Q
Dear Auntie Pearl, what must I do about my noisy neighbours?
These people maak geraas almost every night, and it’s especially hectic over the weekends.
The noise ranges from insane fights and screaming matches to parties with loud music and talking and swearing, to animal-like activities between the sheets.
I just can’t take it anymore, a girl mos needs her beauty sleep.
I don’t want to be a bad neighbour and just call the cops, but this cannot go on.
From Wide-Awake Wendy.
A
Wendy, my girl, have you taken the few steps from your front door to your neighbour’s house and told them to keep it down?
It’s not an unreasonable request, so just open a dialogue with the people next door.
Shame, Auntie can only imagine how crap it must be to have to lie awake night after night because inconsiderate people are making a geraas.
When it comes to late-night parties and music, the first thing to do is to go over there and ask them to be a bietjie quieter.
If they are onbeskof or don’t listen, then call Law Enforcement as there are city by-laws governing noise levels in residential areas.
You did your part as a friendly neighbour by asking nicely, en as hulle nie wil hoor nie, moet hulle voel.
The other problems like fights and kinky cacophony is a bit more difficult to deal with.
Maybe if you don’t want to talk to them directly about this – it is a sensitive situation – you can write them a note and slip it under the door or put in the mailbox.
Just let them know that you don’t want to pry into their personal business, but that you (and probably the rest of the neighbours) can all hear the shouting and bedroom antics, and that they might want to consider being aware of their noise level.
Some people might also think the answer is to give your loud neigbours a taste of their own medicine, and that you should make a geraas to show them what it’s like.
But Auntie doesn’t think this will work, because then you are also just going to piss off the rest of the street, and in the end you still have to deal with a bunch of noise.
So my dear Wendy, there is no easy situation, and there’s no guarantee the geraasmakers will tune it down.
And in the end, maybe a pair of ear plugs will have to be your answer.