Quiet neighbours now making noise.

[OpalBird]

My neighbours talked to us about the noise coming from our property. OK, my son has a hobby that does make an annoying noise. Since then we have made sure he's doing it less but we obviously aren't going to stop him completely. They haven't said anything since and I think we've been considerate in reducing the number of hours our son does his thing.

It seems like they've now decided that they are allowed to make more noise. We've been neighbours for years and they've always been quiet. Now we get occasional music or radio in their backyard. When I asked them about it they said they have always worn headphones to be considerate but they don't really like listening that way, so they thought it was fair they got to have their hobbies the way they enjoy them best as well.

Would I be unreasonable to complain to them again? There is a difference between children playing and music when they have the option of headphones.

No, it didn't "work for them".

They were making compromises and sacrifices in order to be good and considerate neighbours to you.

You have now lost that privilege and they are being as considerate of you as you have shown yourself to be of them.

How can you not understand this?

I don’t think the basketball sounds that bad, but I don’t think the music is an issue either. It’s not like they are blasting the music out until 2am. I think both of you should enjoy your outdoor space with music and basketball.

When he's at school often once before school and up to three times after

Before school,would really really annoy me. It would wake me up.

Are they the sort of neighbours who would let you know if they were going to be out for any length of time so he could play when they weren’t there? Not that they should have to, before people jump on that, but it might be an acceptable compromise.

I feel a bit for your DS, he’s 13 and on school holidays, with energy to burn. But basketball is quite an antisocial activity when you have close neighbours. No worse than trampolines though, and there are gazillions of those.

Also - you know you can but a special surface that will dull the thump thump a bit, don't you? It's rubbery tile stuff.

Does the ball hit their property or fence, perhaps even go over? If so that’s even worse than the constant noise.

Makes me laugh when you say it's only half an hour at a time, and then follow it up with "a few times a day"

Basketball noise is awful

A kid will occasionally walk past the house bouncing one and I hear him way before he appears. Can't wait for him to pass by

I would limit it to less than thirty minutes at a time

Your neighbours are applying the 'if you can't beat' em, join' em' principle.

Before school? So that thumping noise is happening at what, half 6? 7?

I've been up a while by then most days but still tired, and I'm only up cos I have an early riser of a child and work to get to. I do not want to be hearing "thud, thud, thud, thud" while I'm trying to pull my brain out of sleep and into the land of the living.

You do need to think about this more. You can't let your son make that noise early morning and then complain about the radio at a reasonable time in the day.

Well done for taking the feedback on board.

All I will say is, when I was younger I loved playing ball on our patio area at home. My mum came out one day and said to stop as the noise was driving her mad. I couldn't understand it and got in a strop. A few days later my sister was outside doing the same thing. Oh my God the noise! What seems like a little thud to me was amplified through the earth.

I have no idea but is there something that could be put down in the space (like that soft stuff they use in parks for kids falling off equipment) or something to deafen the noise. I appreciate that there's no hoop in the park so moving is difficult but maybe investigate softening the noise. Also, does the hoop throwing reverberate? Is the hoop near their house? There must be solutions.

So there are many options here. Sessions at a park, working more on strength and fitness that dont involve a ball, a freestanding hoop put as far away from neighbours as possible, a surface to dampen the noise.

I suspect though that given the level of entitlement, none of these will be done.

The frequency is ridiculous and before school would really annoy most I think, no one wants to start their day hearing constant thudding.

I know you have acknowledged you may be wrong but I hope that translates to actually doing something because your neighbours have been saints to tolerate that every day.

They’ve reached the end of their tether.

the relentlessness of the thud, thud, thud would drive anyone crazy

If I was your neighbour I'd be volunteering to look after family/friends yappy dogs while they go on holiday or learning a new musical instrument.

Someone mentioned a silent basketball. You can get them on Amazon etc. It would show an effort.

So your son is allowed to play an irritating game for 3-4 hours but they cannot play music?

YABVVVVVU.

It doesn't go over. There are trees on that side that prevent that. One reason it needs to be there. They did understand that.

No way! He does it before school? 😂

BEFORE school?! Are you that ignorant to those around you?!

I would be LIVID if every day some blasted kid was bouncing a ball before 8:30 every day. Absolutely outrageous.

BEFORE SCHOOL?!

I wouldn't give you a moments peace if you were my neighbour until you sorted your child out and got them out of the fucking garden at that time in the morning.

The fact you ever thought it was reasonable for him to play outside before school shows how utterly selfish you are.

This must be a troll post. No one can be that oblivious surely?!

Good on them.

Staggered that you could possibly think THEY were BU

4 x 30 mins = two hours basketball. So they were annoying for the same amount of time as you.
I personally can't bear radios outside. I want to hear the hum of bees in my garden. But I've never had to put up with a basketball neighbour which sounds quite insufferable. Like others have said, find a park.

Perhaps you can get a ball that does not make so much noise he can use half the time, like a foam ball. I get its not the same as a basket ball. But he can still do the same movements etc and not so much noise.

But he’s still making noise throughout the day at points. You can’t expect them to live in silence and your son make noise even if it is reduced. YABVU

Obviously yabu.

Fwiw, I don't listen to music in my garden as I do think the whole street then are subjected to my taste in music. But my neighbours do it and I have only had to mention it one time because one of them is deaf in one ear and she had it up very loud. If it's a reasonable volume and not late at night, they're totally entitled to do it.

Your ds is also allowed to play basketball. Is he hitting their house or something? That could be pretty annoying.