Everyone has their pastimes, but there are instances when our personal interests can become a pain for those close to us.
Whether enjoying movies, embarking on leisurely walks, or cherishing the hunt for rare coins, we all have that particular activity that fills our time. Of course, pursue what makes you happy as much as possible, but always with a mindful eye towards neighbours and relatives, especially if your hobby produces significant noise.
Yet, one woman is learning rather painfully that her neighbour prioritises his own pleasure over hers, as he indulges in a pastime so disruptive it’s left her at her wit’s end, equating living beside him to “torture”. While he doesn’t play music too loudly or indulge in DIY projects, his collection of wind chimes is enough to drive her mad.
Taking to Reddit, she expressed her dismay, explaining how the neighbour’s wind chime collection becomes a cacophonous nuisance whenever the wind picks up, notably during night-time hours. Her sleep has suffered so profoundly that she now feels her health is being seriously compromised.
She said: “For some time now, I’ve had to sleep on our living room couch because the sounds wake me at night. I’ve purchased ear plugs and still get woken up when sleeping in the bedroom. It’s so bad that now it’s affecting my health. I have sleep deprivation and anxiety. I hear bells at night, daytime, it’s all the time. I can’t take it anymore.
“I looked up our town ordnance for noise pollution and wind chimes are excluded. No one knows what a torture it is hearing bells all day. Especially at night when trying to sleep.”
The woman suspects her neighbour is fully aware of the disturbance caused by the chimes but “doesn’t care”, as he has strategically placed a large wind chime near their bedrooms. After a particularly windy night knocked it down, instead of moving it away from their house, he promptly put it back up.
She continued: “I strongly believe he purchased the large wind chime and hung it directly near the bedrooms for the simple purpose of annoying the previous owner who lived in our home before and now we are the next victims. He just gives off those vibes.”
Commenters on the post advised the woman to first ask her neighbour if he would consider relocating his wind chimes before jumping to conclusions, as he might be oblivious to how disruptive they are to others.
One person suggested: “Ask him to move them. And if he refuses, tell him you are then going to party in your backyard as you can’t sleep anyway.”
Another individual recommended: “Talk to neighbor and ask them if they can put them in a different area that you have very sensitive hearing. Tell neighbor that you’re not trying to be intrusive, and you’d like to be on better terms. Silent terms.”