# For the LAST TIME... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 14, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182 "2009-12-14T03:47:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/81 "2009-12-17T18:32:12Z")
Well, I DO have a mace. A real one, that is. But I’d have to use it on the parents. They’re the real problem here. Blissfully, Happily, I have had a couple of nights of silence and have gone to bed at about 9:45pm each night without fear of being kept awake until midnight. Let’s see how long this lasts. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/82 "2009-12-17T18:37:11Z")
If the dough for a loaf of bread isn’t left to rise properly, it’s not the dough’s fault that the bread turns out poorly. But you’re still not going to eat the bread after you’ve beaten the baker to death–it’s too late to save it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/83 "2009-12-17T21:31:39Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I’m guessing you’ll have some problems breaking through the blacktop at the nearest crossroads without attracting attention, though, and “What are you doing with that beheaded child, and what’s her mouth stuffed full of?” is not an easy question to answer. I suspect the beheaded part might make it difficult to for the interviewer to see what, if anything, is stuffed in her mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/84 "2009-12-17T21:57:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I suspect the beheaded part might make it difficult to for the interviewer to see what, if anything, is stuffed in her mouth. No, no, you bury the head \*with \*the body. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/85 "2009-12-18T01:53:54Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I’m guessing you’ll have some problems breaking through the blacktop at the nearest crossroads without attracting attention, though, and “What are you doing with that beheaded child, and what’s her mouth stuffed full of?” is not an easy question to answer. Don’t they just turn to drt or something? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/86 "2009-12-18T17:22:40Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Don’t they just turn to drt or something? :eek: That’s just what Joss Whedon \*wants \*you to think. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/87 "2009-12-21T01:44:38Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > Huh. I juust realized that that’s what the Pokemon attack “Spikes” is. Neat! And what was used in the X-Files episode “Darkness Falls” to ruin the car and truck tires. How hard would it be to get one of those exploding dye packs the banks use, and put one on the OP’s welcome mat? Hard to claim the kid isn’t running by his door if she comes home purple. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/88 "2009-12-21T09:19:45Z")
> [@](#): > > How hard would it be to get one of those exploding dye packs the banks use, and put one on the OP’s welcome mat? Hard to claim the kid isn’t running by his door if she comes home purple. I was thinking of paintguns, myself, but probably the dye packs are better for this. It’s really hard to justify pointing any sort of gun, even a paint gun, at a little girl unless she’s doing something that’s actually going to put someone in danger. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/89 "2009-12-21T16:49:07Z")
No physical action can be justified. I’m noting that there is still a bit of traffic in and out of their apartment late at night, but that they’re making a better effort to be quiet about it. Frankly, I see that as a BIG PROBLEM, because it means they’re too damned stupid to just put a stop to it and think telling her to be quiet is the solution, when that clearly has not worked in the past. Meaning, in another month, we’ll be right back to the running and screaming in the halls and the slamming of doors. Oh, and I get shit like: approximately 10pm, someone walks slowly and deliberately up the stairs, stamping their feet as hard as they can, and then slams their front door. Unfortunately, singular events like that cannot be proven on a call to the Police. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/90 "2009-12-21T17:34:18Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > On the subject of moderating PMs: any forum that doesn’t allow a mod or admin to read the original message in a way that cannot be edited is severely broken. On a community I used to moderate for, we couldn’t browse users’ PMs, but if they sent us a link to a specific one, we could read it. Granted, this was a custom-built site, but I can’t believe something as commonly used as vBulletin wouldn’t include a similar feature. vBulletin does not have that feature. That’s the issue, not the SDMB. It could be hacked, I assume, but we have enough performance issues around here and it’s not a priority for us. Since we can’t read PMs without someone sending them to us, it’s difficult for us to enforce the same kinds of rules we have elsewhere and we generally haven’t tried to do so. We do ask that people let us know if someone is harrassing them or causing a problem. I know we’ve given mixed messages on this. This has been talked about in ATMB a few times recently, and further discussion should probably go there. ---
**Author:** ![Vambo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/6de8d8/32.png) [@Vambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vambo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/91 "2009-12-21T18:21:58Z")
I don’t know where you live but this method should work in most places. First things first. Details are important. Make a log of every occurrence, time, what happened, duration and so on. This will come into play later on. If you have a camera on your phone, you also have a voice recorder. Try and record the noise, which can then be transfered to a master recording containing all the disturbances. Send a letter of complaint to your landlord, specifying what the problem is, how it contravenes the building policy and local bylaws. Be sure to date and sign each letter. You should only need to send two at the most to either get some action to stop the problem or bring the case forward to the local landlord tenant mediation tribunal. Don’t confront the children or the parent/s. It’s the landlords job to provide a reasonably peaceful living environment. Usually it’s 11 PM that any excessive noise must end. If you receive no satisfaction from your landlord, partition the courts on the matter. It’s an issue between you and your landlord and should be dealt with in that manner. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/92 "2009-12-21T22:07:05Z")
