Why can't some people be polite if something is annoying them?

[SunEye]

I live in a block of 40 one bedroom flats on the edge of an industrial estate. The car park for the flats is at the back and that is where I park my bike. The space that I usually park in is the one space that is very tight to get a car into and so is almost always free or the last to get filled. It's also around the side of a bicycle shed so the bike is hidden from casual view, although it is clearly visible from about half the flats at the back of the block.

This evening I decided to clean my Monster after I got home from work. After cleaning it I took if for a quick spin around the car park and then left it running for a while whilst still tinkering with bits of it. I wanted to get it dry so that I could put the cover on it later tonight. Whilst I had it parked up ticking over I heard a shout from one of the flats. I turned the bike off and a bloke stuck his head out of one of the ground floor flat windows and told me quite aggressively that the bike was very loud and that it was a bit late (8:30) for that sort of noise. I humbly apologised to him. It is the first time I have cleaned my bike on a weekday evening, usually it's a weekend job. Since moving in 3 months ago I have often come back from work or from friends after 10pm, even as late as 2am or 3am. Setting the Xena disk lock alarms (I use two) makes quite a loud beep and me rattling my Almax Immobiliser III chain around trying to wrap it around the bike isn't a silent procedure. When I go to work at 8am every morning I always run the bike for several minutes before leaving, but nobody has ever said anything to me about the noise.

What I didn't take kindly to was the manner in which he spoke to me. I felt slightly threatened and I am now concerned for my Monster because I park it quite close to his flat. There is another ground floor flat which is closer, the residents there have never taken exception to the Monster and I see them quite regularly.

If it had been me what I would have done is come out to see the person with the noisy bike. Have a brief chat telling them that it's a lovely bike and then pointing out that I'm trying to have a quiet evening after a very stressful time at work and because it's a warm evening I've got the windows open and the sound of the bike ticking over is disturbing me.

It was interesting that he stayed in his flat and shouted at me through a slightly open window. Was he just being lazy or by staying in his flat did he feel more powerful and in control of the situation? Would he have been able to act in the same way if he had come out and spoken to me face to face?

[bex]

Being brave from a distance. My next door neighbour leaves me notes in my letterbox occasionally and yells down the intercom but after watching with amusement trying to lip read her yelling , I press the unlock button which opens the downstairs door to let her in and she walks off... I just ignore her full stop now. ****ing face-ache.

8:30pm he hasn't really got a leg to stand on, its a car park, if you were roaring around in there it would be different. If I were you I'd find out which flat he's in and go and knock and explain. See if he's so smart then. Doesnt sound like you did anything wrong.

Probably just some miserable git having a bad day.

[simon_g]

Could have had young kids? They'd have been in bed by then, hot weather means open windows so noisy bikes can keep them awake and they may not have wanted to leave them to come down for a chat.

Why run the bike for several minutes in the morning? Mine runs for 30s max while I put helmet and gloves on then go. I'd rather not disturb people nearby - a former neighbour would even push his noisy custom chopper thing out of the carpark to the road, fire it up and leave immediately to avoid disturbing people. I didn't really mind, but as the driveway to our carpark was right next to my bedroom window, it was appreciated.

Just because you're not getting complaints, doesn't mean you're not annoying people. A bit of consideration goes a long way. If the bike's already hot, it's not going to dry that much quicker with the engine on. You may like the noise, but plenty of people don't.

[the_adam]

Could just be having a bad day, could easily be someone with unusual working hours though, it might be worth checking. I've got a housemate that does nights and we have to be quite careful about noises at certain times :)

If your bike's not excessively noisy they can't really complain at that time but it's always good to try and keep the neighbours happy, some will just put up with things. Mine all seem to like the bike - I've asked if it disturbs them and there's no problem although they do think it's quite loud (the kids over the road love it!) - so in mornings I tend to start it up just before I leave at 7.30 and go up the gears with it idling for a couple of streets. Just in case!

Happy neighbours occasionally provide cake too :D

[pegboy]

I leave early in the mornings too on my bike 6ish. I not only have termi loud exhaust less packing also a tap tappy engine from the front piston. I try to leave quietly but it can not happen, as I don't like my neighbour I push the bike out the front of his house and start it he also had the windows open the other day, can't wait for him to complain. In a serious note might of been a bad day, kids in bed as mention before, if your that concerned try speaking to him and Appologies face to face then you wil asssess the individual and know if he was having a bad day or someone that will interfere with your pride and joy

Let's hope he ends up loving your bike and joins you in motocyclemania

[LVC]

Always difficult when there are other people in close proximity - that's one of the main reasons I live in the country with no neighbours except my horses. Allows me to rev my bikes at anytime I fancy without annoying anyone and I don't get annoyed by anyone else's noise either.

