When I wrote yesterday about my Neighbor from Hell, I didn’t intend to start a discussion about how to deal with the nuisance.
I should have realized comments would go that way, though. And I’m glad they did because as always you guys came up with ideas that are interesting, helpful, and delightfully devious (sometimes all three at once!).
In the long run, I’m pretty sure the neighbors will have to deal with Mr. Karaoke on their own, non-violently but decisively. Some of your techniques will surely be put to good use.
As it happens, though, this week we caught an unexpected break. And yes it did involve “people in charge.”
After the week’s third party, I begged Mr. K’s landlady to give him an ultimatum: stop the noise or be evicted. This she would not do. But she talked with him, then called me back with a story that, at first, didn’t make much sense. Mr. K was quite indignant because he claimed that he now had the city government’s approval for all this racket!
He had gone to the chief of police and the city council and gotten specific permission to hold musical events (by invitation) around the city in honor of what landlady called “Mexican Mardi Gras” — Carnival, the extended pre-Lenten festivities celebrated down south.
Nobody is going to be so churlish as to begrudge a neighbor an occasional loud holiday celebration.
But Mr. K. — who frankly shows more signs of arrogant cluelessness than malice — decided that the city had given him carte blanche — for parties, for rehearsals, for pretty much anything. The government approved of him. He had Followed Procedures. So how could the neighbors possibly have any legitimate objection?
I went to city hall and explained our dilemma to the mayor. He gave me a fair hearing, talked with the police chief, and by the end of the day the chief had sent a sergeant out to Mr. K’s place with the message that the city had not endorsed anything beyond by-request holiday performances during Carnival.
With luck, this will keep Mr. K. quiet until seriously nice weather sets in. Then we’ll see. I’ll be very, very surprised if this buys us long-term peace.
Am I happy that I went to “officials”? Nope. But this time, in all innocence, those very officials had triggered the problem and they decently took responsibility.
And as I wrote yesterday, when you’re facing a dilemma that increasingly looks as if it can’t be solved politely, it’s easier to live with yourself if you can say, “I tried everything else before I resorted to guerrilla warfare.”
I’d say we’ve now tried everything else.
Do me a favor, if you would. Go back to yesterday’s post and take another look at the second part — the part about mindset and hesitancy to act. Because I really do think that the way everybody’s handled (or failed to handle) this mini-mess bears on our current situation as lovers of freedom in an unfree world.
That’s what I’d like to talk about in part III.
—-
But first … you want a LOL? I wrote the above Thursday afternoon and scheduled it for later posting. As it turns out, I’d rather not post it at all, except that I promised part II. I’m adding this coda at 6:30 Thursday evening — while listening to the sounds of Mr. K’s latest “performance.”
The best I can say is that he is keeping the volume down this time.
But yes, we’ll have to solve this problem ourselves.
“Because I really do think that the way everybody’s handled (or failed to handle) this mini-mess bears on our current situation as lovers of freedom in an unfree world.
That’s what I’d like to talk about in part III.”
Re the second part of yesterday’s post: You mentioned that a neighbor was scared, and that Mr. K had given no one a reason to believe that he was _Mr. T._ (The obvious question: why was the neighbor scared, given no provocation? Unless the noise and sheer numbers of partiers was scary to the neighbor.) In an unfree world, we have Mr. T on a large scale, who not only intimidates but acts as well, and there IS reason to be scared.
Monkey-wrenching was suggested yesterday, via direct action (either light- or heavy-weight), but the concensus was that indirect action, or “letting George (landlady) do it”, was the correct response. This doesn’t apply to fedgov, who is already “doing it” to us, there’s no landlady to intercede, and no nice “people in charge” to whom we can turn for help. In fact, too many of those PICs are doing it to us also.
Yesterday, while commenting myself and reading others’ comments, this was going through my head. I’m just summarizing now for my own benefit, while waitng to read Part III.
yeah. great point. the replies seem to be working the gamut from knee jerk responses (guilty as charged) to thoughtful.
I think the key to this is…….
‘ “I tried everything else before I resorted to guerrilla warfare.”
