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The Loud Ones
This is the first episode in my Neighbourhood Chronicles — a series dedicated to the wonderfully weird world of neighbours. Because let’s face it: there’s always that one person who makes you question your life choices (and your soundproofing). You know the type. The ones who treat silence like an enemy. The ones who think headphones are optional. The ones who believe the whole neighbourhood should be part of their party, their playlist, or their DIY schedule.
Welcome to the world of The Loud Ones.
🎸 Metal at Bedtime
Let’s start with the suburban mystery: the Slipknot fan. Every evening, like clockwork (well, more like chaos-clockwork), someone in our neighbourhood cranks up metal music between 7 and 9 PM. I don’t know who they are. I don’t know where they live. But I do know that I could Shazam the song from my bathroom window — and it was definitely not a lullaby.
Luckily, our bedrooms face the other side of the house, so my baby can sleep. But I often wonder about their direct neighbours. Are they okay? Have they called noise control? Do they secretly love metal? The mystery remains.
🥁 Garage Gigs and Driveway Dilemmas
In one of our previous homes, the neighbour’s garage was practically glued to our house. And that garage? It was their party zone. Band practice, get-togethers, loud music — it was like living next to a concert venue. We called noise control more times than I can count. I don’t think they ever showed up.
To make things trickier, their driveway was on a completely different street, so even locating the house on a map felt like solving a puzzle. Talking to them? Not really an option. Some people just don’t care — especially when they’re intoxicated and convinced that if they’re having fun, everyone must be.
🌱 The Lawn Mower Mafia
Then there’s the early riser. One Saturday morning, at exactly 5 AM — yes, five — our neighbour decided it was the perfect time to mow the lawn. I don’t know what kind of botanical emergency they were dealing with, but I do know that sleep was no longer an option. The sound of the mower roared through the neighbourhood like a chainsaw in a horror movie, and I lay there wondering if grass could really be that urgent.
And it’s never just one person. There’s always a few who treat lawn care like a competitive sport. Some mow at dawn, others at dusk. It’s like they’re trying to win a trophy for “Most Inconvenient Timing.”
🛠️ Midnight DIY and Echo Chamber Mysteries
If it’s not lawn mowers, it’s drills. Or hammers. Or saws. There’s always someone who decides that 11 PM is the ideal time to start a home improvement project. Midnight DIY? Apparently, it’s a lifestyle. I imagine them standing in their garage, holding a power drill like a microphone, ready to perform their greatest hits: “Ode to Drywall” and “Symphony in Screws.”
In apartment buildings, this phenomenon reaches a whole new level. Since there’s no lawn to mow, the DIY energy gets redirected into walls, floors, and ceilings. I used to live in a 10-storey panel building in Hungary, and when someone started drilling, the entire structure turned into an echo chamber. You couldn’t tell where it was coming from — it could be the third floor or the ninth, and by the time you figured it out, they’d already moved on to something else.
That’s when the neighbours would form an unofficial detective squad. Picture a group of sleep-deprived residents tiptoeing through the hallways like Hercule Poirot, trying to locate the source of the noise. But the acoustics made it nearly impossible. You’d knock on one door, only to hear the drill start up again two floors above. It was like chasing a ghost with a toolbox.
📺 Dolby Neighbour: Cinema Next Door
And then there’s the classic: the neighbour who watches TV so loud, you feel like you’re part of the cast. They can’t enjoy a movie without cranking up their Dolby surround system to full blast — as if they’re trying to recreate the IMAX experience in a two-bedroom flat.
The only problem? Apartments aren’t designed to contain that kind of sound. So while they’re enjoying explosions in HD, the rest of us are lying in bed wondering if we should evacuate.
You might think earplugs would help. They don’t. Not when the bass kicks in and the entire building starts to vibrate like it’s preparing for liftoff. It’s not just noise — it’s a feeling. A deep, chest-thumping rumble that makes you question your life choices and your wall insulation.
Sometimes I wonder if they even know. Maybe they think their walls are soundproof. Maybe they believe they’re doing us a favour by sharing the cinematic experience. Or maybe — just maybe — they’re the kind of person who thinks everyone should be watching Fast & Furious 9 at 11:30 PM.
🧒 Echoes of Childhood
Back in India, we lived in a gated community with three towering apartment buildings. When it rained, the playground was off-limits — so the kids turned the entire building into their playground. They’d run from floor to floor, their voices echoing through the stairwells like a live-action cartoon. It was chaotic, loud, and oddly charming.
And then there was the rooster. Yes, a rooster. In the heart of Hyderabad, surrounded by apartment blocks. I still don’t know how or why someone had a rooster in their flat, but it crowed like it owned the place. Urban farming? Pet with an identity crisis? The mystery lives on.
And if you can’t name the loud one in your neighbourhood… well, maybe it’s you. 😄
🔊 Neighbour Noise Rating
Let’s rate the chaos:
| Neighbour Type | Noise Level (1–10) | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Slipknot Fan | 9 | Not bedtime-friendly |
| Garage Party People | 10 | Basically a concert venue |
| 5am Lawn Mower | 8 | Grass can wait |
| DIY Drill Performance | 8 | Symphony of sleeplessness |
| Dolby Neighbour | 9 | IMAX experience, zero insulation |
| Apartment Echo Kids | 7 | Echoes for days |
| Rooster in the City | 6 | Unexpected farm vibes |
💬 Your Turn!
Got a Loud One in your life? Or maybe a story that could top mine? I’d love to hear it! Drop your tales in the comments or tag me on social — your story might just make it into the next chapter of Neighbourhood Chronicles.
Photo by pixelshot via Canva
