Most of us who’ve lived in apartment buildings have endured that really bad year – or years – when we were the ‘downstairs neighbors’ hearing all the ruckus leaking through the floors from upstairs.
Or maybe you’ve had the misfortune of always being on the bottom floor, forced to listen to what often sounds like a herd of elephants passing overhead at 1 in the morning. Every morning.
So for all of us who’ve been the unlucky downstairs neighbor, here are five thoughts we’ve all had of what the heck is going on upstairs…
1. Is that a stampede?
Sometimes it sounds like bowling balls and sometimes it sounds like a thousand galloping feet overhead running from one end of the apartment to the next.
When your neighbors have kids, this almost seems to make sense. But when they don’t… you can’t help but wonder:
Is that a stampede upstairs??
2. Do they ever sleep?
Even worse than the stampeding is the fact that it – along with other suspicious noises – tend to happen at the worst of times. Usually when you’re trying to get some shuteye.
It’s like it doesn’t matter what time of the night or day you go to bed, you can always hear them shuffling and stomping about upstairs.
3. How much do these people weigh?
If you’ve never seen your neighbors but have heard their heavy footfalls overhead, it can seem like two fat samurais wrestling all day.
There’s just no way an averaged size person can stomp that hard on their way to the bathroom at 3AM… but they do.
4. They are totally doing this on purpose.
After a while, you just can’t help but think they must be doing it all on purpose. It must be some conspiracy to make your life a living hell. Did you steal their parking space once? Or maybe played music too loud, late one Saturday night?
Whatever it is, sometimes it feels like they’re deliberately just trying to make us suffer.
5. Was I that bad when I lived upstairs?
But then… after a while, you also start to wonder, ‘Was I that bad when I was the upstairs neighbor?’ It’s likely your downstairs neighbor will give you a resounding yes.
Maybe all upstairs neighbors just become evil once they move in. It must be something in the flooring, or the secret power derived from living over people’s heads…
—
What have your thoughts been about your noisy neighbors upstairs? Sound off in the comments below!
About the Author
Alexis Chateau is the Founder of College Mate and Managing Director at Alexis Chateau PR. She is an activist, writer, and explorer. Follow her stories of trial and triumph at www.alexischateau.com.
COLLEGE MATE 
The only time I had an apartment on the 2nd floor, I was directly above the laundry room. Not too bad.
In my last apartment, I could hear my upstairs neighbor peeing. At first, it was gross and I would plug my ears so I couldn’t listen, but then I got over it. That was my worst experience, which really isn’t that bad compared to some.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s really weird that you could hear your neighbour using the restroom. Why do they make these apartments with such thin walls?
I would think the laundry room was noisy though with lots of foot traffic. No?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The only noise I heard in regards to the laundry room was the outside door slamming… I guess with arms full of laundry, catching the door was not a priority.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess that’s not so bad. There’s a laundry room upstairs and I can hear the washer and drier when they’re on. They aren’t really disturbing, but I imagine many of them on at the same time might be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was a time that I heard the thumping of the bed frame of the couple living upstairs. This happens sometimes at night with the woman moaning in ectasy. I had a hard time looking straight at them when I do bump into them at the laundry room at times. For delicacy purposes, more or less, you got my drift,right? lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Oh wow! I never understood why pepper had headboards. That is crazy. I wonder if they secretly knew you could hear them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I doubt it very much based on their encounters with me . Besides, when they’re in that moment, they’re oblivious. All I can do as based on good etiquette is to play dumb and just go about my routine ways. In this way, it will save them embarrassment if in case they do become self-conscious towards me. Discretion is key.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LoL. I’m not sure what I would do in that scenario. I never actually saw my neighbours after the deed. I had no idea who they were.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let sleeping dogs lie,Alexis. Might get pretty messy if you get involved. If such a “”noisy “”problem occurs too often, the old saying”Get a room!” applies. Hotel room,you know.LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
HAHAHA! Don’t worry. I don’t plan to go trying to find out. I don’t even live in that country anymore.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I relate to this so much lol. I remember one time a neighbor from below came up and told us we were being too loud. The worst is when the sounds are sexual, it’s really awkward.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve had to tell a few upstairs neighbours to tone it down, too. But the only time I heard sexual sounds was in the apartment next to mine, where I lived years ago. That was hilarious.
One time, at the end the man asked the woman if she came. She told him no. He got mad, got up, and told her to get out. That was a real wtf moment for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
what? lol I would probably be thinking the same thing you did. One of our neighbors would start yelling and I didn’t understand it was so random.
LikeLike
Lol. Yelling what??
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m trying to remember lol they were drunk. So they would talk about a party or who was driving. I was like….you guys are literally a couple feet from each other.. why are you yelling?
LikeLiked by 1 person
LoL wow. I had a friend whose drunk neighbours got locked out of their apartment. He had to help the wife break in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
lol wow now that’s serious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Alexis Chateau.
LikeLike
Do they ever sleep? I have asked that question many times concerning my neighbors. Sometimes the whole neighborhood! LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Buahahahaha. I used to ask myself that all the time when I lived in an apartment building.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nope! I never thought I was that bad because I always tried to be considerate but in my hub’s old apartment I swore that kid upstairs wore iron boots and was on speed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lmao! Maybe your neighbours think the same of you. I think a big part of the problem is the thin floors in America. In Jamaica, you rarely hear your upstairs neighbours because apartments are built out of concrete and steel. 😊
LikeLike
Ugh!!!! American thin ceilings and walls… in one apartment I heard the neighbors getting it on. Really disrupted the term paper I working on at the time LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Buahahaha. I only heard that at one of the places I lived at in Jamaica, because there was a door between the two rooms. I had a good laugh at the couple’s expense. The man apparently wasn’t doing a very good job. 😂
LikeLike
You just almost made me spit my coffee! hahahaha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad to be of service yet again. Next time, keep a hankie close by before checking my responses lol
LikeLike
You know you are so wrong! lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me? Never! 😇
LikeLike
I hate my upstairs neighbor who get up at 6 am every morning even weekends. What is wrong with her is she crazy or mentally ill or on some hyperactive drugs. I am buying ear plugs and poison to get rid of her asap. I have 3 times to quiet down. Thank God I will be leaving soon. I hope she dies or goes to hell before I return to my retirement home next winter. God forgive me
LikeLike
Oh wow! Please don’t poison the lady. That’s a prison sentence! 😂 I imagine that would drive anyone crazy though! I hope you do get to move out soon.
LikeLike
We lived on the top floor in our first apartment. Later we lived in an apartment complex that required all families with children to live on the ground floor. That worked well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is a VERY smart apartment complex. More of them should have rules like that. I wonder how that works out in those high rise apartments in NYC, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my gosh. The comment about “Was I that bad?”… That is always me! And the answer I have come up with is there is no way I was that bad… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Buauahaha, I’m with you on that one. I refuse to believe I was that bad too 😂
LikeLike