I’d say we’ve now tried everything else.’
Amen.
Now, methinks, its time for the gloves to come off.
It sorta looks like NFH might trying to play on religious sympathies with his pre-Lenten bit. Well…..ash wednesday is Feb 22. That is the start of Lent….so he should stop……right? Right?
After a big blow out on Feb 21.
Sigh.
Sounds more like Mr. K went for willful misunderstanding of the terms of his permit. It was thoughtful of him to get a permit though.
My community has pretty good noise abatement policies. If the officer can hear the noise when parked on the street, it is to loud. 10pm is quiet time on weekdays, 12midnite on weekends. They enforce it fairly and pretty rigidly because they get tired of complaints to the mayor, council and chief of police.
This IS a problem, when does freedom for the individual trump freedom for the group? Does our freedoms end at our neighbors nose, as the old saying goes? Society sets rules for living close together to keep us from infringing on others rights, what to do when someone breaks those rules and the powers that be can’t or won’t , do something about it? Do we take anothers rights away by force? Can we be civilised and freedom loving at the same time? While I don’t advocate domestic terrorism, it has been said that phonelines are thin and jackknives are sharp. It’s also said that cars have tires and those said jackknives are still sharp. When one has tried all the “proper” channels, what is left?
NfH’s behavior makes it all too obvious that this is NOT misunderstanding, cluelessness, or other lack of comprehension. If a chat with a police sergeant dispatched by the mayor doesn’t stay the abuse for even 12 hours, talking isn’t going to work.
This sad situation does hold lessons for freedom lovers. I think most of them are very similar to, if not identical, to those confronted by people who rescue abused dogs. I have nothing to add to your thoughtful analysis of that dilemma.
But just as retrieving an abused animal provides an adrenaline rush and sense of direct accomplishment that is hard to match, it is important that any response be fun, creative, and help unite the rest of the neighbors. You don’t need 100% consensus, but everyone should understand why you do whatever you do, and most of them should have a good time doing it.
Good luck.
Stryder said, “Can we be civilised and freedom loving at the same time?”
Oh, yeah. I refer you to _The Probability Broach_ by L. Neil Smith
http://www.amazon.com/Probability-Broach-L-Neil-Smith/dp/0812538757,
or (in my judgement), _the Bill of Rights plus The Golden Rule_ might carry the day.
I actually saw this tactic used in similar situation (not dance parties, but very loud backyard pool parties with booming music). Repeated attempts to get the authorities to help failed, so…a gentleman I know went down to his local fishing supply bait shop and purchased four “tubes” of live crickets (literally hundreds of crickets). He attended the pool party that night, with the tubes secreted in a pool bag beneath towels and such. At some point during the evening he excused himself to the restroom inside, taking his pool bag with him, and while inside the offender’s house released the crickets in various rooms, inside closets, beneath beds, behind couches, even lifting floor vent covers and dumping some down the pipes (sheer genius). Needless to say, upon the party’s end, the offender went to bed that night to the sound of untold numbers of shrieking, chirping crickets from every nook and cranny in his house. I’m told it took many days and sleepless nights and more than one trip by the exterminator to solve the problem. And the pool parties ceased.
Just a thought.
Scott
I would bet that the karaoke machine uses a wireless microphone, which transmits at some portion of the UHF band. Claire, are any of your neighbors into Ham Radio? If so, I’m they might be able to rig up something which would allow transmitting a stronger signal to the karaoke machine, allowing a ‘gifted’ vocalist on elsewhere on the street to sing over the vocals at Mr. K’s. Any other kind of sound could likewise be broadcast to the karaoke machine; all that need be done is find the wireless microphone frequency and use an appropriate transmitter.
Correction – Wireless microphones may also use the VHF band. There is a lot of VHF ham radio equipment available, which may (or be modifed to) allow broadcasting out of the ham frequencies. A frequency counter or radio receiver could be used to find out what frequency Mr. K transmits over. Not completely sure about this, not being a ham operator myself. Your local Elmer (ham radio mentor) could help a lot with this project. 🙂
(Most) hams will refuse to help in this fashion. Hams share government-allocated frequency bands, and are taught to respect them and to go the extra mile when neighbors complain of interference. Some of them assist quite vigorously in tracking down rogue transmitters.
