Car Radios, Neighbors, and YOU!

[AKL_Megs]

Today, as I was pulling up my driveway and into my garage, I was listening to some music fairly loudly on my car radio. It was Kenny Chesney, it was a good tune, and I was happy.

It was 4pm.

My windows were up.

My neighbor (not even really "old", he's in his 50s) looked at me as he was cutting his grass like I was some crazy hoodlum or careless teenager.

Now, granted, when I come home after 7pm, I always turn down the radio as I approach my house, and TODAY, I am sure my neighbors lawn mower (and if not that, surely his leaf blower... ) was just as loud as, if not louder than, my car radio.

Good thing it was only 60 today and not 80, because my windows would have been down and I would have really been rockin' it.

SO... car radios... do you turn them down out of "kindness" for your neighbors?

 

[johnsontrio]

Today, as I was pulling up my driveway and into my garage, I was listening to some music fairly loudly on my car radio. It was Kenny Chesney, it was a good tune, and I was happy.

It was 4pm.

My windows were up.

My neighbor (not even really "old", he's in his 50s) looked at me as he was cutting his grass like I was some crazy hoodlum or careless teenager.

Now, granted, when I come home after 7pm, I always turn down the radio as I approach my house, and TODAY, I am sure my neighbors lawn mower (and if not that, surely his leaf blower... ) was just as loud as, if not louder than, my car radio.

Good thing it was only 60 today and not 80, because my windows would have been down and I would have really been rockin' it.

SO... car radios... do you turn them down out of "kindness" for your neighbors?

Your neighbor should live over here by me. The man that used to live next door would come home drunk when the bar closed, weeknights and weekends, and pass out in his car. Once at 2 in the morning I woke up to our DD sleepwalking in between my nightstand and the window. At first I thought her alarm clock was playing, but soon realized my neighbor was home drunk again. His car was running, brights on and we proceeded to hear the entire album Framptom Comes Alive before he either regained conciousness or somehow the car shut off. This was in February and the since the car was running there was little chance of him freezing to death. We are so glad they are gone.

I don't think you need to turn down your radio for what amounts to less than one minute. If it's after 9pm and your homes are close, I can see being considerate of your neighbors and turning it down just as I would turn my lights out if they shine in their windows etc... During the day, do your thing.

 

[thebigkahuna]

Today, as I was pulling up my driveway and into my garage, I was listening to some music fairly loudly on my car radio. It was Kenny Chesney, it was a good tune, and I was happy.

It was 4pm.

My windows were up.

My neighbor (not even really "old", he's in his 50s) looked at me as he was cutting his grass like I was some crazy hoodlum or careless teenager.

Now, granted, when I come home after 7pm, I always turn down the radio as I approach my house, and TODAY, I am sure my neighbors lawn mower (and if not that, surely his leaf blower... ) was just as loud as, if not louder than, my car radio.

Good thing it was only 60 today and not 80, because my windows would have been down and I would have really been rockin' it.

SO... car radios... do you turn them down out of "kindness" for your neighbors?

try living in an apartment. I'm pretty sure these people think the rest of the building is vacant. Which I can assure you, it's NOT.

 

[C.Ann]

Well - most of the time - here at the lake - I don't have any neighbors, so it's not an issue.. Take today for instance.. My cable was out for 5 hours, so I turned on my CD player and had it up so loud my DD could probably hear it back at her house.. Of course if there was anyone around, I wouldn't do that..

I don't normally have my radio on really loud in the car, so that's not an issue either.. However, if I see a funeral procession, I always turn the radio off until they have passed.. Not sure why.. I just don't feel right listening to happy, rockin', upbeat music when someone is taking their loved one to the cemetery to be buried

 

[AKL_Megs]

Take today for instance.. My cable was out for 5 hours, so I turned on my CD player and had it up so loud my DD could probably hear it back at her house..

Hmm... maybe it was YOUR music that he heard! Thanks a LOT!

 

[C.Ann]

Hmm... maybe it was YOUR music that he heard! Thanks a LOT!

Oops!

 

[MM27]

I get annoyed with my neighbors because someone in their house likes to listen to music with the bass turned all the way up and it literally shakes the windows. Sometimes they come home late at night and my bedroom is on the side of my house that faces their house. I find it annoying when people do that in their cars with the bass, but when your in your own house and you have to listen to that

 

[PattnFmly]

I don't really worry about it during the day, only if I'm coming home later in the evening. I just pull in the driveway and turn it down and off. My neighbors on the other hand, use their car as an outside stereo. They pull up in front of their house, roll down the windows and play the music really loud while they sit on their front stairs! In the summer with the windows open, I can hear it over the tv! And often they do it at 10-11 pm, sitting outside in the summer months. But neighborhood quiet time doesn't start until 11.... so I guess they are safe. Too bad it's not my kind of music though!

