Uhg, I need a house...

I like to think that I'm a good neighbor in that I don't make much noise and am considerate of the fact that I have other people living all around me, sharing my walls, and that none of them want to be reminded of the fact that I'm here. I expect others to do the same. I mean, is it so much to ask that I don't hear the bass of your stereo throbbing through my walls 9 hours a day while I'm trying to concentrate? Is it so much to ask that I can sit down and write for an hour or two without wondering if my dishes are going to rattle right out of my cupboards and shatter on the ground?

I will admit that I am not exactly the most empathetic person on earth, in fact I was diagnosed by a liscenced (though probably not for much longer) therapist as having a dificiency in empathy toward others. But I still have enough consideration toward my fellow human beings not to crank my TV or stereo up as loud as it will go. It's common courtesy. Treat others as you would like to be treated. I may have a problem feeling empathy for others, but I know how I like to be treated, and I treat other people that way.

That being said, I'm also like a cranky old man. I don't like to hear noise that I'm not making. It annoys the crap out of me. If i'm sitting around trying to do generally anything at all, and I hear a bass beat coming through my wall, that I can hear from every single point inside my apartment no matter where I go or what I do, I have to admit, I get a little more than a little annoyed. I also realize that other people are allowed to live their lives. This is their home too. But if it goes on for more than an hour or so, I start to get very angry about it.
Especially if it is a daily occurance. Sure I can put on some headphones and try to ignore it. But you know what, I shouldn't have to. This is my home. This is where I live. This is where I go to get away from the world, and I don't like being reminded by a throbbing bass beat that the world is still out there waiting to sink its jagged teeth into me.

Now, you might be saying, but Eric, why not just go over and ask them to turn it down. I don't like confrontations, but you know what, I'm not afraid of them either. I've had three people lving in the apartment next to mine over the last year with no respect for my Fortress of Solitude. At this point the second I hear bass I'm pounding on the walls, or on their door to tell them to turn it down. You'd think they'd get the picture, but the never seem to. And so I start threatening to call the police, but they think they're doing nothing wrong, when in actualiy they are breaking noise laws if I can hear their stereo in my home, no matter that we share a wall, and am annoyed by it. I've had two people evicted because they can't respect the fact that I enjoy my peace and quiet for a couple hours at night after a usually long and hard day of work.

Someone just moved in on friday, and I hate him already. He's a punk kid, that has no respect for anyone, expecially me. I've asked him nicely to keep it down. I've asked not so nicely to keep it down. I've pounded on the walls and on his front door so much over the weekend that my hand is bruised from it. I've even threatened him with calls to the police, and with what happened to the last two people to live there. What goes through someone's head when they deliberately crank their stereo up, knowing that it's completely enraging the guy sharing your wall, and knowing that if you don't stop right now, he's going to call the police? I don't get that. How can you be both that incredilby retarded, AND inconsiderate. It doesn't make any sense.

So I finally made good on my threats today, and called the police. They came, pounded on his door yelling "Police, open up!!!" What does he do? He starts telling them that I am the one making all the noise and they should come arrest me instead. And this is completely ridiculous becuse you can hear his stereo from the ground level. They give him a ticket, and inform him of noise laws and all of that, and as soon as they leave he's pounding on my door screaming about what a douchebag I am. I've listened to his base pounding through my walls all weekend, I've asked him numerous times to turn it down before resulting to angry threats and then making good on those threats and I am the douchebag here? he sealed his fate with that right there. I told him that I would call the police again every time I heard so much as a mouse sneezing from his apartment ever again and slammed the door in his face. And I plan to too. If he's going to be that inconsiderate after being given as many chances as he was given to be a decent human being, he deserves to see me in full douchebag mode. He's brought it on himself. I know how to hold a grudge. I'm sadistic and evil that way. It stems from my lack of empathy for others, I suppose.

Why can't I get a neighbor that respects the fact that we're in a cheaply built apartment with rather thin walls and keeps the volume down to a reasonable level? I don't like being a jackass. It's not in my character, but if it's the only way I can get some peace and quiet, I'll do it. I really need a house. I'm sick and tired of having retarded 20 year olds whose parents never taught them anything resembling manners sharing my wall. I really need my agent to sell Spires of Infinity so I can aford to buy a house. I am so sick of living in an apartment and having to put up with all this crap.