A Patch reader recently complained about a problem on his block in a fairly upscale part of Eagle Rock: On just about every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, when he lounges in his backyard, a neighbor invariably plays an electric bass guitar for hours on end.
“I’m a music lover, but I also like some peace on the weekends,” says the reader, who doesn’t know his noisy neighbor—and is nervous about approaching whoever it is.
If you had a noisy bass-playing neighbor, what would you do? Do you think your fellow Patch reader has any right to complain—legally or from the point of view of etiquette?
As for electric bass- someone is probably just practicing. If you approach them politely and ask them to turn it down or skip the amplifier or use headphones or something you might solve the problem and maybe make a friend at the same time. Always better than calling the police on someone initially - cowardly and unneighborly!
Wish the patch cared about my noise problem.
If Divine Saviour Catholic Church was a good neighbor they would turn off their amplified sound system. I lived there before they put up their noisy sound system. They are NOT a good neighbor. It is great to hear there are a few good neighbors out there like you.
http://www.tmz.com/2012/07/12/justin-bieber-lawsuit-hearing-noise-concert-oregon/
As an aside, I understand that it is illegal to interrupt a practicing musician in Austria. I'd guess that this applies to a violinist as well as an electric bass player. One person's noise can be another person's music.
Seeing as it is just music as a problem try asking them politely if they can keep it down for at least a little bit. I personally wouldn't bother as it is during the day and not at night when trying to sleep. But if it is extremely loud every weekend and you're afraid of retaliation ask the police to pay them a visit and stay anonymous. Our former neighbors threatened us because of their vicious dogs who would bark all day and night and tried to bite us. So I can see why you would be afraid over asking the neighbor to turn it down. Good luck!
Here's a better approach: Walk your neighborhood often, get to know your neighbors, before resentments simmer over. Offer help and assistance to neighbors when you can. If you develop a relationship with them and get them to see you as a part of their community, when and if there is a grievance, most reasonable neighbors will have sympathy for your cause. On the rare occasion that they don't, you'll have generated goodwill among other neighbors who might be better placed to reach them. The key is to *not* make yourself out to be their enemy on every issue (as you have).
If you manage to gather the courage to speak with another human, you may realize that this person is just like you. Who knows? You may even make a friend! Taking an antagonizing position can only lead to an antagonizing situation. Let's go with working together, folks. It solves problems much better than a law or some non-local arbiters with nothing vested in your Community. If things don't work out, at least you have a better idea of who is your neighbor. And isn't that a win in itself?
I kind of like it better when we were all just one Eagle Rock, neighbors, friends and family. So much for progress.
When inconsiderate neighbors refuse to be good neighbors then lawmakers and law enforcement need to take action.
http://evnw.wordpress.com/
Further, law enforcement doesn't NEED to take action. Gathering more neighbors to speak with said loud neighbor may well do the trick. Again, let's consider working this out as a Community, rather than through cold, black and white regulation.
Divine Saviour Catholic church is one of those bad neighbors. I have tried to negotiate with them, even trying to use the city attorney's negotiated service, but they refuse to negotiate or sit down and come to the table. Father Marco Ortiz will not budge. He is set on being selfish and being a bully by doing whatever he wants to do and not caring about being a noisy neighbor. It is great to have good neighbors but some neighbors refuse to be good neighbors, Divine Saviour Catholic church is a bad noisy neighbor.