ULPT alarm driving me crazy
Posted by Ch_Machiavelli@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 49 comments
I live in a building in a pretty quiet and nice neighbourhood. Last year, my whole summer was ruined by one neighbour, who has what I believe to be a house alarm, which beeps every 5 seconds. It's not super loud, but it's absolutely constant, the whole night, every night.
It's back now. It's been 4 nights, and at the second I'm not playing YouTube or something, I can hear it and it's driving me crazy. I've tried last summer to leave a note in that person's mailbox but I never heard back from them and the noise didn't stop.
I don't think I can enter the property to destroy it, especially if it is indeed an alarm, but it's driving me absolutely nuts. Is there anything I can do to make it stop? And, if not, what can I do to make their nights as miserable as mine?
Grandma-Plays-FS22@reddit
Can you put notes on their door as someone suggested
I suspect that they’re nearly stone deaf. My husband is pretty hard of hearing and doesn’t hear quite a number of beeping sounds that I hear very clearly.
Clevertown@reddit
This would destroy me. How about a white noise machine 24 hours? Or music. Loud metal music, or Reggaeton.
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
I've spent so many nights crying because of it, and it's been seriously impeding on my work too. That's why I'm down to do unethical things now. I usually put a YouTube video in the background to sleep, and so far it works, but with summer approaching I don't want to live with my windows closed all the time...
Clevertown@reddit
White noise for sleep will be a game changer. Get a phone app and use a BT speaker.
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
I'll give it a try if I can't find a solution to make it stop :(
Clevertown@reddit
I mean no disrespect or offense with this question: are you on the spectrum like I am? I am also sensitive to sound, but not as badly as you. My cat pal sleeps next to my head, and when she starts cleaning herself the sound drives me up the wall haha! I push her off the bed! Anyhow - if you have an autism diagnoses, you have rights because that's classified as a disability. So, you're protected and it's entirely reasonable to get accommodations. This would be excellent ammunition when you escalate the situation. No one else is going to be your advocate, so you gotta suck it up and be your own. It sucks. Good luck!
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
I am😅 Got the diagnosis last year, but the administration here takes so long to process files that, though I have medication and work accomodations, it's not yet recognised by the State, so I don't know how I can present it. This noise is driving me insane to the point of pushing me several times to try to meet these neighbours which I usually avoid at all costs! (And thank you for your kind words, all the best to you! Luckily my cat is kind enough to clean herself away from my pillow)
Clevertown@reddit
For now - try a noise machine app
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Will do, thanks for the advice
Flux_My_Capacitor@reddit
Most people who have sensory issues are NOT autistic, FYI, so please stop spreading the idea that sensory issues = autism.
Murky_Macropod@reddit
Might be a low battery alert on a smoke alarm?
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Ooh that's a nice one. They have big trees I could stuck it in
ponyboy3@reddit
They are saying that it might be your mortal enemies smoke detector
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Oh! My bad. But it's not, it was on for 3 months last summer, and again now, but not in-between. And if a smoke detector was going on inside their house, I'm pretty sure they'd be more bothered by it than I am...
Flux_My_Capacitor@reddit
Apparently you’ve never seen those TikTok etc videos where EVERYONE in the comments is telling OP that their smoke alarm battery needs to be changed but OP can’t hear it at all. It’s not an uncommon phenomenon. I’ve sent in maintenance requests for other apartments because they let their alarms chirp for days and fuck if I just let it die then the damn building wouldn’t be alarmed as fast if those idiots set a fire.
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Indeed, I've never seen these videos, it would stress tf out of me. In my previous flat, my alarm started beeping once on a Sunday afternoon where all shops are closed, so I buried it in a pile of blankets in a box and drove to my mother's house to get batteries and I thought all the neighbours would absolutely hate me for the inconvenience. I cannot comprehend that people don't care (for those who hear it, I totally get it for those who can't)
Lawlzstomp@reddit
A smoke detector chimes when the battery is low until it completely dies.
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Yes I'm awake thank you. I doubt the low battery would hold three months straight though. Or a year. And these alarms are loud as hell, the inhabitants of the house would probably notice way more than me.
ponyboy3@reddit
I have coworkers who have this chime on for over a year. Every time I get on a zoom call I can hear it
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
How can they live with that T_T
ponyboy3@reddit
Dude I don’t know, ITS SO ANNOYING there will be over 10 people and we all have to listen to it. Everyone tells him and he does nothing. Infuriating
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Apparently most people are able to tune out sounds they hear on a regular basis... But this one? HOW?!
zEdgarHoover@reddit
Age and high frequency hearing loss.
