Have to disagree. There’s a difference between having a conversation using any language and tone you like that’s inaudible at the borders of your property, using “disliked” language loudly enough to be heard well into public space and other property and using offensive language loudly enough to hear whether the listener wants to tune it out or not. The last is often illegal under “disturbing the peace” statutes regardless of the words used.
I’ve had neighbors who would scream some of the filthiest language I can think of - and I can think very deeply on the topic, and have been known to leave scorch marks here and there - at kids, dogs, passing cars, tools that had just nipped a chunk out of them, cars that wouldn’t start etc. It’s disturbing on many levels, the moreso if you have younger children in earshot.
I defend to the death the related free speech rights, but more than once it led me to thinking about my second amendment rights as applied to varmint extinction, specifically the eradication of the foul-mouthed fucking idiot.
Its a well know subsection of the man code that should anything break or any body part be hurt that any utterance up to an including “fuck Allah with a ham sammich” is perfectly acceptable in the heat of the moment.
Okay, I’ve tried to bring this to ya, but you persist in reinforcing the image that you are a loudmouthed, foulmouthed asshole, proud of it, and t’aint no one who can tell youse different.
Bet a poll of your neighborhood would have a plurality on who’s the street asshole.
Seriously? Ok so I had my truck… the one with lift kit just installed… idling in the driveway. I was trying to figure out if I really NEEDED a muffler or whatever. So I cranked up Skynyrd as loud as my 2000 dollar stereo would allow and kicked up the bass to see if that drowned out the noise of the muffler. No such luck.
While climbing out, I smacked my arm on the gun rack and spilled my Coors Light, then I brushed my head against the cab ymessing up my sweet 'do. Climbing out I grabbed a megaphone and ran up and down the block of the neighborhood screaing “Fuckity fuck fuck fuck” at the top of my lungs while squeezing off a few rounds from my AR-15.
My dear sweet neighbor sent me, by post, and invitation for muffins and tea to discuss the regrettable nature of my words. I drove my truck over his lawn, took a shit on his porch and told him to shove his muffins. I then went back and cracked another Coors Light and waited for the police. I slipped the deputy a Grant and all was forgotten.
Seriously, people. I was in my driveway loading luggae into my wife’s car and said the word “fuck”. The neighbor ran from his porch to my driveway to berate me for cursing. When he got no where with that approach, he called the cops who then laughed at him. That’s the story. That’s the context.
Several years ago, I had a neighbor ask me to watch my language while I was putting up some shelves in the garage. In his defense, his five year old did ask what an goddamned mother fucking piece of shit was.
Okay. Why was that so hard to pull out of your “I can yell cocksucking pigfucker as loud as I want at two in the morning” defense?
I agree. I do think there’s a line between appropriate and inappropriate, and the rabid internet 1stAmmers disagree, but cussing at something in your driveway shouldn’t provoke either level of PP’s response.
Would you have laughed and/or gotten the point if he’d just called, “Hey, there’s delicate ears over here” - something I’ve both done and had said to me, in all good humor?
Screaming and talking are not the same thing, obviously. Disliking the way someone talks doesn’t rise to the level of police action or a violation of one’s rights. I don’t like listening to loudmouths in restaurants, where cursing seems to be common these days (it’s far worse in a pub), but taking action is just asking for problems, and I leave it up to the manager to curb boorish behavior.
I don’t have a clue as to how I would be able to modulate my voice so that it becomes inaudible at my property line; that’s just a goofy notion. I do filter my language in places like restaurants, etc., because it seems like the polite thing to do, and if someone happens to be passing by with a child when I drop the garbage can on my foot at home, I’ll likely apologize for the sake of the child. But neighbors are just going to have to live with the occasional expletive that escapes me when something goes sideways.
ETA: just read your response to the OP’s comment. All good.
Loved post #24. Fuck that fucked-up monkey, I know who my favorite primate, name of _uriousGeorge is. Man, that “Gladys Kravitz” reference takes me back.
