The talk

After getting some advice about how to deal with the neighbors and noise problem, I decided to attempt a face-to-face conversation rather than printing a letter and putting it on their door. I dreaded it for the better part of the day and practiced what I was going to say as I drove home. I wanted to pick my words carefully and feel less nervous by having a script of sorts.

I knocked on their door and...of course no one was home. It wasn't much longer after that when I heard them return, and I deliberated over whether to make another attempt. I decided I needed to do it, much as I didn't want to.

Best as I can tell, there are two young women who live there. I'd guess that they are either in college or recently out of it, although it seems like they're around all the time, which goes against all assumptions. At first I didn't think anyone was going to answer the door, but finally one of them cracked the door about as wide as her face. (This could have been to keep either of their dogs from getting out or a reflection of her uncertainty about this stranger outside.)

I introduced myself, apologized for bothering her, and rushed through my piece. She didn't say more than a couple words and didn't introduce herself. "OK" may have been the extent of it.

Early results seem to indicate that while it may not be possible to keep the throbbing bass from my ears completely, at least it seems like they are keeping it to what I'll call a tolerable level. I can hear it, but it's not dominant in my apartment like it has been for the past couple months. I can watch TV without feeling like it's breaking my concentration. In other words, it's at least semi-ignorable. I don't imagine I can get it lower than that. While I don't want to hear it at all, I realize that is an unreasonable stance.

I know I bring my stress from the noise issues at my previous apartment, not to mention the other stress weighing me down. I jumped in my place this evening when I heard another door shut. I'm on pins and needles. I don't need additional aggravation in the form of a combination jackhammer-jet engine in the neighboring apartment. Please be gone.

So the commenter and Twitter followers persuaded me to change my approach, and it would appear that they recommended the right strategy. Now we'll see how long this lasts or if my car doesn't end up keyed.