Weird Neighbors

I had the strangest experience with some neighbors last night!  Basically, my side of the street are homeowners, the other side are renters.  The house across the street was rented by some nice quiet guy for 5 years.  Last year, two couples rented it.  They have been nutso from day one.

Right off the bat, there was a screamng late night fight between a guy and gal involving the guy trying to drive away and the gal standing in front of the car pounding on the hood.  Good start.  They generally sit outside on the side steps smoking, so I guess they are forbidden from smoking in the house.  They also seem to love having screaming yelling arguements.

Did I mention they also love to work on cars with outstandingly loud bass stereos?  At night and early morning?  Yes.  Yes they do.

They went at it again last night.  Screaming hateful arguements.  It penetrates my double glass windows and is louder than my radio plays.  I lost it.

I went out and yelled at them to keep the noise down or I would call the police.  I knew that was an empty threat.  The police have better things to do than worry about domestic noise complaints.  But one of the guys threatened to come over an beat me.  THAT was interesting!!!  But I was more worried about the threat to the woman there, so I went inside and got my cordless phone, flashlight, and camera and came back out to sit quietly on the front steps putting my flashlight on them.  They especially didn't like THAT, but quite frankly, I didn't care!

There ARE times I am willing to sit in quiet evidence.  I expected violence.  I told them they were better than most "reality TV shows and I had 911 on speed-dial".  THAT got some attention.

The guy got mad and said he could destroy a car.  He got in his and peeled into the street, then into the driveway.  I thought he was going to ram the car there, but he changed his mind and peeled off down the street out of the area.

The woman went and knocked on the neighbor's door.  Several times over many minutes.  With no reply.  I know that that neighbor and they seem close in some way.  But with no reply, I went to the street and again asked her if she needed any help.  I was prepared to call the police, but she said NO!

Here is where it gets strange....

I ended up talking to her for an hour.  She is the mother of the guy she had the screaming arguement with.  And the (she says) ex-wife of the neighbor who refused to answer the door she was pounding on.  I regretted getting involved immediately, but she had ahold of my wrist and wasn't letting go.

And she was drunk as hell!  I suspect they all were.  I drink a bit myself (I do like wine with dinner), but good lord, nothing like THAT!  On my worst day, I was better off then them on their best day.  You know what I mean?  As far as I can tell, they are all permanently drunk.  Or high (there were "druggie" accusations flying).  It seems that it takes all 4 (5?) of them to manage to work enough to pay the rent on a 1 bedroom ranch house that I think goes for $500 a month..

But as I said, I talked to her for an hour (wrist freed).  Such a sad story poured out.  Bad marriage, cheating, divorce, hateful (and hated?) children.  She had a cat she loved SO much, but lost it (I can't IMAGINE why it left, ahem). Ex living next door...

I pointed to the house next to mine ) on the "owner" side of the street) and mentioned that the guy there had an affair with HIS neighbor and that when it was  revealed, she killed herself and he has become an absentee owner.  She didn't even blink.

I think I need to move.

I can hardly conceive such a life.   And I didn't USED to live in the wrong part of town, but I've been here 25 years and things have been changing. There was the first gang war here 2 months ago 2 houses away.   A dozen kids with baseball bats going at each other and several police cars.  Adults screaming at the police who were trying to stop the fights.  Several cars (2 abreast sometimes) screaming down our dead end street to try to escape the police.  I sure never saw THAT before!  I guess I didn't notice what was going on.  My current home is no longer my sanctuary.