I’m not saying the tactic won’t work; I’m saying you may have a hard time finding a licensed ham to assist.
I take it this guy is sober, just noisy. I would give him the benefit of the doubt,and talk to him face to face, and see what’s going on. If you have a recorder, record it and play it back to him at a similar volume to the original(get together with the neighbors on this, though)if a face to face what’s going on talk fails. If he’s not sober, play it loud when he’s hung over. When I think of noisy, partying neighbors, I think of the kind that are face-down in the yard the next morning. NFH can be one of those problems that takes a while to deal with. Getting the other neighbors to cooperate will make it a lot easier.
Cops place a really low priority on noisy-neighbor problems, for the most part.
-s is right. Hams are very diligent when it comes to interference problems that they might be causing(or someone thinks they are causing-even if they aren’t at fault). I’ve built high and low pass filters for a couple “appliance” operator type hams in high school, which were distributed to neighbors in order to keep interference to TVs down(CB operators are far sloppier about this,and more likely to cause interference than hams).
There is no magic answer to this-you amy have to try multiple approaches. I hope this works out.
Thanks for the additional suggestions and considerations.
FWIW, yes, the guy appears to be sober; some drinking goes on at the parties, but I’ve never seen any sign of alcohol being the real problem. Other than occasional shouts of “Yeehaw!!!” and abysmally bad singing, everyone present remains well behaved.
Also FWIW, I have spoken with the guy three times, to absolutely no useful response.
Although he has an invariably pleasant manner, I’ve also discovered that he’s a complete liar. First, he got his landlady’s consent to karaoke parties by assuring her that he had gone around the neighborhood, telling everyone his plans and not getting a single objection from anyone. (He never did any such neighborhood canvassing, and he wouldn’t have gotten unanimous okays if he had.) Now he’s getting away with the current round of Carnival parties by telling the city that they would be held in various locations and strictly by request.
So talking to him is one thing I can say I’m permanently done with.
Well, you tried complaining to legitimate authority (the landlady) and were unable to receive satisfaction. Then you tried complaining to illegitimate authority (the government) and received polite lip-service, but still no satisfaction.
I’d say that nonviolent guerrilla tactics are the natural next course. (Note that I’d classify any action which physically damages his property as outside the sphere of “nonviolent”.)
_Don’t_ slash his guests’ tires, though. Especially not that. The whole point of acting against him and/or them, nonviolently or otherwise, is to get them to leave and him to stop…slashing their tires _impedes_ the very eventuality that you’re trying to _hasten_, that being their departure.
Always leave your enemy a clear route by which to retreat.
Matt, well said. That’s exactly the situation.
And I can assure everybody that any solution that I’m personally involved in will be as non-violent as it can possibly be. Mr. K may deserve in-kind payback or poetic-justice responses, but nothing he has done gives anybody any claim to “violent self-defense.”
I can’t speak to what some young hot-headed guy in the neighborhood might decide to do. But my only interest is in halting the noise peaceably.
Now that you have talked to “the man” about the lying jerk, if anything happens to him or his property you will be number one suspect and the easiest target.
The solution will have to be very clever, and just as funny so that the “authorities” will enjoy it as well – and see the justice in your solution.
What about a petition from the neighborhood? A copy to Mr. K, a copy to the landlady, a copy to the police stating the nuisance factor, and a copy to the newspaper…
Pat — A nice, civilized solution. But very few people would be willing to put their names to any document that Mr. K might ever see. I don’t know why some people are so afraid. It’s not like Mr. K is hosting meetings of the Hells Angels at his place. But thus it is.
Sam — You have a point and I’ve definitely considered that. A few things in my favor: other people have made all the calls to the police; I’m publicly pledging never to do physical harm or make threats of harm to any person involved in these parties; and … well, being a nice, polite, silver-haired woman tends to reduce the “suspect in a crime” factor.
