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


I have a truck driver neighbor that has a tendency to leave his diesel truck idling for hours and hours and hours. One time it idled for nearly 20 hours, no kidding. He parks his rig across the street from where I live and sometimes the low frequencies are in-escapable in my home. Forget about listening to music. On ocassion, depending on where exactly he parks, my bedroom sounds like a running refrigerator.

An idling engine is illegal in a residential area in the state of California. I know, I checked. I have called the police several times and they have shown up several times. The idling stops and then starts up again. Whatever fine he is getting from the police does not seem to bother my neighbor very much. Either he pays it or ignores it. Whatever he gets fined must be worth leaving his engine idle for hours.

I am posting this note now as my neighbor's truck won't let me get to sleep. I am at my wit's end. Calling the police doesn't do any good as the idling is still goes on. I don't want to comfront this guy face to face and start some kind of hassle. I just want him to park his rig in a truck stop where it is supposed to be parked.

I need my sleep.

I want to be able to hear my music, again.

Any ideas?
matchstikman
And get some of your neighbors to join you. You can't be the only one that's being disturbed.
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.