Sunday 17 August 2014

There was a party

somewhere in the neighbourhood last night.
I am not quite sure where it was held but I hope the culprits have very sore heads this morning - and that their neighbours decided to mow the lawns while the party-people are trying to sleep.
I do not often wish such revenge on people. We have very few such parties. Our neighbourhood tends to be quiet.
If people do have parties they tend to be thoughtful enough to move the noise indoors after midnight or, at the latest, one in the morning - or they turn the sound down.
Many years ago we did have rear neighbours who did not do this. They had a small swimming pool in the back garden and their parties would be accompanied by loud squeals, screams and splashes as well as music played so loudly all the surrounding houses would vibrate with the sound. This would happen almost every Friday or Saturday night in the summer and sometimes at other times of the year.
On one occasion they had a particularly noisy party. I had come home to care for the house while my parents were in China and the noise was so great it was frightening.Their next door neighbours at the time and our next door neighbours at the time - both couples in their late 80's - put their heads together and the next time the culprits had a party they left others to call the police (who can do very little). Instead they each got younger neighbours to come in and mow their lawns. Then even younger neighbours joined in the fun. Two more neighbours who own motorbikes started their engines and another neighbour began to use a chain-saw.  
For about half an hour it was a very noisy neighbourhood. The people who had thrown the party the night before apparently complained about the noise because the police, either misunderstanding - or perhaps deliberately misunderstanding - arrived with sirens blaring and knocked on their door. Their house went up for sale about two months later. I often wonder where they went and whether their new neighbours have been plagued by the same problems. I hope not.
It has usually been quiet since then. People still have parties. They still play music and talk loudly as they leave but the noise is not excessive. We can live with it.
But oh I wish I could hear the sound of lawn mowers right now.
Is it very wicked of me to wish such revenge?

2 comments:

jeanfromcornwall said...

No, not wicked. Your wish would come under the heading of "Natural Justice"

Sheeprustler said...

Not at all! Fortunately it happens rarely in my neighbourhood too, and reading late and using earplugs usually deals with the situation - but I do not feel sorry for them if certain neighbours decide to mow their nature strips the next morning!