At around 10 a.m., Banging Brood's mother spoke with me about the problems I've been having with her children making too much noise. It seemed like at first she was going to lie and deny her children are pounding on the wall. But I told her flat out that you do not feel physical vibrations from the wall if the banging comes from another apartment. Those kinds of vibrations don't travel very far down a wall, only the sound. They're the kind of vibrations that travel outward into the room from the point of impact.
Then their mother was, "I don't understand. This is a problem? I have x many kids. What am I to do, tell them not to run, not to play?" Sheesh. She could easily remedy their hyperactivity by taking them to the nearby college track. Let them run their little butts off, scream, chase, play tag... They might attract attention from security, but the campus police are pretty understanding when you tell them it's for exercise. True, it's a bit odd to be exercising at night. But what if you're a night owl, you don't like getting sunburned or heat exhaustion, and night is the only time you have to get out and walk?
I told her that the other neighbors have kids, and I don't hear a peep out of them. She tried saying, "But they have fewer kids than I have." Feh. When I was little, I could make as much racket as her brood--all by myself. The number of kids is not the issue, it's the constant barrage of noise, especially at night, and I told her so.
And as for her "I don't understand. This is a problem?" She should have realized it was a problem after being warned numerous times by management and the police. But she kept trying to lie her way out of things instead of correcting her unruly nest of demons.
So their mother confirmed 1) how many children she has, 2) that she leaves the younger ones in the care of her eldest, 3) she left them in the care of the eldest child yet again this morning after our conversation, 4) that they are the ones beating the wall at all hours, and 5) she permits this bad behavior, even after numerous warnings.
By the way, I had a bout of insomnia up until about 3 a.m. The Banging Brood were thumping and banging around from 10 p.m. until that time. I even told their mother about it, that the noise especially bothers me when I'm trying to sleep.
And where is CPS in all of this? Off getting their nails done on the taxpayer's dime. If both parents work, shouldn't the brood be in day care?
