Next door is finally inhabited - the warehouse conversion that was moving so slowly it almost cost me my mortgage (and burned the phrase "derelict commercial property adjacent" in my memory) three years ago, is now a split level two bedroom flat for the son of the neighbour who fitted my carpet... I get on fine with my neighbours but a few times over the past fortnight one of the big downsides to having a teenager next door has been grating on my nerves.
I can sum it up in two words: Bass Beat. The adjoining wall between 60 (me) and 58a (him) is two feet thick, more than thick enough under normal circumstances. I've always said that noise wouldn't be a problem, that it'd take some really serious decibel levels to get through... trouble is that the kid next door is of the Max Power generation, so of course he's got a stupidly over amped stereo and likes playing it loud. Fair enough: The walls are so think that all you get is that distant "thud thud" of the bass line and really it's no more than a minor irratation during the day. Twice now though I've had to go over after 11 to ask 'em to turn it down. That bothers me. What bothers me more though is the fact that both times this kid has sent his mates to the door to deal with my (very calm and reasonable) complaint pretending he's not in... The way I see it, if you're living in your own place, you grow the f*ck up and take responsiblity for your actions. I'll be more measured about it when I get to talk to him but words need to be had.
Meanwhile all this sets me thinking, am I getting old? One of the reasons I first started looking for my own place was when we got new nieghbours in the rented flat back in Ecdinburgh. Ironically enough they started complaining about the noise! Believe me I'm being 100% objective when I say that the noise levels they complained about were piddling compared to these (my stereo's just a stereo not a concert sound stage - it just doesn't make that much noise) and never as unreasonably late (the fact that we eventually agreed that after 8pm I'd avoid music with any strong bass component should give you an idea how much of a different leage we're talking here) but that said the age difference was probably the same...
Of course then there's the fact that while I like him well enough, I just don't get this kid - I can't imagine needing five sets of alloy wheels for my car (especially if the car in question is a knackered old Mk3 Golf that's probably worth less than any two of said sets of wheels)
Maybe it's not an age thing, maybe it's a personality thing... maybe I've just been spoiled by three years of blissful silence after 11pm... passing trains notwithstanding. Did I mention I'm putting the house on the market in the Spring?
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