Thread: Apartment neighbors doing drugs?

Originally Posted by DragonSword

I live in front of another apartment complex. I already complained once to the police about the noise the neighbors across the way make at night. Tonight I heard glass bottles breaking and use of swear language. I'm going over to speak with the manager of those apartments tomorrow. The noise before was an hour later than it is now. There is also like a forest area that is dark between us plus the fact that a policeman did say about a year ago there was a drug related shooting around where I live. I'm also hearing doors slam and I think loud bass. What to do? They also sounded unhappy when I turned my balcony light on (I'm on the top floor) they said what sounded to me like "(explicit) light went on!" I'm curious if anyone has had the same situation.

I think you should write them an anonymous letter asking them politely to keep the noise down. If the noise continues, send another letter that mentions cops as a side note but is not a direct threat to call the police. Calling the cops could get some of them in jail, and they don't sound like they necessarily deserve that. Even if they are drug dealers, that doesn't make them bad people automatically. Liquor store cashiers are drug dealers too, and so are pharmacists. Illegality alone does not prove evil. If you find out they are pinning people down and forcing drugs into them, then call the police.

Pharmacists deal drugs that (justifiably or not) purport to treat illnesses so I don't know how you can equate them with street dealers. Also liquor stores don't tend to play booming dubstep at the dead of night to disturb everyone's sleep.
These guys may not necessarily deserve the disproportionately long prison sentences that they would get if it turns into a drug bust but they still sound like self-centred assholes.
That being said, I agree with the idea of an anonymous letter but keep the tone firm and imply that there will be trouble if they make too much noise again. People who behave like what you are describing are not a polite kind and need a healthy dose of fear to boost their memories, especially if they are routinely intoxicated. Just don't go overboard or anything, the key tone is polite firmness.

Originally Posted by DeviantThinker

Pharmacists deal drugs that (justifiably or not) purport to treat illnesses so I don't know how you can equate them with street dealers. Also liquor stores don't tend to play booming dubstep at the dead of night to disturb everyone's sleep.
These guys may not necessarily deserve the disproportionately long prison sentences that they would get if it turns into a drug bust but they still sound like self-centred assholes.
That being said, I agree with the idea of an anonymous letter but keep the tone firm and imply that there will be trouble if they make too much noise again. People who behave like what you are describing are not a polite kind and need a healthy dose of fear to boost their memories, especially if they are routinely intoxicated. Just don't go overboard or anything, the key tone is polite firmness.

They might not realize how disruptive they are being. Large groups can be loud without any one person thinking he/she is being loud. There is no reason at this point to take a hostile or even firm tone. They might just need information. My point about pharmacists and liquor store workers is that they sell drugs. That alone does not make anybody evil. If you think selling certain drugs is evil, the logic would have to apply to alcohol. Making a lot of noise is a separate issue.

I don't think selling drugs is evil, legal or illegal. That was not the point of contention; the wrong is in them disrupting their neighbourhood peace.
However, you are right that it is unfair to treat them badly without undue cause. They may indeed be entirely ignorant of the disturbance they are causing, which would make them merely foolish.
In any case, we both agree that an anonymous letter is the best solution.

I dont know why people still think that police should be the babysitters of their neighborhoods. a good portion of cops use drugs too, so calling then in seems kind of pointless. Why dont you just get the nerve up to go on over and introduce yourself and ask them to kindly keep it down after a certain time?

Originally Posted by kadie

I dont know why people still think that police should be the babysitters of their neighborhoods. a good portion of cops use drugs too, so calling then in seems kind of pointless. Why dont you just get the nerve up to go on over and introduce yourself and ask them to kindly keep it down after a certain time?

The problem with that is that you are on their property, and some people are dumb enough to take a stranger on their property complaining about them as automatic confrontation. Some see it as a threat of violence. I know it's stupid, but that's how some people think.

Originally Posted by kadie

I dont know why people still think that police should be the babysitters of their neighborhoods. a good portion of cops use drugs too, so calling then in seems kind of pointless. Why dont you just get the nerve up to go on over and introduce yourself and ask them to kindly keep it down after a certain time?

Terrible idea. Dragon sword did mention living in an apartment complex, and if the statistics are anything to go by, confronting people at any level in an apartment complex (well the middle class ones) can get you seriously injured.
I know a lot of people that have their jaws smashed just for looking the wrong way in the wrong neighborhood.

Naaah. Look. If I'm having a party, I go by and talk to me neighbors and let them know so they dont call the cops on us. I very rarely have a big party, but it's an appropriate thing to do if you dont want cops knocking on your door and pissed off neighbors. On the flip side, it's better to establish a relationship with your neighbors as well. Maybe they would give the OP a heads up on their next party or try to keep the noise down after say midnight. I had a hard core gang banger living a few doors down from me a number of years ago, but I tell you what, I was glad I took the time to be neighborly because NOBODY and I mean NOBODY gave us any kind of problem. He chased off some guy that was hanging around my garage (was on an alley) I saw him tell some young punks to stay away from my house and if he had any complaints from me they would be in for it. After that, my house was as peaceful as could be.
I think if the OP's neighbors were that bad, that calling the police would be worse, especially if the loud naughty neighbors find out about it. Then you get your car keyed, flattened tires, broken windows and stuff like that. Anyway, that's just my opinion with a little personal experience thrown in.

