Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I only act rude and insulting to strangers, obviously - my bad!

So today I was taking the dog (one of them) around the block for a quick potty break (he's geri[p]atric and can't really hold it very long,) and I happened upon my neighbor to the east, sitting on her stoop drinking a beer. #NTTAWWT

Out of habit (admittedly) rather than sheer friendliness, I said hello to her as I passed. She looked up at me and stared for a moment.

And then she said: "Oh, I apologize for the other night. I didn't know it was YOU who asked us to turn the music down."

****flashback****

On Saturday night, the backyard of the property in question was filled with revelers from about the hour of 6PM onward. #NTTAWWT At some point, the stereo got turned up LOUD. Like, REALLY LOUD. Outside. Across the alley from me. From where I was stooped over in the yard, weeding.

And, I must say, it wasn't the delightful and slightly-relaxed R&B that had theretofore been playing... no... it was some song whose refrain included the word "B*TCH no less than three times per sentence.

So, I went over and did a charades move over the fence, indicated my hand turning down the volume. A guy went to turn it down, and as he did, no less than three other people reacted immediately with things like:

a) "Aw HELL NO,"

b) "Did that b*tch just tell you to turn it DOWN???

c) "Man, turn that sh*t UPPPP!!!

****/flashback****

So, what was most interesting to me about the situation (besides the fact that, blessedly, the music did in fact stay down for the rest of the evening and we had no other issues,) was the fact that the owner herself was one of the people yelling (it would seem,) and, that she realized that it's not okay to talk to a NEIGHBOR that way.

But I guess anybody else is fair game.

Or something.

But, she did apologize!






#NTTAWWT = not that there's anything wrong with that

3 comments:

ClevelandGuy said...

I wish this was surprising. I had the same issue a few years ago until I got the Public Housing case worker who was in charge of the offending house involved. All of a sudden my neighbors were peaches and cream, waving and saying hi all the time. They didn't want to lose their precious ("cheap") house. And the offending mother works for the welfare to work department in Minneapolis!

NoMi Passenger said...

Huh. Or possibly, (apologize in advance for my cynicism) but I would bet word got out on the communication wire that you don't take no bull on the block... and when things clicked in her head she thought she'd better see if she can stay on your good side!

You're too nice said...

Youre too nice.

I would have called 9-1-1, reported "loud party" and repeated the process until there was no more "loud party."