What would have you done?
 

OK... Last Saturday the people across the road had a party. They often have these and it was loud like always...

I was sitting outside having one of my 6 cigarettes a day and could clearing hear the music from my back yard. I thought someone would eventually call the cops but it wouldn't be me.

It didn't bother me and it was a Saturday night so, what's the big deal?

Later I'm watching the third episode of season one of the "Sopranos" on DVD.

At about 1.30AM I heard the door bell. Not just once but repeatedly rung by whoever was there.
I get up, put my slippers one and go to the front door. There was the youngest daughter (17ish) from across the road and her BF standing at my door. Big meat head looking guy with a buzz cut.

She ask me... Did you call the cops and tell them the music was too load?

It took me a while to understand what she was saying because they had both been drinking.

I say NO... But that didn't seem to be good enough for her so she asked me again.
As you could imagine at this point I'm starting to get a little annoyed so I said NO once again. (and some additional words of choice ;))

Then her boy friend chimes in and says... "We're just asking a question... Why are you getting angry at her?"

I says to him... "I'm getting angry because I have you two at my front door at 1.30 in the morning trying to threaten me"...

He came back with something, can't remember exactly what he said but I took it as a veiled threat...

So... I firmly say to them - "please leave the property". They play innocent or stupid... I'm not really sure which and say "why are you getting so upset we were just asking you a question"...
Now normally I'm a pleasant guy and all that but now I go absolutely high order. I yell... "Get the fusch of my property or I will call the Police".

So they leave and I go back inside... I take a few minutes to gather my thoughts... I grab my digital camera and take pictures of all of the number plates of the cars parked on the street nearby.
I did this so I had a record of who was there if needed later on.
At the time I told myself if anybody saw me taking photos or whatever I would deal with that the best way I could. I left that one up to the "Gods".

Once I had all of the photos I went back into the house and called the cops.
I did this so there would be a record of what happened that night. I didn't really want them to come out because the couple had left my property and things were quiet.
The Police operator took my details down and told me should would pass the information on to the patrols.

About 10 minutes later 4 cops cars turn up with 3 or 4 cops in each car. I lost count at 12.... They approached the house were the party was being held.
They "chatted" with the owner of the house for about and an hour and all of the guests left. This was at 3 am.

That was it... I haven't talked to the owner or anything. Maybe I should. :confused:

But to me this was definitely threatening behavior.

Most towns have a noise restiction after a certain hour of the day, which is typically well before 1:30am. I know this because there is a house in my neighborhood that tends to stretch this curfew from time to time...

That was very uncool for the girl and her meathead boyfriend to start knocking on doors asking who ratted on them -- shows complete disregard for the law, not to mention the typical feeling of "entitlement," as in "I'm entitled to drink, party, and be loud as much as I want!"

And this, my friends, is the future of America. Ya -- hoo.

-Z

it only goes downhill from there. i had nearly the same experience, but at an apartment we lived in, years ago.

What would have you done?


Grabbed some booze and headed on over there

I'd probably be proactive.

Tell them what you told us- That it was a Saturday night, so no big deal until uninvited people showed up at your door after midnight.

Bottom line- Parties are okay, but trespassing, threatening, trashed yards, and annoying neighbors is not. If they keep it down, no reason to call the men in blue.

Look at the location of the original poster: Australia. Not that it would have been any different here.Well except at my house where I always answer the door at 1:30 in morning with a gun. SmileWavy

I don't ever answer my door for unexpected company. But if I were to do so, I'd be visibly armed.

i answered the door once with a ball peen hammer. it took the sails right out of the idiot pounding on my door after midnight. he was all huffy and bluster and threatening, right up until he noticed that hammer. (i knew he was coming to the door and literally twice my size. i wasn't playing.)

You did just the right thing, handled it better than I would have done.

I would recommend speaking to the owner of the home. This would have to handled in a fashion beyond my abilities to be discrete and delicate. I would certainly want to know if my 17 yo daughter were confronting and threatening the neighbors at 0130.

I am much more circumspect than I was in the days of my youth, but I don't know about the middle of the night.

I told my sister about it. She lives in Denver Colorado. (She's married to one of you guys)

She said you would never do that in the USA because you'd probably be greeted with a gun!

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I don't think they would have been so brave without the booze or drugs.
Over the years I've seen a lots of kid get into trouble because of excess consumption.

It seems almost epidemic in Australia.

Our legal drinking age is 18 but a lot of 16 year old and younger drink, especially at parties were the older kids bring the booze.

What if they had knocked on the "wrong" door?

In the neighborhood where I used to live the folks behind us would have a crazy loud party once a month. About 3:00 AM every time the police would show up and the party would start to unwind. My house was on a hill above their back yard. I always needed to test my chain saw the mornings after a party. I would spend time cutting up some wood. Man that saw was loud. I would take a 15 minute break and than go back to cutting wood. I laughed my ass off when the dude poked his head over the fence and asked if I could try to keep it quiet because they were trying to sleep. Some of the other neighbors heard my chain saw and came over to cut some of their firewood. We spent most of the morning cutting wood. It was a real shame they were trying to sleep. I felt almost as bad about the racket as they did about the party noise.

I can just imagine it... Sunday morning and that distinctive Mrrrrrwwwwoooorrrr of the chain saw. :D

Two questions:
What is the age of consent in Australia?
Was she hot?

I deal with this all the time with my family's apts on both sides. woke up 3am to country music blaring from next door the other night. some drunk had left the ignition on in his car with the radio on 11. walked over, opened the door and turned off the key. didn't see him passed out in the car until he says thank you and passes out again. Had a little talk with them the next day. sometimes when the noise is too loud too late in the night, I walk over and shut off the power disconnect for the apt. at the meter. sometimes I wait around until they come down to check and dare them to turn it back on with out turning down the music first

Dang, I was thinking the same thing!

Funny, a similar thing happened several years ago to me and when they asked if I called the cops I said "Why the F*** would I call the cops at a party I was at? Don't you remember what happen in the bathroom? Girl if you don't remember than I just got more than lucky!!!"

There was no boyfriend present but rather two of her friends. The look on her face was priceless. Nuff said...

Aced it!!!SmileWavy

My uncle had a lawnmower with the muffler replace with about 6" of motorcycle exhaust. That thing was LOUD.... Took care of his neighborly noise problems....

Oh yes, nothing like a bit of liquid courage to get you by. The 2 knuckleheads were lucky you were that patient...and I too was wondering about all the consent stuff too.

To answer the question, no, I wouldn't talk with the owner...unless he wants to knock on your door (and not at 0130) and politely ask what his idiot daughter and meathead boyfriend did to piss you off on Sat morning.

People are a lot more reasonable to talk to the next day. However, when the parties were going on next door to me and I finally called the cops on the 3rd or 4th one, we haven't spoken since. I have made some weak overtures, but no response.

Works for me. They know how I roll and they know where to find me.

tell them the next time they have a party, throw a shrimp on the barbie for you.