Why do people just so much enjoy disturbing others with their personal rubbish? I know that it’s a free country indeed and there’s not much law and order to keep neighbors in check over petty things. But then, there are some things that as an individual you should know is bad because if it was done to you, you won’t like it at all.

However, many of us are experts at dishing out foods that we would never eat, and if we’re forced to try and eat it, we could end up fighting the person. As long as we’re on the receiving end, then it’s bad and terrible and really needs to stop. But the moment we’re the one doing it to others, we realize that it’s not all that bad and we really want everyone else to endure. This is the case with noise pollution in my area.

Now, living in a student area, there will always be noise pollution and whether you like it or not, it can be really distracting especially if you’re like me and you need peace and quiet to be able to work. Or when you want to study. If someone is not playing his music extremely loud, then some other fella would turn on his generator right beside your window, or the people right above you would seem to always be pounding something in their mortar, giving you serious headache.

So, trying to live through all this is never easy. But after you’ve spent considerable time there, you get used to it and it even becomes a part of life. Because when all those noises go, you’ll realize just how empty the area is. Like I discovered during this just concluded holidays.

But then, I just want to put this out there, there are some noises that are acceptable and we really have to endure because we know how things are in the country. One acceptable noise is generator. Even though it makes everyone else uncomfortable, they stay quiet and let you enjoy your light because we know how epileptic the power situation is in the country. Some will even come to you to help you charge their devices. It’s one kind of noise that is acceptable simply because we know that if there were options, the generator would go off.

The more annoying ones are the totally irrelevant noises, like people who play music from really loud speakers. I think I’ve mentioned it before that I’m a noisemaker, I love loud music and I also enjoy watching movies at high volume because I really love the bass and vibrations as bullets flies and things blow up. But then, there are levels to this thing.

When I’m listening to music or watching my movies, I do it in the comfort of my home and lock the doors. The walls are thick enough and are kind of soundproof, so I can play the music as loud as I want and only muffled sounds will escape through. That’s how I’ve always liked it. And even at that, I usually don’t exceed 60%-70% volume, although this depends on what exactly I’m watching or listening to.

But then, like I said, there are levels to this thing, there is a neighbor of mine that for some reason is allergic to playing music in his own room. So, what does he do? He places his speaker right at his front door and faces it toward the entire house, then he begins to play music. Can you imagine? It’s as if he’s playing music for the entire lodge, did anyone ask him? It’s just silly, if you ask me.

As in, no one is telling you not to play your music loudly, all we’re asking for is that you do it in your own room and not disturb the entire abode with your music. And the funny thing, the minute he turned on the music, he would return into his room and drop off into sleep. Crazy dude, right?

Anyway, when it became too much, we had to take it up to the management of the lodge and they banned him from taking out his speakers. Loud music should only be played inside the room. You can’t be using your joy to disturb other people na. Did this guy learn? Sadly, he didn’t. He didn’t bring out the speakers again, but he opened his rooms wide when playing the music and it was almost the same thing. It was as if he wouldn’t feel fulfilled if he was the only one listening to the song, so he had the biting need to play it for everyone.

That held again for about a month before we complained again and thanks to that, more regulations were enforced on sound systems. If you want to play your music loud, close your doors! If your door must be open while you’re playing music, then the music must be at a low volume. And fines were laid on the laws so that anyone who broke it would pay it.

This guy was stubborn and tried playing his loud music through the closed doors, but it wasn’t that bad anymore. He was only punishing himself and in the end, he gave up. Thankfully, when the new year rolled around, he didn’t retain his lodge and moved out. It was a welcome development as he was now going to be other people’s problem.

Things like this are not just with noise, people keep wanting things that they are not willing to give. They keep their houses pristine, but are okay living in a dirty compound and won’t raise a finger to clean it. They will pack their wastebins neatly in their houses, but dump them anyhow they saw fit on the road. People simply do what they want and how they want to do it. It’s annoying, and seeing as cases like this don’t take precedence in society, most of the time it’s up to those affected to take action.

Now that this guy is gone from the lodge, I’m not saying that the place is now quiet but I am saying that it’s no longer as noisy as it used to be. And that, my dear friends, is a win for us.