When Loud Neighbors Meet Their Match: The Art of Petty Revenge Through Speakers
Living in an apartment complex is like a social experiment where everyone gets their own little box—until someone decides to turn up the volume. If you’ve ever been jolted awake by a neighbor’s midnight move-in, or found yourself tiptoeing around to avoid being “that” neighbor, you’ll relate to this: what happens when the quietest tenant is pushed too far? Recently, a Redditor from r/PettyRevenge shared how they turned their irritation into a symphony of petty vengeance, and the internet’s reaction struck a chord.
It’s the classic tale of a quiet community, one lone loudspeaker, and the sweet sound of poetic justice. Grab your headphones—this is a story you’ll want to hear.
Let’s set the scene: our hero, u/Mnbvcxz-Lkjhgfdsa, is the kind of neighbor everyone dreams of—reserved, respectful, and rarely seen. The apartment complex is so peaceful that even a polite nod seems almost too much interaction. All was tranquil until, in the dead of night, a new neighbor arrived with more noise than a marching band at a library.
At 2 AM, walls rattled, metal doors banged, and apologies from the new neighbor’s wife rang hollow. The next morning, the evidence trailed from the stairs to the culprit’s door: broken clothes clips, like a scene from a low-budget Hansel and Gretel remake. It wasn’t just the noise; it was the attitude—apologies that felt more like accusations, trash left in the wrong bins, and relentless hammering on shared walls. Our OP tried to be the bigger person, but as the community echoed their frustration (and the walls echoed with hammer strikes), a new approach was born: if you can’t beat them, out-blast them.
So, the loudspeaker was summoned. Music filled the air—not just any music, but music with intent. As OP cranked the volume to 90%, they finally stopped asking, “Am I being too considerate?” and started asking, “Can you hear me now?”
The Reddit community, ever the peanut gallery, erupted in support, advice, and tales of their own battles with inconsiderate neighbors. The top comment, from u/ComeWithMe-492, recounted a similar war: “Neighbors started blasting kids’ tunes at dawn, so I gave them a taste of Rammstein and Tool. Haven’t heard a peep since.” The lesson? Sometimes, the only language a noisy neighbor understands is volume.
Music choice is key in these sonic skirmishes. From Rammstein to Tool to “21st Century Schizoid Man,” Redditors have curated playlists specifically designed to send a message. As u/Premodonna suggested, the nuclear option is “Baby Shark” on repeat at full blast—a tactic so diabolical, one commenter joked it should be reserved for military use. Others pointed to even more insidious earworms, like “Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows” (ten hours straight on YouTube for maximum devastation).
But not everyone was on board with fighting fire with fire. Some, like u/Such-Celebration-879, worried about collateral damage: “I feel for your neighbor on the other side who has done no wrong, was disturbed by the new neighbors too and now had to put up with your retaliation noise.” It’s a fair point—petty revenge can be a blunt instrument, sometimes hitting unintended targets. Others, like u/gogogadgetdumbass, shared tales of escalation, creative retaliation, and the occasional happy ending (like when a poorly mounted TV finally met its match thanks to a well-timed Ozzy Osbourne solo).
There’s also the “call the authorities” camp, for whom noise ordinances are gospel. “Are there noise ordinances in your town?” asked u/Nenoshka. “Where I live, loud noise is prohibited between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.” But as many pointed out, sometimes a visit from the landlord or the police only goes so far—especially when the offenders are immune to shame (or, as in one case, government-protected tenants).
Of course, there’s always a risk when you take noise wars to DEFCON 1. As u/SignificanceCivil950 warned, “My cousin was murdered over a noise dispute.” While that’s a chilling reminder to keep things in perspective (and maybe to avoid bagpipes, as u/cowboygwe suggested—no one wins in a bagpipe battle), most stories ended with the noisy neighbor finally turning down the volume, or at least learning to pick their battles more carefully.
So, what’s the real takeaway from this wall-shaking saga? Sometimes, civility fails. Sometimes, you have to fight noise with noise, if only to remind the inconsiderate that respect is a two-way street. But choose your weapons (and your playlists) wisely, communicate when you can, and remember the golden rule of apartment living: Don’t start none, won’t be none.
Have you ever gone toe-to-toe (or speaker-to-speaker) with a noisy neighbor? Would you go for Rammstein, Baby Shark, or something even more diabolical? Drop your story or favorite revenge tracks in the comments—let’s keep the good vibes (and the petty ideas) rolling!
Original Reddit Post: Inconsiderate neighbors met my loudspeaker