Had been away from blogland for a while (left when you had put melted chocolate in the refrigerator)... I was wondering your samll one had popped up....

Aaaaaand here i have the answer ! Good gracious ! with that selfish biker !!! Maybe it's the same i had to deal with during 6 months being convoked to police several times, made a laugh of and even going to mediation... (I refused !)

Actually in my alley there where two bikers coming to see their girlfriends for the night at the end of the alley.

2nd day it got on my nerves since i was home on health depression leave, I just dashed down from the 3rd floor and stood in front of the cask leather biker who was going out. I put my hand out, in front. This obliged him to cut the engine, take his cask and black 2 wholes sock on his head. He was more surprised than me yet.

I said, "Wellcome, I'm Mrs So and So. I live on the 3rd floor and the noice of your beautiful bike (I do like 'em) rises up in the air with amplyfyed effect because of the walls. Please... put your motor on in the street ! thanks a lot !" And we shook hands. (Somewhat what your husband does...)

No problem. So he did. And so did even his friend with his own bike when he started spending the night there too. But one day Biker 2 was alone and he must have thought he could do as he wished.

Horrible !!!! He took all his time to put on all his bike body accesories while the engine was on. I called him. He couln't hear. So I took an orange from my fruit basket, was half rotten and threw it to arrive beside him. It actually touched the bike.... I'm a bad pitcher !!!

The guy took his knight helmet and started looking for the enemy. Too many windows ; he didn't see me right away. I yelled, 'It's me !!! I'm up here !!!

Finally he cut the engine and I thanked him saying now we could speak. He lifted his index to touch his head... I explained the same thing : noise disturbing as being amplifyed and so and so... He left with no comment.

Next day he rang at my door with biker 1 and a new biker 3 all in black leather and metal nails and chains accusing me of having broken his bike (!!!!!!!) and saying he was going to see the police. I said go on so will I !

That was the biginning of my troubles during 6 months with police, petition, lawyer,etc. Who was guilty ? Me ! Because of the orange ! An,d because they were friends of the policemen in the neighbourhood.

SO, my counsel is : don't get irritated without doing something.
When you do this something, do it very naturally, face to face like a naive person a bit simple minded but smiling (like I did with biker 1).
Never use an orange from far range (or if you do hide on time !)

But get things settled because noise drives mad

Good luck and let us know when baby arrives !!!!

Yoli

Yoli.....so nice to hear from you....and thank you for your wise counsel. We have been thinking about what to do about this problem. It really is not as bad as I think it is. At least not as bad as what you have experienced! Plus, I think that our neighbor is planning on selling this motorbike....at least that is what he mentioned to my husband a few weeks ago....but obviously no one is willing to pay the price that he wants as it is still in his possession! I think that since there are only 6 units in this apt. building it might be safer not to have a face to face with this guy. It is probably better to remain nice neigbors for a while and then if the problem escalates we see if there are any others who are bothered by the sound in the building.....

Its also hard to know what the "Australian" way of dealing with problems is.....having lived in nyc for many years I know that things like this would be handled differently there. More agressively really....

Thank you for your well wishes. I am excited about this baby.....a couple more months to go!

big hugs, M

Well, good luck for this itchy problem to deal
and
lots of joy with your belly.

yoli