Three girls live up there, and they're far from quiet people
They came home from the bar at about 2:40 AM as usual, and woke me up with the door-slamming and stair-stomping as usual. (It's a very rare night that they don't hit the bar scene.) Most nights, it's just a rude awakening and I fall asleep easily.
Last night, though, they brought home a few friends and on came the music. Our apartments have an almost identical floor plan: bedroom at the front of the building, livingroom in the middle, and kitchen and bathroom at the back.
For the most part, they stayed in the kitchen, but yelling at them from the hall, slamming doors, and banging on the ceiling did nothing to quiet them down. I can't climb the stairs and my roommate is reluctant to challenge them.
He suggested phoning the police, but I told him it was 'bars out' and the police had other matters to attend to. All we could do was endure it.
I stayed in my bedroom and tried to read (sleep was impossible) and managed to finish the last two chapters of the Mrs. Pollifax book I was reading when the party moved into the bedroom upstairs. No sex, but lots and lots of noise and loud talking and laughing and such.
Finally, at 4:20, 3 guests left and I thought the party was finally calming down. It was, in fact, (to borrow a phrase from Teal'c) calming up. The talking and laughing and screaming turned into wrestling matches.
My roommate called the police as I pounded on the ceiling with a Swiffer. The police, fortunately, were less busy and showed up within 10 minutes. They finally got the lessee downstairs and talked to her. I had my ear pressed to the door to hear, and it was quite enlightening for her.
The officers told her that there had been a noise complaint and asked the girl if she was aware of the city 'noise bylaw'. She said she wasn't.
Cop - "The bylaw is in effect 24 hours a day. 5:20 in the morning or 5:20 in the afternoon. It doesn't matter. Day or night, if you are making excessive noise, your neighbours can call us and complain. This visit is just a warning to you and a record will be made of it. If we are called back to this address a second time, you will be charged with a noise violation and you will be fined $130. If we're called back a third time, you will be charged again and you'll be going to court. Have the neighbours talked to you about the noise before?"
Girl - "Three or four times about the stereo and television."
Cop - "Take the hint. If he had called us instead of talking to you about it, you might be sitting in jail right now."
Girl - Silence.
Cop - "Are there any people still upstairs who don't live there?"
Girl - "Four."
Cop - "Go back up, shut down the party, and get them out of there within 5 minutes. We'll be outside in the car watching and counting."
A few minutes later and the place was very, very quiet. Unfortunately, I was wide awake by then and it was almost 6:00 before I fell back asleep again.
I'll be phoning our landlord later this morning to report the police visit. He keeps track of all that kind of stuff in case he ends up in court with the people. His records have come in very handy during eviction proceedings in the past.
They came home from the bar at about 2:40 AM as usual, and woke me up with the door-slamming and stair-stomping as usual. (It's a very rare night that they don't hit the bar scene.) Most nights, it's just a rude awakening and I fall asleep easily.
Last night, though, they brought home a few friends and on came the music. Our apartments have an almost identical floor plan: bedroom at the front of the building, livingroom in the middle, and kitchen and bathroom at the back.
For the most part, they stayed in the kitchen, but yelling at them from the hall, slamming doors, and banging on the ceiling did nothing to quiet them down. I can't climb the stairs and my roommate is reluctant to challenge them.
He suggested phoning the police, but I told him it was 'bars out' and the police had other matters to attend to. All we could do was endure it.
I stayed in my bedroom and tried to read (sleep was impossible) and managed to finish the last two chapters of the Mrs. Pollifax book I was reading when the party moved into the bedroom upstairs. No sex, but lots and lots of noise and loud talking and laughing and such.
Finally, at 4:20, 3 guests left and I thought the party was finally calming down. It was, in fact, (to borrow a phrase from Teal'c) calming up. The talking and laughing and screaming turned into wrestling matches.
My roommate called the police as I pounded on the ceiling with a Swiffer. The police, fortunately, were less busy and showed up within 10 minutes. They finally got the lessee downstairs and talked to her. I had my ear pressed to the door to hear, and it was quite enlightening for her.
The officers told her that there had been a noise complaint and asked the girl if she was aware of the city 'noise bylaw'. She said she wasn't.
Cop - "The bylaw is in effect 24 hours a day. 5:20 in the morning or 5:20 in the afternoon. It doesn't matter. Day or night, if you are making excessive noise, your neighbours can call us and complain. This visit is just a warning to you and a record will be made of it. If we are called back to this address a second time, you will be charged with a noise violation and you will be fined $130. If we're called back a third time, you will be charged again and you'll be going to court. Have the neighbours talked to you about the noise before?"
Girl - "Three or four times about the stereo and television."
Cop - "Take the hint. If he had called us instead of talking to you about it, you might be sitting in jail right now."
Girl - Silence.
Cop - "Are there any people still upstairs who don't live there?"
Girl - "Four."
Cop - "Go back up, shut down the party, and get them out of there within 5 minutes. We'll be outside in the car watching and counting."
A few minutes later and the place was very, very quiet. Unfortunately, I was wide awake by then and it was almost 6:00 before I fell back asleep again.
I'll be phoning our landlord later this morning to report the police visit. He keeps track of all that kind of stuff in case he ends up in court with the people. His records have come in very handy during eviction proceedings in the past.
That police officer kicks ass! I wish all of them took noise complaints that seriously. It seems like most do the least amount possible unless someone is getting robbed, raped, or killed.
