By Hollie Sessoms
Noisy but Nice Neighbors
vs.
Not so Nice Neighbors
Imma not saying we were perfect. Okay. We may have consumed a
few cocktails. There may have been a little raucous laughter and one
person talking at an increased volume to drown out other voices talking
at normal volumes. But, trust me, it was not crazy. It was three adults
and three kids hanging out on a back porch, playing darts and enjoying
each other’s company. We weren’t even playing music.
And then the police showed up.
Don’t get me wrong, I generally like it when a good-looking man
wanders up to my back porch. And if my neighbors are going to call the
cops on me, I’d appreciate it if they would request Officer Jones make
the house call. TIPD seriously needs to keep this guy under wraps or
there will be a whole slew of women committing crimes on the island
hoping to get arrested by him. But…I digress.
Officer Jones was the epitome of courtesy and nicely asked us to keep
it down. We apologized at once, gave him the latest Beachcomber
where the police department was profiled, and sent those loud children
to bed. But I was more than a bit peeved.
I clearly remembered my freshman year of college when they got all
of us little 18-year-old dorm-mates together and told us that if our
neighbors were too loud, we were not to go straight to the RA and
complain, but knock on their door and let the offending neighbor know
that they were offending. Nine times out of ten, we were told, they will
apologize and the noise will stop. If not, then you involve the RA.
How do property-owning, responsible, grown-ass adults not know this?
I’m not saying the cops should never be called. Of course they should
be called for violations. That’s the whole purpose of the cops. But before
you involve them, you need to grow some cajones, and try to solve your
own damn problems.
Do you know how hard it is to be a police officer? Of course not! Me
neither! I am way too much of a coward to even consider it. And you
probably are too. But, I can use my imagination and my imagination
tells me that they have it rough. They are not babysitters for adults.
They are not your crutch to use because you don’t like confrontation
(most of us don’t). They have actual peace to maintain.
You know what would have happened if my neighbor would have peeked
over their fence and asked us to keep it down? Apologies galore! An
immediate end to the noise! And Officer Jones could spend his time
doing something productive for the island.
Imma not saying that you should never send men in uniform to my front
door. Imma not saying that. But if you do, it better be a stripper….
26 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JULY 2020
SPA at Beachview is
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Call for appointment: 912-786-5500
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1701 Butler Avenue
One Block Past Arby’s
www.beachviewtybee.com/java-and-juice
912-786-5500
Open Daily at 7:30am
Open to the Public
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