Can you believe this neighbor?!!

[cuca_]

Last night I woke up at 2:00 am to get a glass of water and found a note that had been slipped under my apartment's front door. It reads as follows:

Dear Neighbor

Please don't leave large boxes in the garbage room. Take them down to the basement. Try to be a little considerate of the rest of us on the floor. I guess we'll have to listen to a screaming baby soon! Some of us will be complaining.

Can you believe this!! We have been renting an apartment in this building since november. There is a garbage room on each floor, and ours has a sheet that states that you should flatten boxes when leaving them on the trash. Nowhere does it require that I take them down to the basement. I wouldn't even know where in the basement to take them!

Anyhow, I left the infant seat box in the garbage room yesterday afternoon, flattened as required by the instructions posted. Obviously, that box is what prompted this neighbor (who did not even have the guts to sign the note) to write this nasty thing.

Obviously I was most upset about the baby part. How dare they! I was ready to write a nasty response and post it on the garbage room door, but DH convinced me not to. He thinks this is the act of a bitter and unhappy person and my reacting to it I would give him/her a lot of satisfaction.

After some sleep I agreed not to write anything back. However, I still have a couple of baby gear boxes in my apartment (the swing, excersaucer, baby bathtub, etc...). I plan to put a box every other day in the garbage room (flattened, of course). Hopefully that will make my nasty neighbor as miserable as he made me by complaining about my baby before s/he is even born. By the way, as DH pointed out, it is a little humorous that this neighbor plans to complain when our baby screams. Who is s/he going to complain to? Us? I guess that in a couple of weeks this neighbor will be very busy writing notes to complain about the baby crying. In a way now I hope we have a screamer.

Just wanted to vent. Sorry about the length! Any suggestions on how to deal with this will be welcome.

[nigele]

Carmen,

What a mean thing for someone to do! I am sorry you have such a cruel neighbor. My SIL lives in a townhouse and whenever her baby cries, her neighbor bangs on the wall REALLY loudly. What is that supposed to do - calm the baby?!

I sort of hope you have a screamer, too, just to get back at this person. ;-) Please don't get stressed out about your baby crying if the neighbors complain. I have a feeling this person is a grumpy old woman. If she is unhappy listening to a crying baby, she can move on out to the retirement home where there is plenty of peace and quiet!

Good luck!

[Rachels]

That's awful! Shame on that person. I always wonder how adults who are intolerant of babies think they started out. Did they just spring forth fully upright and with good table manners? If your little one cries, the last thing you need to worry about is whether it bothers the insensitive clod living nearby. Let him move if it's that big a problem. Sheesh.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[redhairedgirl]

I can't believe someone did this.... and to not even have the gall to sign it! Nasty people! My DH would probably have to tie me to a chair to keep me from banging on everyone's door to find out who did it.

You can always do what my Dad did..... we went on a cross country flight when I was 6 months old. Dad said that I cried majority of the 6 hour flight, and that these two girls behind him just kept making nasty comments. So, he finally looked at them and said, "If you think you can stop her crying, GO AHEAD! I've done everything that I can!" They shut up after that. }>

I'd like to see who they are going to complain to.... it just doesn't make any sense to me.

[mharling]

Dh would have had to restrain me too!!! My response would have been, 'I guess we have to listen to a rude neighbor now. I am already complaining.'

I like Rachel's response too; does your neighbor think s/he never cried???

Like your dh said, I think the best way to deal with it right now is to not give him/her any satisfaction that it bothers you. I would be certain that s/he is eagerly awaiting a response.

Mary
Mommy to Lane Michael 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=...21b33928e40550

[cuca_]

Thank you all for your sympathy. I still can't believe that such bitter and mean people exist. As Lisa said, it is probably some bitter old woman. Rachel, I like your comment, I guess this person believes s/he was born an adult. Well, whoever it is I guess s/he will be reading the classifieds in a few weeks!

I had to laugh at Redhairedgirl's and Mary's comment about needing to be restrained by their DH. Believe me I was fuming when I read the letter, but for some reason (probably hormones) I just burst into tears. I did draft a couple of nasty responses in my head, but I am sure that DH is right in that not responding is probably the best reaction. I'm sure my stupid neighbor is only looking to create a big controversy, and I am not giving him or her the satisfaction.

[mamahill]

OMG - you are a better woman than I, Carmen. A note on your garbage room would have been there faster than DH could have gotten out of bed! That is absolutely ridiculous.

If I were you, after the baby comes, I'd post a small note on our door saying, "We apologize for any crying that may disturb you. Please know we are NOT enjoying it, or sleeping through it, or trying to provoke it. Should you feel the need to complain, please make all correspondence addressed to the baby, and s/he will review it as soon as s/he can read. Perhaps then s/he can be reasoned with. In the meantime, would you like to take our boxes down to the basement for us?"

Grrr. I'm fuming on your behalf...

[cuca_]

Sarah, you are so funny. I love the note suggestion!

[etwahl]

I love Sarah's note. Carmen, you should post it. I WOULD. I'm like Sarah, that note would be up there faster than DH could blink at eye at, though he'd probably be the one posting it up there. The nerve!!!! unbelievable.

Btw, how the heck did that neighbor know it was YOU that put the box there? And I wouldn't do one box a day - I'd put them all in there at once. There are no rules against it, so what the heck is their problem? I'm FURIOUS just reading this.

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003

[mama2be]

Carmen,

I am so proud of you for not taking that crap!!!
WAy to go...I would actually go find boxes just to bring up to the laundry room...I owuld flatten them of course...but I think I would search high and low for some to put in there...sounds like the person needs to be medicated!!!!

I think I'd hang the note up on the door and let your neighbors see how ugly this person is, if they hear it from you first they will side with you that is for sure!!!