As suggested it's probably just down to the chap having a bad day or a headache or something - your non-agressive reaction was spot on and I wouldn't worry about the chap doing anything further.

[popelli]

It was interesting that he stayed in his flat and shouted at me through a slightly open window. Was he just being lazy or by staying in his flat did he feel more powerful and in control of the situation? Would he have been able to act in the same way if he had come out and spoken to me face to face?


Having been on the receiving end of being kept awake all last weekend by chav neighbours having a noisy party, it is very easy for people to lose patience with noisy people making unnecessary noise

In my case after the council and police refused to do anything after 8 hours of noise & left me no option but to confront said chavs face to face - it was far from pleasant

This guy may have had similar problems in the past

The law is always on teh side of the peertreparator of noise - it is very difficult legally to do anything about noise given the lack of proper resources available - vistiom sof noise therefore will use this as an excuse to be rude, agressive and take the law into their own hands or get satisfatcion by otehr methods

My advice - minimise the excuse this guy has for getting agro and if he persists complain to the police that you are being harassed

[He11cat]

I don't think you have been rude or out of order 8.30 is not late...

If you where doing it every night and racing about carpark then someone might get fed up.
I suspect he had a bad day... iggy it.

Try being nice to start if he barks at you and try and reason with him.... I doubt he will say anything again.

Unlike the witch I live next door to ....... lies to her own mother .. lies to police .
Is smug ..
Im a placid soul ... until provoked and she is trying her best but I have not bitten.

I have found if I chuck a fan on at night the noise takes away from her .... drowns it out quite a bit!
If she moans about my fan then thats it.... I shall say when you shut up and when you learn to look after your poor child properly and not let it scream for 3 hours while you sit on the phone ignoring her then I will turn my fan off...its to block out your row!

She moans about the duke what a joke only used at weekends and I run it for a few mins as it needs to be run..... I have to listen to her and her family 24/7 on weekends and at home for the last year as she doesn't go out!!!
Starting at 5.30am every day inc weekends ... then after midnight .. 1am 3am 5am..8am,.,
Some people are just arses to be honest ...

Im doing the lottery again in hope...
However Ive come to the conclusion now that I will drown out her row and get on with my life as I pay to live there and why should I creep about when its her thats out of order!!!!

If anyone touched my bike as revenge ..... I really wouldn't like to be them ...I would suggest they call their own ambulance and start digging their grave.
Everyone has a flash point ....

[Kameloil]

Funny I thought is was just me worried about the neighbours. I tend to turn the bike around and start up on the other side of the car park so the noise isn't travelling into a window 3 feet behind!

I've also wheeled her out late at night and I tend to ride back in and cut the ignition quickly and wheel her back into her space. Most residents appreciate the effort, you get the occasional clown who thinks slamming their window shut is the right thing to do but then these are the same ones that block you when you are filtering. You can't help them being jealous ;)

[Scott1]

I've had to put the baffles back in my termis becuase of this, the neighbours got really fed up with the bass it was cranking out in the morning and I get left a few grumpy notes, funny as I thought it sounded great.

I thinks its mainly because my 696 takes a good five mins to warm up before you risk it conking out pulling away. I need to get round to modifying the baffles very soon as it's too quiet at the mo.

I think if its going to continue to be the norm you should probably try and have a chat, I've got a one year old and I don't like it if he gets woken up but I wouldn't start shouting out of the window, that's just stupid.

You can always invite a load of Monster people round to ride up and down the car park for a while, he might even move out.

[uksurfer]

IMHO
i wouldnt want bikes running out side my window day or night whilst there warming up, no need these days, theres nothing worse than having a bit of quiet time and someone disturbing it, i always coast round the corner to my house and will always start the bike and leave immediately if its early or late, i hate noisy neighbours - so i try not to be one :spin:

[banditloon]

IMHO
i always coast round the corner to my house and will always start the bike and leave immediately if its early or late, i hate noisy neighbours - so i try not to be one :spin:

I live in a block of 64 flats, most of the bedroom windows are facing into the car park and when I leave for work in the mornings (730am ish), I'll just pull the chock half out, start the bike and make a dash quickly for the exit and park up by the papershop and get some supplies for the morning and warm the bike up near the shops.

I understand the shouting neighbours. I had a few shouts from idiots where I live concerning my Blandit. Not bad as it was a bog standard, un-modified lump of Suzuki reliability. And the Blandit, I always started it up the opposite side of the car park, with the can pointing away from the flats!

At least I have a 100% success rate with the open air boxed, Termi clad Monster with my neighbours. Zero complaints! But then again, 90% of the time my bike is kept 14 miles away in it's secret workshop and only comes back 'home' rarely, as I don't trust most of the numpties living in these flats!