Totally agreed, though, that any solution that isn’t strictly “official” must either be invisible or amusing. And I repeat for the benefit of any “official” types who might be reading: I pledge to do no harm and threaten no harm to any person involved in the parties, and furthermore to do no harm to the poor, innocent landlady’s property.
If anybody in the neighborhood opts for a less peaceable solution, it won’t be me and I won’t consent to it.
Psychological warfare time, maybe a cockroach in the snack bowl? A garter snake in the drinks cooler?
Oh, I know, let it be known to the authorities that he’s serving food that wasn’t made in a licensed kitchen!
“Oh, I know, let it be known to the authorities that he’s serving food that wasn’t made in a licensed kitchen!”
LOL, Ellendra, you’re a wicked woman.
… or selling raw milk!
… or running a nightclub without a liquor license!
… or allowing smoking inside the building!
… or …
But nope, my days (or rather one day) of talking with “the authorities” are (like my days of trying to reason with Mr. K) over.
My apologies if this was suggested by an earlier comments… I haven’t had a chance to read them all but, I long time ago I had a similar problem and similarly got no where going through channels… even us old JBTs try to do it the right way. Asked, begged (small children at home), called police (and I were one), complained to town… got nowhere. Until I started posting “invites” to their parties all over town… particularly in “culturally diverse areas ” and up at the local technical college. I could always tell when they were prepping for another long loud night of iron-belly boot stomping mosh nonsense – no OPSEC there. For some reason the parties got smaller after awhile. GRANTED – I did this back in the Hot & Hairy 70’s… but it should still work just in numbers if not diversity.
As an aside- B.O.C., Judas Priest and Manowar are STILL played in my house- I like heavy metal once and awhile wedged in between Enya and the Scots biting cat-tails (Bagpipes!?) but via headsets…
O.K. the guy is a consummate BSer. One other possibility-peaceful, that is. Could he be dusting you off because you’re a woman? If the guy is of that type, maybe having a big dude-the rougher looking the better-explain things to him-not threaten, just explain how polite neighbors behave. Do you know someone who fits that description who would be willing to help? Sometimes, the type not willing to listen to legitimate complaints from a woman might listen to a big dude-especially a rough looking guy who looks like he’s had a bad day..a little BS and acting goes a long way. BS flows in more than one direction.
Ain’t these types of situations fun? Most of my bad neighbor situations were self-resolving,pretty much. They got evicted for not paying rent, or for trashing the place-I did point out to one landlord of damage to his property(and allow him to listen to the partying real-time),but I’ve never had to take things to any other level. So far. At least it’s not an apartment situation and the guy is next door..
Eviction is not a quick process-anywhere from one to six months-or longer. Depends on the law in your part of the world.
Ever the one to zero in on the odd parts of things, I find the whole “nobody in the neighborhood wanted to be the first but find confidence in numbers once they all started comparing notes” dynamics interesting…and sad….and even tho there isn’t anything written that suggests this idiot could become a bonafide lunatic, a single woman always has to keep personal security in mind and also keep in mind that given the history of the neighbors’ hesitation to act on their own they may not all come running when ya expect them to.
~ I have no clever solutions to this exact problem other than to say anything damaging done to the idiot isn’t a good idea….for Claire’s sake, not his…..
I also don’t think Claire should have to move, as was mentioned…she’s not the problem here, he is…..I think it all probably comes down to the landlady, who has allowed this problem to continue by allowing him to stay because she’s “use to him” after a decade + ……(assuming he’s not ever going to quiet down no matter what)…..So, I tend to lean towards looking into a neighbors’ class action suit against her, or initiating one at the very least, to get her to step up and take the actions she’s responsible for….
Anyway, interesting way to meet the rest of the neighbors, and find out just who/what lives immediately around you….and how they react to sudden crisis……good intel to have 😉
You now know the NfH is acting way beyond his “permit”, that the mayor and chief of police are aware of this, and that, thanks to the sergeant, the NfH is aware that they are aware of this. OK, let your neighbors know this.
As you say, the PTB (however inadvertently) started this mess by issuing the permit. It is now up to them to see to it that NfH stays within the terms of the permit.
