The Heckles

The Heckles

For those of you who don't know, I work 12 hour night shifts 3-4 nights a week. Because of this, I am awake at strange times when I am off. Anyway, some new people moved in downstairs from me about 2 months ago. I haven't met these people, but shortly after they moved in the apartment people called to check in on them and how their first 30 days were. I then get a call because the lady could "hear me walking around late at night" and was wondering if anything was wrong. What?! walking around? Uh, ok. So I have been careful to keep my TV down to volume below 25 if it's after 10pm, and keep other loud activities to a minimum.

Flash forward to Friday morning at 1:08am. I was hand mixing some batter in the kitchen. The cable was out so I didn't have my TV on. Phatness was howling and doing a "show". Then, there was banging from the apartment below me, so loud it vibrated my floor. I thought they must have been hanging a picture or something because there was NO WAY I was making any noise that would be bothering them. WRONG. I got a call from the office the next day and a voicemail saying that my neighbors complained again. (For those of you who don't know the reference, Mr. Heckles lived below Monica on "Friends" and banged on their floor when they were being "loud").

I don't really know what to do. I never had a complaint from the people who lived below me before at this complex, or for the two years I lived at the other place. If these people are SO SENSITIVE to noise perhaps they shouldn't a) live on the 2nd story of a 3 story apartment complex b) live in an apartment complex AT ALL c) get a fan or earplugs or both. These people are insane. What if I had a baby that cried all the time? Would they bang on the ceiling everyday? I will not lay in my bed awake so as to not bother these whiny little Heckles.

I called the office back and explained to them what happened. They thanked me for calling back and for being quieter (TV volume down, listening to my ipod instead of music through the speakers etc.) She said she will make notes and follow up in a couple of days. She said it's possible they are hearing noise from somewhere else and think it's me. I'm waiting for them to complain about me when I'm at work. Perhaps I will buy them a gift of a fan and a set of headphones.