 

[dizneygurl007]

I live in an apartment complex and out of consideration I turn my music down when I come home after dark. Before then I rock out with my windows up or down depending on the weather. I did have a neighbor who would come home with her music on so loud I could hear the words. Mind you she lived across the complex which is about 75 feet. That level of music is just annoying. OP, I say your neighbor just didn't like your music and is just being cranky.

 

[Lintasare]

In my complex if the street racers in the building over want to rev the engines of their rice burners at 2 AM then they have to put up with me blaring my Nickelback at 5 PM. I don't care if they are asleep...I am trying to sleep at 2 AM.

Don't get me started about the ghetto blasters across the street with bass so loud my windows rattle.

 

[lillygator]

your windows were up and someone could still hear it?

 

[allison443]

your windows were up and someone could still hear it?

and the neighbor's lawnmower was on as well, and he could still hear it?

OP is really reading a lot into a "look" that she says the neighbor gave her. He didn't say anything, did he?

 

[allison443]

In my complex if the street racers in the building over want to rev the engines of their rice burners at 2 AM then they have to put up with me blaring my Nickelback at 5 PM. I don't care if they are asleep...I am trying to sleep at 2 AM.

Don't get me started about the ghetto blasters across the street with bass so loud my windows rattle.

What is a "rice burner"?

 

[FireDancer]

What is a "rice burner"?

A Japanese car. Usually it is in reference to people who go out of their way to make them louder with custom exhaust or other customizations.

Think The Fast and The furious.

I do turn my radio down when I turn onto my street if the windows are down and I am listening to music out of courtesy but 9 times out of 10 I am listening to a podcast of one sort or another and it isn't necessary.

 

[laurie31]

your windows were up and someone could still hear it?

Some cars just aren't well insulated for sound. Mine isn't. I was SHOCKED one day when I ran back into the house for something, leaving my DDs in the car with the radio on -at a normal to low volume, we could talk at a normal level and hear ourselves - and when I came back, I swear the music was louder outside the car than it was inside! I was horrified to think of all the people I'd passed with the radio much louder than that (when I'm alone and listening to "my" music I do crank it up...) and how they must have heard it. I had no idea.

I now turn the radio way down when I drive into my neighborhood if it's early or late.

However, at 4pm I wouldn't worry about it, regardless. Especially since the neighbor was obviously not trying to sleep.

 

[PUZZLDY5]

My son was doing this to my neighbor. He really had no idea that the man could hear it in his house. We told him to tun it down before he come into the driveway and we haven't had a problem snce. In his case he just forget that sound traveled I guess.

 

[castleview]

If the windows are up that wouldn't bother me. We used to live near a main road where we'd often hear $800 cars roll by with a @2,500 sound system blasting out of it at two in the morning. But sometimes there are songs that I need to jack up. Example: I was driving to work one quiet Sunday morning and came across a gospel station. It was like Christian swing music and this Irish girl decided that where else will she be able to jam without looking foolish. Anybody who came across my car with me dancing and singing would have reported me to insane asylum.

 

[MIGrandma]

I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Now if you played your music at home loudly and it disturbed the neighbors that would be different. But coming home, during the day, and it's a bit loud in your car but you turn it off as soon as you pull in the drive, not something that would concern me.

What I hate is filling my car with gas and the idiot next to me has their "music" (and I use this term loosely because it's usually disgusting rap crap with vulgar lyrics) going full blast while they're pumping their gas. Turn it off, for gosh sakes!! Not everyone wants to hear that junk.

 

[surfergirl602]

We have a noise ordinance here. If I can hear your music within 15 feet I can call the police and they will issue you a violation with a hefty fee attached to it. And it doesn't matter what time of day,either. LOL There's a big problem with noise in this place.

ETA: I wouldn't do that, because I like Kenny!

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Insulate your cars (dynamat works great for soundproofing cars) and homes. Then there wouldn't be as much of a problem.


I often have my stereo at home up really loud when no one else is at home. I don't know if the neighbors can hear it in their homes or not. At least they've never complained over the last 22.5 yrs!