A Question For The FCW Community

[DripDrop]

1. If your neighbours have bought some bangra drums for their child (under 10 years old), and that child is trying to learn to play this instrument... is it appropriate to allow them to practice outside in the yard near my fence? (and yes, it actually rattles the glass in my windows. And the drywall/insulation/plywood of my house offers little to no soundproofing)
2. If so, until what time at night is it appropriate to be banging on these drums? (because 10:00pm seems too late, IMO)

Oh, and it's every day. During the daytime and the evening. Weekends, weekdays... it don't matter. Even my based neighbours across the street (and 2 houses down) are asking wtf. Damn, that frequency just cuts through everything. I even had the music cranked inside the house. Ughhh....

 

[ex_libris]

Document and record everything (decibel levels etc.), research city noise bylaws, communicate with top bylaw management directly along with your local councillor (311 won't help) and lawyer up where you threaten to sue based upon you cannot reasonably enjoy your property.

Source: been there.

 

[DripDrop]

Are you from Surrey, by any chance?

Because here, all bylaw are the same demographics as these neighbours, and are unlikely to rule in favour of the person complaining about their "completely normal behaviour from their homeland and culture" that all the bylaw officers are familiar with. Even the police, who are all the same demographics, don't enforce blatant traffic violations that happen directly in front of them (ie: driving into oncoming traffic, driving on sidewalks). If it's normal in their motherland, it's fine to do it here.

 

[ex_libris]

Nope, Toronto. I will say this though, you're right that you'll probably get the "but that's their culture" excuse; it's a shame that you are now a foreigner in your own country and are at the receiving end of the new two-tier, anarcho-tyrannical legal system emerging in this country: you'll be policed more for complaining than they will for violating local by-laws. If you aren't the same culture as them they will play the racism card, one-hundred percent.

In my case it was with a group of white crackheads in a rented house - owned by an absent Chinese landlord - across the street, so the dynamics were different and I had actual white city employees who gave a shit and helped, which it doesn't sound like you do. Which is why I would document every instance and be prepared to sue, because if you're going to lose demographically, you can at least try to get satisfaction in the courts (leaving aside the time, expense, etc.). That of course raises the question of whether you want to keep living there at all. Given the threads you post here about the ridiculous number of shootings, filth and disorder there I'm wondering why anyone would.

 

[ovarieasy]

Jam thumbtacks into bits of cheese and throw them over the fence.

 

[DripDrop]

Cheese? I think you mean paneer? Or pakoras?

 

[ovarieasy]

Whatever your average jeelet will eat off the ground.

 

[brutana_dilewski]

Maybe crank up a Rush album to full blast on a speaker outside and radiate that out into the yard. That kid will hear Neil Peart's excellence at drumming and immediately give up.

 

[DripDrop]

I got a full 2000W PA system at my disposal, and a Neil Peart style drum set with double kick. It is tempting....

 

[border_humper]

There’s got to be a way to employ the jeetshaker…

 

[DripDrop]

I have a house. They live in a townhouse complex. The shaker doesn't work like that. I'm open to hearing about modifications, though.

 

[the_pamplemoose]

Your city should have an explicit bylaw regarding noise. Make sure you know what it and the time cutoff is.

No, it's not appropriate to be practicing outside like that. I would suggest talking to (and recording) the parents, explain the situation and how it's not acceptable. Do it with your based neighbour - it shows that it's not just you being a dick. Be firm, know what you want out of the deal (i.e. they mute the drums and play indoors this amount maximum per week, or whatever). Sometimes this works. If not:

Find out your non-emergency 911 police number. Talk to your based neighbour and explain - any time they go more than 15 minutes past the bylaw, you and your neighbour phone that number and complain. Cops generally prioritize calls by how many people are bitching. Talk to other neighbours and see if they're pissed about the drumming and are willing to call it in too. Most people love revenge served for them on a plate. There's power in numbers .

If this doesn't work and you have complained to the non-emergency police several times (i.e. documented calls), then go the legal route.

 

[DripDrop]

The bylaw states (not exact wording): no noise that disturbs the peace and quiet of the surrounding neighbours AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY
Additionally, I'm afraid that reporting this might be considered a hate crime under C-9 because "it's their culture to behave like this"

 

[Oderus]

Talk to them first. Don't be a dick about it but be firm that it's annoying everyone and suggest they do it inside. Give them a fair chance to correct themselves. If they get uppity then fuck em, do what ya gotta do. Best to be on good terms with neighbours if possible even if they're retarded.

 

[DripDrop]

Unfortunately, talking to them will be difficult due to the language barrier issue. And yes, I would prefer not to be on bad terms with neighbours.

 

[Sgt. Goosenip]

A lot of non-verbal communication is universal. Walk over there calm and confident and like you are not someone they want to be fucking around with. Give them a chance to make things right. If they don’t, do all the stuff others have said.

 

[DripDrop]

I'll also note that the neigbours of these neighbours (the townhouse directly facing my property) have those super bright LED rope lights all around their house. These lights flash and strobe 24/7 directly into my window, lighting up my house like a scene out of Seinfeld.

View: https://youtube.com/watch?v=fSFIZleBSPI

Based neighbour across the street even lets me know that it lights up their living room at night. They wonder how I can even stand it.

 

[ovarieasy]

Sell your hovel to a jeetbrood and leave BC for somewhere that will be shitted up a few years from now.

 

[saymyname]

good luck!! i;m generally the shit neighbour who plays their music too loud and i AM working on buying angry silence from the elbows up next door neighbour, but they are building rentals across from me, so we'll see how long that takes to change.

 

[Glowie]

Time to learn the bagpipes bud

 

[Koba]

There's a legit thing where Indians try and run their neighbors out of an area to get a foothold on who owns the property. It starts with a visible lack of hygiene and cleanliness, then it escalates to bitchy sajeet pindar women trying to boss everyone around to avoid doing their own work, then it turns into passive neg attacks like disrespecting noise courtesy or simply being extremely shitty while monopolizing public spaces. Obviously they've got to leave or you do, and if you do they move their extended family in next as well.