Statistically, kadie seems to be in the right here. It's simply improbable for a neighbour's first reaction to a polite request to turn things down a little to be smashing someone's jaw in. Almost no one wants trouble unless if trouble becomes a way out of a bad situation.

Ideally, you should pick the afternoon for a visit because drug enthusiasts often have issues waking up early. I have never heard of an early bird pot head for example. Pick a time where they are likely to be relaxed and wakeful. At the very least, you might get invited to their next get together. Hopefully they have good ganja to share.

^ If you can't beat 'em join 'em, huh? Sure why not? Instead of being angry because you can't sleep, you could be sitting there toking on a bong and yucking it up, making fun of all the uptight neighbors who are calling the police on you!

The funny thing is, I've been both before, the uptight neighbor and the partier saying "Dude, just chill out man!"

I think some of us are underestimating the kind of people we are dealing with. By the looks of it we aren't dealing with your average potheads. Door slamming and loud bass music sounds more like speedy-upped type of people. There is a low chance that partying neighbours are also the source of drug related shootings, I admit.

Anyway, speeded up persons are not the most reasonable people to argue with and could turn to violence very quickly. I think that going in person has a risk. I don't think there's really a chance of violence or anything but if an argument ensues and they aren't willing to compromise this could potentially cause problems in future confrontations with them and bears with it the danger of being "targeted" by these people. Where flat tires, broken windows and general disrespect in confrontations are a possiblity. But having said that and doing some careful consideration to my own experiences. I think that a polite face-to-face request might be the best way to go about it. Just have to not make it into an argument. Just don't expect anything fruitful to anytime happen soon; I can almost garuantee that they might say that they will keep it down and try to but in the end another one of those parties just end up being loud. But establishing a contact might make it easier in the future to just ask for a little compliance. Having to call a cop everytime would be a nuisance to both them and the cops. Eventually the cops might just give up on it, and you end up with an agitated bunch of people who think the neighbours are calling the cop on them. No way you can reasonably deal with that sort of mentality anymore.

Eh

Originally Posted by DeviantThinker

Statistically, kadie seems to be in the right here. It's simply improbable for a neighbour's first reaction to a polite request to turn things down a little to be smashing someone's jaw in. Almost no one wants trouble unless if trouble becomes a way out of a bad situation.

Ideally, you should pick the afternoon for a visit because drug enthusiasts often have issues waking up early. I have never heard of an early bird pot head for example. Pick a time where they are likely to be relaxed and wakeful. At the very least, you might get invited to their next get together. Hopefully they have good ganja to share.

I think the youth of inner city dublin and limerick wouldn't agree...

I'm not one for scare mongering but in this case, based on the details that dragonsword told us, it wouldn't be a wise choice to confront them. We have no idea what drugs they're using, no idea what type of screwed up youths they might have had. It's simply too dangerous, even if the chances of being attacked are low.
If you get mixed up in the wrong crowd there is absolutely never a good way out.

As I've said, I've seen it. I was in a good neighborhood and a guy knocked on the door asking for them to turn the music down because his wife was trying to sleep. Within seconds a bottle was flung at his head.
Does that sound like a considerate action?

I think you are blowing things out of proportion there. Breaking Bad is not a representative part of the average meth user. Most are non-violent and even hold jobs. Slamming doors and loud bass music sounds like adolescent apathy to me and not meth malediction.

That being said, clearly dutchraptor has had a different experience from mine so you can try the cautious letter first.

I don't remember any violent meth users in Breaking Bad - they were more pathetic and zoned out. It was the dealers and their enforcers and the police who were violent.

I have only one thing to say to that: ATM machine.

Oh yeah! Forgot about that one! And those were even the people I was talking about, I just remembered them pre-ATM. Lol, maybe my mind blocked that memory because it was too traumatic...

Originally Posted by DeviantThinker

I think you are blowing things out of proportion there. Breaking Bad is not a representative part of the average meth user. Most are non-violent and even hold jobs. Slamming doors and loud bass music sounds like adolescent apathy to me and not meth malediction.

That being said, clearly dutchraptor has had a different experience from mine so you can try the cautious letter first.

My reasoning for deducing Meth as a drug of choice as opposed to weed is that slamming doors, swearing and (i'm thinking techno) is not generally what I would feel like doing when smoking Pot. Except maybe that last one. A Meth roll seems more likely to me to cause agression and staying up late etc. but on reconsideration some Alcohol seems to be a more likely culprit in this case. In any case, TV shows is generally not a good model for reality. If so, Prison Break would have caused an outbreak epidemic! :3

@ Dutchraptor, It also depends on how he asked and what tone of voice he used. Usually in my experience agression is laid dormant until there is some sense of provocation, if only slightly. But some people just have no respect and trying to reason with them would be an unreasonable thing to do. Drugs make it worse. Weed is probably one of the few exceptions to that.

