Ask Amy: Nightly disturbances cause neighbor's dilemma
Dear Amy: My boyfriend and I just bought a condo.
Most of our neighbors are really nice and have been respectful (for the most part). However, an individual in the unit directly below ours has been doing something that's unsettling and disturbing to me.
He screams and shouts random words -- for reasons unknown to us. Sometimes I can make out what he's saying, and other times I can't.
I can hear him from every room in my unit, but mostly in my bedroom.
This occurs during late-evening hours, but sometimes at other times, too.
We've seen this individual before while getting our mail and walking the dog. We have tried to say "hello," but he just ignores us and looks at the ground before retreating back to his unit.
Maybe he is disabled or suffering from a psychological condition. I'd like to pay him a casual visit to let him know he is disturbing us, but my boyfriend thinks I'm overreacting.
I don't want to berate him for being loud and disrespectful. I simply want to let him know that we can hear him, in case he is unaware. Part of me wants to believe he's just really into sports or video games, but I still don't think we should have to sit back and just deal with it, especially if his screaming is directed at another person living with him and the situation could potentially be dangerous. Please advise!
-- Earplugs 24/7
Dear 24/7: If you have a credible belief that your downstairs neighbor is harming someone, you should act on your concern by calling the police.
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