**Chimera** , any updates? Little buggers still running about at all hours, or have they (or rather, their parents) finally gotten the goddamn message? > [@Marley23](#): > > vBulletin does not have that feature. That’s the issue, not the SDMB. Then whoever wrote vBulletin is a fucking moron. Ugh. My sympathies to you guys for having to try to moderate a board where there’s a whole area you have no control over. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/93 "2009-12-21T22:20:39Z")
> [@Vambo](#): > > I don’t know where you live but this method should work in most places. > > First things first. Details are important. Make a log of every occurrence, time, what happened, duration and so on. This will come into play later on. > If you have a camera on your phone, you also have a voice recorder. Try and record the noise, which can then be transfered to a master recording containing all the disturbances. Send a letter of complaint to your landlord, specifying what the problem is, how it contravenes the building policy and local bylaws. Be sure to date and sign each letter. You should only need to send two at the most to either get some action to stop the problem or bring the case forward to the local landlord tenant mediation tribunal. > > Don’t confront the children or the parent/s. It’s the landlords job to provide a reasonably peaceful living environment. Usually it’s 11 PM that any excessive noise must end. > > If you receive no satisfaction from your landlord, partition the courts on the matter. > > It’s an issue between you and your landlord and should be dealt with in that manner. This is all excellent advice (except “partitioning” the courts - you’ll probably have better luck petitioning them 😃 ). ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/94 "2009-12-21T22:35:57Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > This is all excellent advice (except “partitioning” the courts - you’ll probably have better luck petitioning them 😃 ). Well, if you could partition them into those who would be sympathetic and those who wouldn’t, and then only petition the former… ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/95 "2009-12-21T23:00:37Z")
Further recording has been strongly discouraged by both Apartment Management and by the Police. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/96 "2009-12-21T23:10:40Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Further recording has been strongly discouraged by both Apartment Management and by the Police. What’s their stance on ankle-height piano wire? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/97 "2009-12-28T05:00:09Z")
Update; Things got extremely bad last week, but I was trying very hard not to call the Police the week of Christmas. Unfortunately, I had to get up early Saturday, the day after Christmas, for a mandatory work day for which I was supposed to come in one hour early (7am). Christmas night, the kids were fucking obnoxious for about 15 minutes solid on the staircase around 11pm, running up and down and yelling. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and called the Police. Apologized to them for it, but hey, I was supposed to be getting up at 5:45am and it was 11:10pm when I called them. Enough is fucking enough already. Interestingly, this is the second time where, the very minute I called someone about it, someone called the mother to tell her something, and then she came out to yell at the child in the hall, followed by very quickly packing up and peeling out of the parking lot in a big hurry. I’m starting to wonder if their downstairs friend doesn’t have a cellphone scanner or something. The timing is interesting, because there’s also a third time a while back when I was calling the after hours person when the mother also got a call, brought the kid inside, turned everything off and pretended to be in bed. Anyway, the police arrived about 7 minutes after she left, very quietly walked down the hall and around and then left. Unfortunately, I slept past my alarm and got there at my regular time on Saturday. Fortunately for me, our boss had been fired earlier in the week and seven other people on my team were late because they hadn’t been informed of the time shift, so I was able to blend in and not be punished for being late. Last night, we were on the road for a similar situation when the after-hours person came up and knocked on their door at 11:05pm. Talked to them for a few minutes (I didn’t listen in) and warned them about the behavior. Five minutes after the after-hours person leaves, the mother comes out, leans against my door (I heard a scraping on my door, I assume she was trying to look in my peep-hole) and then ran back into her own apartment. 10 minutes after that, someone ran downstairs, but otherwise silence. Oh, and I pasted a piece of mirrored paper over my peep hole. Tonight, I’d had nothing but blessed silence until right about now, at 11pm, when the traffic is starting up again. I won’t call the cops tonight because I don’t work tomorrow and I’ll be up late, but if we have this crap tomorrow night, I WILL call the police again. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/98 "2009-12-28T10:38:23Z")
OK, the warnings are getting phoned in does suggest that that your phone calls are being monitored. I don’t think the sort of scanning you’re describing is possible with modern cell phones. but I could be wrong. You may be dealing with another whole level of criminal activity. If you call the police again, and the warning call follows close behind, tell them when they show up. I’m sure they’ll be interested. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/99 "2009-12-28T11:26:24Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > OK, the warnings are getting phoned in does suggest that that your phone calls are being monitored. I don’t think the sort of scanning you’re describing is possible with modern cell phones. but I could be wrong. You may be dealing with another whole level of criminal activity. If you call the police again, and the warning call follows close behind, tell them when they show up. I’m sure they’ll be interested. Not sure about the current crop of phones, but the ones back in the mid to late 90s could be monitored, I had a ‘friend’ who had a scanner that would. How about getting vonage or scype for a month, and calling out to the police that way? Or if you have a friend nearby, call them with a codeword that lets them know to call the cops for you, they can tell them that you think that they or a friend of theirs is monitoring cell calls and warning them - Odd thought, a standard police scanner will pick up the address of a call being assigned to a patrol car, they could be listening in to the police scanner and hearing the dispatch… ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182/100 "2009-12-28T12:36:08Z")
Since the police and your landlord are being less than helpful, you should really think about talking to a tenants’ rights organization. IIRC, the University of Minnesota Law School offers legal clinics. They can explain what civil options may be available to you, and what you’d need to do to pursue them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time/521182.md?page=6)