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What do you do when you’ve politely asked someone to be quiet and they don’t shut up? Eg. at the movies, on a train, neighbours


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  • It does depend a bit on the situation. At something like the movies, I might ask an usher to intervene. ON the train I might feel I have to suffer it – it is a public place, and unless it’s a quiet carriage, there’s a limit to what you can do. Neighbours… well, that’s particularly tricky. I’d probably keep asking for a while before escalating it to the police or local council.


  • First suggestion that sprang to mind was to get up and walk away. But difficult in the situations you’ve mentioned. But not impossible. Worth a shot anyway


  • I think you need to read the situation. If the person/s look approachable then I would give them a polite explanation of why you feel they’re too noisy. If not, I would leave it – as said previously, some people are inflammable and you wouldn’t want to put yourself at risk.


  • i would not approach them because people can go ballistic.


  • Report it to the appropriate authority. At the football, we have a number we can txt to report bad behaviour….the people won’t even know who has reported them. With neighbours, you could ring the police or the council depending on the time of the day. On the bus, you could walk up to the driver and report it. Hope that helps.


  • At one stage I had neighbours in a rental propertya few houses away who had drunken parties, climbed onto the back verandah and carport and threw rubbish into the neighbour next door yard and house roof, argued out in the street. The neighbours called the Police and they made some of them leave. Apparently some of them left and came back a few minutes after the Police left after midnight. Some went for a walk down the street, grabbed some pot plants from a front verandah and tossed them onto the reserve across the road. Fortunately they didn’t decide to try to throw them at a house window or door. One party was on a Friday night, not Sat. Some of them were standing at their cars in front of a neighbours place at 3 in the morning talking very loudly. The neighbour couldn’t work out whether they were just talking very loudly, arguing or about to have a fight. He wasn’t ging to put himself at risk so he called the Police. After that incident a lot of the neighbours who hadn’t lodged complaints previously contacted the Land Agent. After several weeks and my elderly Mother being petrified I eventually contacted the Agent too. The Agent must have got plent of complaints from adjoing streets too as the Agent started hanging up on people. The house is near a corner and because of the layout of the streets the house actually has 4 neighbours sharing fences with. Unfortunately they were keeping the place clean & tidy; also always paid their rent on time so the agent wasn’t able to evict them. Their lease wasn’t renewed. The next group of tenants were younger but quiet even when they had visitors. Apparently the landlord got legal advice and got the Agent to put a special clause in their lease contract. I spoke to one of the tenants one day because I discovered that one of the tail lights on their car had stopped working. That’s how I found about the special clause and that the Agent had told them why it was put in. They were also only given a short lease.


  • In a situation where there is staff they will deal with it professionally. Otherwise just politely ask for them to be quiet. You will get a good idea once you have sized them up, whether to continue or leave it alone.


  • I would be careful as violence seems to be escalating everywhere and sometimes it is best just move elsewhere .


  • It does depend – leave, ask for help from someone in authority, call the police.


  • It can be very tricky indeed. I heard of people really trying to sell their house because they’ve got this young neighbour, FIFO worker, that when he’s home he just parties, drinks a lot, plays music very loud. Different neighbours called the police already but he just goes on. And he doesn’t look like a very nice guy at all. Threatening people if they go over to complain. Brr… I’m glad he’s not my neighbour!


  • At the movies i would move, at the school assembely i say to the person next to me it would be nice for people to have a little respect and stop talking so others can hear to the person next to me, hoping the people behind me hears whats happening (worked for me). Neighbours can be tricky. ( I think im one of the loud ones always yelling at the kids to be quite), the kids are so noisey… But if they look like they are friendly i would approach them and ask them if there is anyway they can tone it down, especialy late at night. But if you have approched them already try a dfferent member of the house. and its a rented property i would report them to the real estate agent and see if you can get other neighbours on board. But if they are the owner i would be careful, maybe buy a extra tattslotto ticket this week in the hope of winning so you can buy your dream house..Then rent the house out to the noisiest people you know.


  • In the past we had problems with some neighbours, having loud parties till the early hours in the morning. And my daughter was under 1! My husband went different times asking to please put the volume down. They generally did, even if they took their time. ;-)


  • People can be so inconsiderate at times and when you do ask them to be quiet they can often be rude and nasty. I would just be as polite as possible.


  • I try to zone out the noise but with four kids it’s us who is noisy. At movies my kids are really good abd if someone else is being noisy I just Shh them!


  • We are lucky enough to have always had excellent neighbours wherever we have lived. As for out and about in public, that’s a hard one. I generally put up, or move. Some people just won’t listen, no matter what.


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