Bearloga Studios

Like many folk in this great land, I have noisy neighbors.

Whether it’s blasting loud music, coming home in the middle of the night drunk as fuck and making a huge ruckus, or just being complete assholes in general by making a ton of noise at any time during the 24 hour day period: 5am, 2am, 3am, 12am, and basically anything in between.

One day, it seems, people just stopped being considerate of others and the law. But some people were always like that, and hence why the police exists: To protect citizens and the law from being fucked with.

Or so it’s advertised.

So I’m watching the new episode of Diggnation, with my earphones in both ears, when my dad taps me and asks me to call the Costa Mesa Police Department (my parents are not very good when it comes to English) because the new neighbors are blasting music in the apartment right next to us.

So I call. And the operator says they’ll send in an officer and before either of us hangs up, I say, "I’m sorry, they just stopped the music. But can I call you again in case it starts again?" She says, "Yes, just say you’ll sign a complaint report and we’ll get an officer there." I tell her thank you and hang up.

About ten minutes later one of the fuckups gets out of the apartment, sits down, lights a cigarette, and begins to swear and stuff. But like, yelling. My mother tells me she’s not down with sleeping to "fuck" yelled every minute outside of her window. I can’t say I’d dig that either. Now, mind you, we did ask them to be quiet. We always ask people to be quiet.

So I call. I get the same operator (calling locally, not through 911) and I explain the situation to her. She recognizes that I was the caller about the party and then says she’ll send an officer right away. I thank her.

Now here’s the fucking kicker: from my window, a couple of minutes later, I see a police car drive up to the townhouse, where we live, and then turn around and drive away. There is a clear violation of law going on and a more than clear disturbance of peace. And they send an officer to…do nothing but waste gas?

They’ve been making a shit-ton of noise since midnight (and we forgave them from 12 til 2, seeing as it was 4th of July and stuff) but it’s 3:30 right now and no man can sleep under these conditions.

If life were to imitate art, I’d choose to take the themes in Wanted (the graphic novel, somewhat the movie) upon my heart: to not be a pussy, to be in control. Of course, unlike The Fraternity members, there would be consequences for me were I to suddenly grab the knife in the kitchen, that can cut through meat rather well, I must say, and violently stab my neighbors who won’t let my family be at peace. =/

I wouldn’t do it because I have my parents and my future to worry about. That’s it. I have no moral problem with the aforementioned scenario. I’d LOVE to just let my inner demons out of their prisons, caged in the first place by the fear of federal laws concerning murder. I’d LOVE to have a billion dollars too. But thanks to the harsh rules of reality, I won’t be enjoying that anytime soon either.

"Life is no way to treat an animal, not even a mouse." - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

It’s not fair that some people get away with having no restraint on their behavior meanwhile others, good citizens like me, limit their actions, especially in the area of catching and punishing the former. Which truly, truly sucks, because those that are supposed to take care of that cannot be relied on.

There are good cops, without a doubt. I know this one girl and her father is a policeman and a very damn good one, too. Just too bad that I can’t get one like that to help me out. Mind you, this is not the first time I’ve been left out to dry.