem. we'll send a unit to check it out.'
'thank you.'
and so i snuggled back into my bed and listened to more of their stories. soon, a unit pulled up and a cop-like voice called out 'hey, your neighbors are complaining. keep the noise down.'
one of them said, 'will do.'
and it was quiet for a while, like 10 minutes. i was drifting back to sleep when the stories started again. i waited for 45 minutes. they were still going at it! i shut my windows, but i could still hear them, they were that loud.
all i could think was, 'maybe they're speed freaks. maybe that's why, on a school day, they're on their roof chatting like it's an italian cafe. or maybe they're all waitstaff and this is their after hours gabfest. or maybe they're just inconsiderate art institute students who are pissing me off!'
i called 911 again.
'i'm sorry. i'm calling for a noise complaint.' i repeated my information. 'if this was the weekend, i wouldn't care, but i have to get up in three hours and they aren't stopping.'
'we'll send someone.'
'thanks.'
15 minutes later, a cop car rumbled up. 'hey! pack it in - your neighbors have called about the noise!' there was the slam of a screen door and then blessed silence.
and then the trucks started to come off the highway.
i almost cried.
9 comments:
you old crank.
The neighbors who have rarely, if ever, had a loud party, gathering, or ruckus of any kind don't get one evening to stretch muscles? ONE EVENING?!
You need a sleepaid, darling. tylenol would work. Cuz you're sure as hell not getting your hands on my luna moth pills.
- gooch
You can call 911 for a noise complaint? I just fume and curse and shake my fist. I've never actually had the nerve to call the cops. In grad school, we lived in an old Victorian that was divided up into apartments--we were upstairs and the landlord's sister was downstairs. She had at least 15 years on us and three kids. And many boyfriends. On boyfriendly nights, she'd crank up the bass and the whole rickety house would carry it--I mean it would begin around 1 and end around 3 or 4. (Yeah, like the kids wouldn't notice this noise to cover their noise) Once I even tried fleeing to the upstairs attic rooms--no good--sound, like heat, rises. When I talked to her about it the next day, she laughed at me, and did it again and again. I really don't think age has anything to do with it. Some of us think quiet's important--others think their right to noise is.
i totally would not have cared if it was thursday, friday or a weekend night.
but tuesday?! at 3 am - the laughing, the loudness - i couldn't take it. and all they had to do was lean over the other side of the deck. the acoustics were just too much, man.
they finally went back inside around 4.45 am. who DOES that? on a work night!!
liza,
i felt bad using up 911 space, but what could i do? i thought, 'well if it's not appropriate for me to use 911, they'll tell me to call someone else.'
but they sent someone out - twice!!
chicago takes its noise pollution seriously.
i tried. i really did. i even closed my windows. and i could still hear them. it was like a Poe story, it was so maddening.
Rumor has it that 'The Golden Girls' switched to Thursday afternoons. Check it out. Oh, and you left your Red Lobster coupon on the table. you may be able to pick it up before your reservations at 4:30.
-gooch
ha ha, 4:30 red lobster reservations!
everyone knows i prefer sizzler.
Yes, but we need to hear more about this Hugh Laurie dream.
suffice it to say that his cane played an important role.
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