Making Friends with the Neighbor

Some of you may remember a few months back when I wrote a post asking for advice on how to deal with our obnoxious neighbor and his blaring music. After stewing for a few more weeks over his complete disregard for those living near him, I finally got up the nerve one afternoon to go over and kindly ask him to turn down his music. You can imagine my complete disgust and irritation when, after knocking and ringing the doorbell several times, he never came to the door - I suspect because he couldn't hear me over his music. So, upon my failure to make face-to-face contact over the issue, I decided to write him a little note. On a pretty, flowery card reading 'Just Because...' that Jason's mom had made for me, I wrote the following:

Dear Neighbor,

Just a friendly note from next door at XX Norwich Street to ask if you might be able to keep your music down a bit in the future. I stopped by earlier in hopes of chatting with you about this, but unfortunately I don't think you were able to hear me knocking.

Thanks!
Mica

All in all pretty friendly and neighborly, right? And, to our amazement, it actually worked for a couple of months. We'd still hear his music from time to time, but never the blaring, wall shaking, every-word-audible volumes of the past. "Wow," I thought, "that was easy. Why didn't I do that sooner?!"

Unfortunately, the peace did not last. I think something about the return of warm weather to England brought out the rock star in neighbor guy because round about May, the club-level volumes returned. We tried our best to be patient about it for as long as we could, but then came last Friday when I flew in from the States on a red-eye flight. By the time I got back to Cambridge it had been 27 hours since I had gotten any sleep. I was EXHAUSTED and wanted nothing more than to relax in the peace and quiet of my living room. No sooner had I sat down than the thumping from next door began. I gave him two songs, trying to wait him out, but when the obviousness showed no sign of ending I thought to myself, "It's stupid to sit here and fume over this. We're all adults here, I should just go over there and explain the situation, I'm sure he's traveled internationally before. I'm sure he'll understand."

So, away I went to have a chat with the neighbor. Here's what ensued:

Ring of the doorbell #1

[Nothing happens.]

Ring of the doorbell #2

[Volume of the music goes down a few notches.]

Ring of the doorbell #3

[Nothing happens.]

Knock on the door #1

[Nothing happens.]

Knock on the door #2

[Volume of the music goes down a few more notches - mind you, we're still at a volume that allows the lyrics of the song to echo down the entire street!]

Knock on the door #3

[Music turns down considerably, but still no one appears at the door.]

At this, I finally give up and start to head back toward my door. Just then, his door finally opens and he peaks his head out looking extremely annoyed.

Me: Oh, hi! I was just coming by to see if you wouldn't mind turning your music down a bit. I just got back from the States on an overnight flight and haven't slept in over a day...was trying to get in a little rest.

Friendly Neighbor Guy: [Gesturing toward his house] It's not even that loud!

Me: [To myself, "Of course it's not you jerk, you just turned it down!"] Oh, right, well it's just that before it was pretty loud, so we could hear it through our wall.

Friendly Neighbor Guy: I don't see what the problem is, you can have a listen, it's not that loud.

Me: [To myself, "Why is this guy acting like he thinks I'm a complete idiot? Does he really think I don't know he's turned it down three times since I started knocking at his door?"] Okay, I'm sorry to have bothered you.

At this point, I turn and walk away because it's obvious that he's trying to get me to argue with him which I am in no mood to do. Then, just as I'm walking into my front door...

Friendly Neighbor Guy: Plus, I'm not even going to listen to it for that long!

I just shut my door without responding.

Seriously buddy, how old are we? Ugh!