Ps. Not that OP can not fend for himself. Guess it's just a topic I like and i'm in for discussion.

Yeah, I was gonna say alcohol too. And it also depends what type of people they are. If they're like Hell's Angels or trailer trash or wild-eyed rednecks they might not take kindly to someone asking them to be good responsible neighbors.

There's a gay couple that lives next door, and they frequently blast dance music, yell and scream [incoherently], slam doors (they're constantly going outside to smoke), and stay up very late. Drug of choice: alcohol. I know; I've been over a few times. They're not bad people at all, and they're very friendly. They just have bad tastes in music and drink too much (really, it's just the one guy--thankfully the other one usually shows a bit more restraint). They smoke weed sometimes, but I would never consider them stoners. I wish they were; then they'd be more chill and laid-back, I imagine.

So... you could be dealing with a violent criminal. Or maybe it's just some college students that like to drink. I'd guess the latter, but I grew up in a college town so most of the loud, obnoxious people I've encountered were harmless college drunks.

Originally Posted by Darkmatters

Oh yeah! Forgot about that one! And those were even the people I was talking about, I just remembered them pre-ATM. Lol, maybe my mind blocked that memory because it was too traumatic...

Hell, there was a huge example before that incident. What about Tuco? He may have been a dealer but he was clearly an enthusiastic user too.

Originally Posted by Dthoughts

I think some of us are underestimating the kind of people we are dealing with. By the looks of it we aren't dealing with your average potheads. Door slamming and loud bass music sounds more like speedy-upped type of people. There is a low chance that partying neighbours are also the source of drug related shootings, I admit.

Anyway, speeded up persons are not the most reasonable people to argue with and could turn to violence very quickly. I think that going in person has a risk. I don't think there's really a chance of violence or anything but if an argument ensues and they aren't willing to compromise this could potentially cause problems in future confrontations with them and bears with it the danger of being "targeted" by these people. Where flat tires, broken windows and general disrespect in confrontations are a possiblity. But having said that and doing some careful consideration to my own experiences. I think that a polite face-to-face request might be the best way to go about it. Just have to not make it into an argument. Just don't expect anything fruitful to anytime happen soon; I can almost garuantee that they might say that they will keep it down and try to but in the end another one of those parties just end up being loud. But establishing a contact might make it easier in the future to just ask for a little compliance. Having to call a cop everytime would be a nuisance to both them and the cops. Eventually the cops might just give up on it, and you end up with an agitated bunch of people who think the neighbours are calling the cop on them. No way you can reasonably deal with that sort of mentality anymore.

Eh

Thats what I said.

Look, I don't mean to pee on the fire here, but the OP is concerned about them because they are loud, cuss and party. Hell, I'm loud, cuss and occasionally slam doors, so by OP's standards, I could be a drug addicted, gun wielding killer right? So it seems that perhaps OP is a little protected and sheltered at this point in life. I dont know why anyone would assume that they are doing drugs at all. It seems OP is jumping to that conclusion. If that is the case, OP should just move to where it feels safe.

You've got to work up the courage and confront them, then it will stop.

Originally Posted by DeviantThinker

Pharmacists deal drugs that (justifiably or not) purport to treat illnesses so I don't know how you can equate them with street dealers. Also liquor stores don't tend to play booming dubstep at the dead of night to disturb everyone's sleep.

If street dealers started to claim that they were selling what they were to treat illnesses, would that make what they were doing any better? People get prescribed pharmaceuticals for the sole purpose of abusing and selling them quite often, not to mention pharmaceutical companies control a lot of the media in order to cement their niche in the market instead of allowing better alternatives that are safer and more effective to take their spot and make their money. Don't try to paint things like a pretty picture when they really aren't.

As far as your neighbors go, dragonsword, I agree with kadie. What is making you think they are using drugs? You've got not reason to assume that. Some of the responses in this thread are really laughable, the amount of unwarranted speculation is hilarious. Alcohol seems like the most likely suspect, given it is legal, many people enjoy getting drunk, and slamming of doors and loudness are common signs of alcohol usage. How many people in this thread have even used the drugs they are talking about? I've tried just about everything and all I can say is most of you who are assuming they are using meth or something else ridiculous sound like you are flapping your gums when you really don't have any idea what you're talking about. Perhaps you have tried those drugs, maybe I am wrong, but I've heard people talk about what they think meth and other drugs do when they'e never taken it and what they say is usually pretty out there, and your (not referring to just one person) posts remind me of those people. In short, don't just make assumptions about people based off the libel you've been spoon-fed in school and on the television about drugs and their (ab)users, all of it is garbage and propaganda designed to control the way you think and scare you. Only bits and pieces of what winds up in this drug awareness propaganda actually contain factual information, or factual information that isn't used in purposefully deceptive ways to manipulate the populace into fearing drugs.