Are you the kind of person who averts your eyes when you see a new neighbor appear in your building? Or do you go out of your way to bring them a plate of brownies and your contact information? While it’s great to be friendly, it’s certainly not a requirement to be a goodneighbor. As long as you aren’t obnoxious, rude or loud, you’re probably doing just fine!
One tenant recentlyreached outto the Revenge Stories subreddit to share the tale of how they accidentally got their neighbor submitted to a psych ward years ago. Below, you’ll find all of the details, as well as a conversation between the author andBored Panda.
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“We were always friendly, wanted a good neighborly relationship and no stress”
To find out more about this situation, we got in touch with the author of the story, Reddit user. They were kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and explain what inspired them to tell this tale now. “It’s just a good story, and I thought it was time to share it.”
We were also curious about how well the couple knew their neighbor prior to this incident, but apparently, they weren’t very close.
“After all, we witnessed how he treated his roommates,” the OP said. “We were always friendly, wanted a good neighborly relationship and no stress. At first, he responded to our request to turn the music down. Before things escalated, we never called the police and tried to sort things out with him directly.”
And how often was the couple shutting down their neighbor’s Wi-Fi before the neighbor was taken away? “Honestly, I don’t remember. Maybe 10 to 20 times?” the author shared. “Of course, we were worried that he would find out that we were behind it.”
Thankfully, the couple isn’t dealing with noise issues like this today. “We moved out. Looking back, the time there was good, even though the new neighborhood is so much quieter,” they told Bored Panda.
Finally, they added, “We’re happy that people like the story.”
The majority of Americans dislike at least one of their neighbors
Sure, it can be helpful to be close friends with your neighbors if you need a cup of sugar or a ride to the airport. But the better you get to know them, the more likely they are to be in your business. And not everybody wants to be the subject of neighborhood gossip!
According to a survey from thePew Research Center, 57% of Americans report that they know some of their neighbors, while only about a quarter knowmostof the people living around them.And even though we’re all glued to our cell phones these days, the survey found that the majority of interactions between neighbors still take place face-to-face.
But just because you know your neighbors doesn’t mean that you actuallylikethem. A 2022 survey fromLendingTreereports that nearly three quarters of Americans admit that they’re not a fan of at least oneneighbor.
17% of residents also feel financial pressure to keep up with their neighbors. In fact, over a third of those living in neighborhoods with homeowners associations feel that pressure.
37% of Americans would prefer if their neighbors had the same political views as them, to avoid conflicts or the awkward opposing political signs in their yards. And over a quarter of residents admit that they’ve actually considered moving because of a neighbor.
Noise is one of the top reasons conflicts between neighbors arise
When it comes to why Americans aren’t particularly fond of their neighbors, LendingTree found that the top reasons are: giving off weird vibes, being too loud, being rude, having disruptive pets, being nosy or abusybody, failing to maintain their home’s exterior, having unruly kids, parking issues, smoking, differing political views and/or using their home for short-term rentals.
How friendly your neighbors are might also depend on whether they actually own their home or are renting. 81% of homeowners say that they have at least one neighbor they consider to be a friend, while less than two thirds of renters can say the same.
When it comes to dealing with obnoxious neighbors, particularlyloudneighbors, like the man described in this story,Apartment Therapyhas a few tips. First, it’s important to know how exactly to report them. Learn about the rules in your city, neighborhood, building, etc., and find out if your noisy neighbor is breaking any of them.
It’s always a good idea to take it up with your landlord too, but if they don’t live in the building, they might not be motivated to do much about it. In this case, Apartment Therapy recommends documenting everything. Make a note of the date, time and type of noise that’s occurring, and try to take a recording.
Explain exactly how the noise is impacting you – for example, it kept you from studying for an exam or kept you awake all night before an important day at work. And, of course, if all else fails, you can try to get the police involved, just like the author here.
Amused readers shared their reactions to the story, and the author joined in on the conversation
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