Help: my neighbor is killing my music....

Thanks for all the ideas. My truck driver neighbor finally left last night around midnight. It is so nice this morning. It is quiet.

I actually have the ordinance number of the law that states that engines cannot idle in a residential area unless they are performing some kind of work like road repair, etc. The police dispatcher was very sympathetic to my problem. But, after calling the police more than a few times and nothing really happening, calling the police again seems to be a waste of time.

This guy is an independent because you don't see the same truck all the time.

I will follow up and keep you posted if you want. Thanks.

Not that this is in the least bit helpful, but it is my understanding that the large diesel engines in semi-trucks consume an enormous amount of fuel on start up, so much so that a common fuel-saving stategy is to simply keep them idling 24/7. That may be what he is doing.

Drivers like to keep their diesels running because it cuts down on wear and tear. Starting the engine is when all the damage is done.

I would recommend having the guy place his truck on a set of Star Tech's Audiopoints. They're scientifically designed to drain vibration to earth.

You might also want to place a Golden Sound Intelligent Chip on the engine to realign the motor's quantum fields. That should result in a smoother running engine, better gas milage and less noise.

Ask you neighbor to upgrade his truck to the MkII Signature Reference
version. The internet buzz is that it's a major upgrade. Much greater harmonic integrity.

How about placing a Shakti Hallograph on your lawn to add some musically complementary harmonics to his truck's noise. You might have to experiment with positioning.

Contact the Cable Company, there might be a power cord that solves this type of problem.

In all seriousness, the person is your neighbor. TRY TALKING TO HIM. Invite him over to your house and show him what the problem is from your perspective. Ask him for a solution. Maybe he can think of one that will satisfy you. Talk to your other neighbors, do they also have an issue with the noise? If they do, ask for their help. The law is on your side, but legal tatics should probably be avoided. They're expensive, very harmful to long term relationships and they can have devastating unexpected consequences. A cold beer and a couple of slabs of meat on the grill can work miracles.

Good luck!

Matchstikman, why won't you go talk to him?

Reporting him to the authorities is the means in which we increasingly deal with our fellow human beings. It is sure to build ill will in him. And, if he does find out you are the one who reported him, he may well seek to retaliate.

I deal with people face to face, and in mostly all circumstances in "the real world", I have developed good relationships with people. As a society, I have always believed that what people have complained most often through my life was not a loosening of whatever, but the increasing lack of the common man to take a stand.

While the discussion may be one you dread, the result may not develop into a confrontation. He may see your point of view (especially, if his practice is illegal), and simply say, "You're right, I'm sorry. I'll stop leaving the truck idling..." You may end up forging a friendship that you value highly.

Did you sign a complaint against him? Most times the police will just ask him to turn it off and leave. They don't want to be bothered with such a "minor" infraction. So, the next time he does it, walk up to the Police and demand to sign a complain/ticket. They will have no choice but to issue him a ticket which you will have to sign. Of course, you will have to testify in court.

I had a similair experience a while back. I live in a fairly new sub division. A truck pulls up in front of the house at 5am with a pre-fab house on the back of it. So, after the truck sits there idling for about 15 minutes I put on my pants and went out an informed him that this is a residential neighbothood and asked him to turn it off. He flipped me the bird so I called the Police. The Police gave me some lame excuse why they couldn't come out. So, I told them that I would sign the complaint/ticket and demanded that they come out. About 20 minutes later they arrived. After they got him to turn off the truck, they tried to talk me out of signing the complaint but I insisted. A few weeks later I appeared in court. The driver was from Ohio and did not show but he wrote some lame ass letter. The Builder, and an Attorney, showed up to represent the absent truck driver. The Judge gave him a ticket for making a delivery before 6am ($500) and leaving a vehicle idling ($3000 in NJ!) plus court cost. The Builder paid the fine and I didn't have any more problems after that.

On a side note, trying to get the Police to enforce the handicap parking is worse than pulling teeth. I have signed many compaints on people illegally parking in the Handicap spots. Some of the excused: "I was only running into the store to buy cigerettes, milk, etc", "I did not see the blue lines and Handicap sign", "Nobody was using it at the time", "I would have moved if a Handicapped person wanted to use the space", and my favorite "I drive an Audi, I don't think the law applies to me".

Good luck with an unpleasant situation,