I would suggest a call to the cop shop while he is at it, and another to mayor’s office the morning after. From multiple neighbors. With the occasional personal visit to the mayor.
Which brings up another question: how far away from all this do the mayor and chief live? City Councilcritters?
Has anyone talked to the newspaper or local radio station? When is His Mayorship up for re-election?
Perhaps the neighbors should take up midnight dog walking and attempt to get all their dogs to do their business in NfH’s yard and driveway. Or maybe the local paper has an add for free horse manure. Oh wait!~ Joel could bring you a trailer full of nice fresh manure to be deposited in front of NfH’s garage door. I’m sure he’d(NfH) be forever grateful for all that lovely compost for his gardens. It shouldn’t take Joel more than a day or 2 to get there. He could even bring Little Bear, who’s been having bouts of the squirts. It’s not violent, it doesn’t ultimately damage the property and I think it fits the amusing criteria quite well.
Seems like some of you want this Houston cop to show up?
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/105477.html
Also, Yet Again: DON’T Call 911, And DON’T “Help” the Police
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/46620.html
Seriously, In the Name of All That’s Holy — Don’t Call The Police!
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/68705.html
Give him his noise until a reasonable hour, determined by you, then come out and thank them for the show while placing a simple sign saying the loud music is disturbing your peace. Follow it ten minutes later with the brightest spotlight you can find that stays on directed into his garage and guests until the music goes back down to a reasonable level. Can’t think he has many guests that wanna disturb the polite lady smiling and waving from her lawn chair across the street, (even if he doesn’t seem to care).
Something else to think about… beside the lawn chair and spotlight — a video camera on a tripod right out in the open might give them pause.
As for the bigger picture of the thousands of .gov goons disturbing our lifes… I think we gotta look back at the “moving” suggestion. Somewhere there has gotta be less goons… there is only one inside MY mind. 😉
Claire
Your neighbor situation raises a bit of irony relative to your Thursday link to an LRC article refuting Hobbes ;-).
Unfortunately, Hobbes was right about many of our fellow naked apes.
I do not see any alternative but to sic the law on this mouth-breather. Get a gang of neighbors together and force the issue with the mayor and chief of police, in person or with a petition. Bound to be noise ordnance, if not, disturbing the peace has a broad definition.
Failing that, apply pressure to his landlady. Sue her if necessary. She has provided tacit approval of his conduct and thereby forfeited her claim on your good will.
Decades ago the decent men folk in the neighborhood would have shown (forcefully if necessary) the cretin the error of his ways, and the law would have looked the other way. Doesn’t work that way anymore.
Good luck
Jim
Help him have his parties. Take out ads for him in the free trading paper and on craigs list etc. Have them call his place of work, the land lady, home. Give them his name and tell them to call for times and dates. Advertise his vehicle for half the going rate. In the want to buy section he could suddenly become an avid chia pet collector, highest prices paid. You get the idea. Your just being neighborly.
Claire
Me thinks you need to contact *Bob* and see if he can nix this situation 🙂
I’m liking Bill’s ideas.
Hee. Invite the Hell’s Angels!
Is there a New Black Panther chapter within driving distance? Because they’d be very entertaining when the KKK shows up to party. Tell the Westboro Baptist Church that NfH is memorializing the death of a gay soldier, which will give the Pink Pistols something entertaining to do when they show up to thank him for that gay-bashing ad he put in the paper, with a little help from an anonymous donor…
Joel,
Yer just mean…… I like you.
This is the boring, conventional and terribly non-Freedomista approach – document all the problems you’ve had with the tenant, the get legal advice – a lawyer, legal aid, or a Nolo Press book, and file a suit for public nuisance, asking that house be torn down. Once the landlady finds out she could have her rental house razed, at her expense, she’ll reconsider evicting the bum.
After having read all the comments for both days, the invite people to his parties idea gets my vote for most creative, non-violent method to get the point across.
I don’t even see where you would have to invite people on the day he actually has his parties. Off days might be even better.
Sun Tzu comes to mind