spiteful neighbor driving me insane

In My Humble Opinion
1

Six weeks ago, I was woken up at 2 a.m. by a very loud car engine on the street outside our bedroom window.

That’s not that unusual. But the engine kept idling (very loudly) for four hours.

At 6 a.m. I went outside and knocked on the car window. The driver ignored me at first, then cracked the window. I said your engine running for hours outside our window makes it impossible to sleep; could you please either move your car or cut your engine?

He basically told me to go to hell.

Since then, he has parked outside our window every single day (he only moves the car for street cleaning and immediately returns to the same spot) and at random nighttime hours (11 p.m., 4 a.m., 6 a.m.) idles for a minimum of an hour. The car never leaves except for street cleaning.

What can I do?

He is obviously nuts, and has decided his full-time job is being spiteful about this.

This is in horrible Yonkers, New York, if that makes a difference.

2

He’s probably violating a noise ordinance. Can you call the police? Yes, I know-- Yonkers.

3

Since the OP is asking for advice, let’s move this to IMHO.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

4

Tried that. The dispatcher argued with me that he was doing nothing wrong, even though I told him there is a Westchester County ordinance forbidding idling for more than three minutes except for delivery trucks, etc.

5

Oops new here, sorry for misplacement.

6

You called the local cop shop, right? Maybe go in person and see the officer on duty at the desk. Ask nicely. Bring donuts.

7

Ask him to leave, and when he refuses, slash two of his tires and say, “Now you can’t leave.”

8

What did he say when you said there was an ordinance? Is the car loud enough to bother other neighbors who could also call in and complain? Maybe if there are multiple people calling in the cops will take it more seriously.

I hope you get this solved without any more problems. In the meantime, wearing earplugs and turning on some white noise might help you fall asleep; they’ve helped me when I’ve been sleeping somewhere and it was unusually noisy outside. If you don’t have a fan or some other white noise, there are apps and Youtube videos that have white noise.

9

The way you describe it he’s living in the car. He’s a vagrant, have the police deal with it.

10

Some more info would be helpful.
Is this actually a neighbor? Do you know where he lives? Do you know when he goes to work (or leaves normally)?

Put an old camera in a window pointing at the car. He will assume it’s a web cam.
Take multiple pictures of the car - on multiple days. Sent them to your alderman (or whatever Yonkers has) reporting it as an abandoned vehicle.

If you can go to the car when he’s not there (and can’t see the car), you could:
put a banana in the tailpipe or a potato
superglue the door lock (if it’s old enough to not use a remote un-locker)
superglue the gas door or cap on
pour anything vile smelling (age some milk) in the vents between the windshield and the hood

11

The OP has already said this guy seems spiteful and vengeful. I’d strongly recommend you not take any of those actions.

12

You just have to be MORE spiteful.

He runs his engine, you put a potato in his exhaust.
He pees in your yard, you pee in his car.
THAT’s the Yonkers way. And that’s how you get the neighbor. Now do you want to do that? Are you ready to do that?

13

Here’s another vote against vandalism. The scummiest scum solve their problems through vandalism, and I wish them a lively encounter with the victims, in the middle of the vandal’s deed.

14

Your first reaction was wrong and impolite.

That’s how desperate housewives (whom their husbands never touch) or old people who hate the world (for not dying along with them) act.

Your first reaction ought to be:
The next day, or some other day, in a time that is not inconvenient for your neighbor,
you should knock on his door, introduce yourself, and politely explain the problem.
Ask if there is a reason why he has to start the car at that time,
and suggest a way to solve the issue, or ask him to suggest a way.

If his reaction was positive… fine!

If his reaction was negative… you should insist politely,
and propose new ways to solve the dispute,
and again explain to him what is your problem,
and that you are willing to find a solution that suits you both.

If his reaction was again negative, you should repeat the above scenario, once more,
so it would become clear to him that this is important to you,
and that a solution must be found.

All of this is would be done, of course, because he is your neighbor,
and not some guy that just happened to pass by your neighborhood.

If reason failed, then you should have tried more “violent” means.

Talks that imply threats (but not direct threats).
In a semi-polite way., and certainly not in an aggressive tone.
So that he would understand that you are determined to take some action.
For example…
“If I had done that, instead of you, you would have called the police. Wouldn’t you?”
“How would you feel if I hit the horn every time I passed by your house?”
“What would you do if you were in my place?”

I guess you are, now, thinking of going with the “aggressive” mode, (although you missed the “polite” phase),
and “complete” the mess you have created.

If, on the other hand, you are trying to fix things, the only way I can think of is a “love attack”.
Even if the “love attack” fails, it would at least give you ground to imply the “polite approach” first,
and the “aggressive approach” later.
And finally, if you really mean it, realize some of these threats.

Good lack, and try putting yourself in your neighbors shoes, before acting, next time.

15

Oh good lord, here and there, you are so off base it’s pathetic.

The OP did nothing wrong by walking over and asking them to stop, and you shouldn’t be judging someone so harshly for not following your wonderful second-guessing hindsight advice. Other people not acting like you is not a crime. Or evil. or wrong.

16

This is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve read on the Internet today, and I am in the middle of reading Gary Oldman’s meltdown interview.

17

Before I can offer direction, I must ask, are you capable of violence?

18

Yeah, OP, it was inconvenient of you to be unable to sleep and want to address the matter while the violation was occurring. Have some manners! He’d already kept you up for four hours, so what’s a little longer? One thing I will say about here and there’s suggestion is that I think that it is rather impolite to only wait three times before implying threats. This person is your neighbor so it is your duty to tolerate his inconsiderate behavior for at LEAST a dozen instances before sending a somewhat strongly worded letter*, explaining your position.

Some people are so insensitive… :rolleyes:

*I would recommend underlining various words because that seems to really get the point across…

19

He probably did it the first time because he noticed in the middle of the night that his lights were on, so he went out and tried to start it. It started. He knew enough not to turn it off, but left it running to charge the battery.

When the OP complained, instead of explaining, and figuring that the OP would understand and say “Oh, it’s cool,” and drop the subject, he decided the OP had no business questioning him (and maybe didn’t want to admit he’d don’t something stupid), so he decided to make the statement that he’d run his damm car and damm time he wanted, and the OP could go eff himself. Some people are just like that.

Unless the OP never saw him before, in which case it is possible he is living in his car, but the police may not be any more interested in that than they are in noise ordinances.

20

Even better! “Let’s make up a story!”