A couple of years ago I was on a customer call with a dozen folks and spent a half hour trying to decide whose smoke alarm was chirping. Finally figured it out and atom Sawyered sales rep into emailing her about it. Woulda felt terrible if on a subsequent call "Oh...Mary died on a house fire last week..."
ponyboy3@reddit
🤷♂️ guys got a wife and three kids
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
The mystery thickens...
pupperoni42@reddit
Even if it's not a smoke detector, calling the non emergency line to report non stop beeping from another home that your concerned may be the sample detector going off is an excellent way to get the beeping to stop.
The fire department will swing by, check it out, and either fix the alarm or tell your neighbor to knock it off and fix the beeping. For you that's a win-win.
We have literally had the fire department in our neighborhood for homes where the people left town and neighbors could hear the alarm going off. As long as there's no visible smoke or flames, it's a "when you time" call, so it's not taking life saving resources away from anyone else.
If this is actually a neighboring unit in the same building, you could try reporting it to property management or the HOA instead.
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much! I'll definitely try that. I came to Unethical out of desperation but I very much appreciate the Very Ethical approach haha
4-ton-mantis@reddit
Woah buddy stick what in
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Smoke alarm in the treee. I misunderstood the first message. I'm sorry about that, this isn't my native language.
cascasrevolution@reddit
this will be best solved by going over and asking them what that beeping is, not in an accusatory or angry way, but in a "my curiosity is killing me" way. but thats not unethical, so ive got nothing
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
I tried. Went there three different times and rang the bell. I don't know if it's broken or if they just ignored it or if no one was there, but no one ever came. Car was in front of the house so I assumed someone was home, though.
cascasrevolution@reddit
did you try knocking?
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Nope, can't reach the front door without entering the fenced garden
Flux_My_Capacitor@reddit
Get an air horn and honk it until they come outside.
cascasrevolution@reddit
aha! thats the unethical angle!
realDespond@reddit
there's nothing like the gift of a road flare through the living room window for a good neighbor to show that you care for their well being
striptofaner@reddit
Maybe it's one of those sonic bird deterrent devices? If so try to locate it, maybe you can disable it somehow
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
That might be it! It's not perfectly regular so I wondered for a long time if it was or not an alarm. Thank you :D
striptofaner@reddit
Also, i'll try to speak to your neighbour first, if he is a bit older than you it's possible that he doesn't hear the sound, since aging cochlea tend to lose sensitivity to higher frequencies, which are used in this kind of devices
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
I tied but they don't answer the bell T_T Left a note with my phone number last year and they never called either. I guess someday I'll just have to sit in front of their fence and wait.
striptofaner@reddit
Well if you can confirm that it's a device for bird deterrence and diplomacy fails you could throw bird food in his yard regularly till they think that the device doesn't work and get rid of it
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
Feed the burbs! Or I'll hang the creepiest scarecrow ever known to Mankind in their garden one night...
ozzy_thedog@reddit
It’s a beeping smoke alarm, probably from a vacant unit. They replaced the battery at last years annual inspection, now it’s time again. Just talk to the super
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
It's not though. It's a inhabited house. And a smoke alarm would have ran out of battery after several months of beeping
Ok-Sun-8416@reddit
You'd be surprised lol
eml_raleigh@reddit
See if your fire dept does fire safety education and alarm checks. If you think the landlord would go for it, get their cooperation and get the entire building done. If ir's a smoke alarm, fire safety specialist will point it out.
If they have a VoIP phone, it's possible that they unplug the UPS for it at night and the UPS beeps. My late MIL was unwillingly switched to that around 2015. She unplugged the UPS every night and told her adult kids about enjoying hearing the birds tweeting while she was in bed.
I would sign the neighbor up for hearing aid info.
himitsuuu@reddit
If it's constant and loud enough you hear it nightly file a noise complaint. Preferably call the non emergency number for the cops. Get a sound meter in the meantime and measure how loud the beeps are.
Ch_Machiavelli@reddit (OP)
I called them and they said they wouldn't move for that. They told me to contact the city hall for that, I did and never got an answer :(
HommeMusical@reddit
Tape a note on their door, one each day.