Ten Ways YOU can Be a Fabulous Neighbor
(When you live in a condo or apartment
building) by Andrea Reynolds, Kindness Crusaders. Copyright
2006-2008 by Andrea Reynolds
What we do in our homes often impacts others in their
homes....sometimes a lot more than we realize. We make
unnecessary noise that disturbs others and we create odors
and fumes that can make others sick. If we think more about
our actions we can be more considerate of our neighbors
above and below us who may be ill, trying to sleep, or
needing quiet to work from home to earn a living.
1. If you have bare floors, remove your hard-soled shoes.
Wear socks, go barefoot, or put down some area rugs. The
people below you will be grateful.
2. If you have bare floors, please don't drag your
furniture across the room. It's not good for your floors,
but it's irritating to those below. Pick it up and carry it
or cushion it with a rug and pull/push it that way. Don't
forget: your balcony is a bare floor, too.
3. If you have construction or carpentry work to do in your
apartment - hammering, drilling, etc. - talk to your
neighbors in advance. Let them know how many days they can
expect the disruption and duration each day.
4. Insert sink liners in your kitchen sinks. Banging pots
in the sink when you scour them can be very loud to the
people above and below you and can wake them up.
5. If you smoke cigarettes, cigars or pipes on your
balcony, ask your neighbors if the smoke bothers them.
There are non-smokers in the building who cannot use their
balconies or open their windows or door because of the
second-hand smoke which is sucked into their units. The
smell is not only repugnant, but for some it's painful.
Those who are allergic have to live with eyes that tear and
throats that constrict with pain.
6. If your smoking does bother someone, see if you can't
reach a compromise by agreeing to smoke only during
specific hours of the day or night. That way, you get to
smoke and they know when they can open windows and have
fresh air.
7. If you do smoke, use a deep, sand-filled coffee can in
which to place your "butts". With shallow ashtrays the wind
can deposit your (lighted) butts onto your neighbour's
carpeted balcony, possibly starting a fire and causing
damage.
8. When you sweep your balcony, use a dust pan. Sweeping
debris over the side means your dirt falls on your
neighbors' clean balconies. You could use a vacuum cleaner.
9. If you plan to use aerosol spray paint, inform your
neighbors in advance so they can close their windows and
doors. The fumes (VOCs) can be deadly to someone with
respiratory problems like asthma or emphysema, or to
infants and newborns.
10. Voices carry. Use your "indoor" voice on your balcony.
Nobody wants to hear your private conversations. Take your
phone indoors when talking in a loud voice.
Mend fences.
If you know you have
disrupted the lives of your neighbors or upset them, take
them a "grovel" bouquet or make them a pie or casserole.
Find more ways you can be a compassionate, caring,
considerate neighbor. Your neighbors will appreciate you
and they will be open to being more considerate of your
needs, too.
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