We’ve all had our fair share of difficult neighbors with whom we just can't see eye to eye. Lord knows how many gripes I’ve had to overcome because of my neighbors who can’t seem to understand that gates are meant to be closed for... quite a few reasons. But well, all things considered, this complaint is pretty mild.
Especially when you read a particularly jarring story online, that quickly teaches you that there are far worse neighbors out there, whose actions will quite literally shock the life out of you. And that’s the story we bring you today, where our narrator had to deal with an ungrateful and downright violent neighbor who tried to threaten him, even after he saved his life — no, literally, he did. So here’s what happened.
Read more: Reddit
There is always that one neighbor who will insist on making your life harder than it needs to be
Image credits: marymarkevich / Freepik (not the actual photo)
In this case, a difficult neighbor had his fire alarm going off, and the man went to investigate what was happening
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Upon getting no response, the man decided to call maintenance, who arrived and had to pry open the smoke-filled apartment
Image credits: Alrightstock / Freepik (not the actual photo)
They saw the neighbor lying on the floor, allegedly passed out, but he quickly regained consciousness and became violent
Image credits: Hapxax
The young man started threatening the 2 guys who just saved his life and even chased them with a kitchen knife
It’s far more difficult to deal with a pesky neighbor than one might think, and today’s original poster (OP) has quite the story involving a 23-year-old who was a real handful. Some neighbors love to crank up the music no matter the time, and the OP’s neighbor was exactly that kind of person. The kid was allegedly always throwing parties, blasting loud music, and annoying everyone else without a care in the world.
While this isn’t the main point of the story, it’s already a red flag. One day, however, the OP is forced to intervene when the neighbor’s fire alarm keeps going off for quite some time. At first, he doesn’t notice any obvious smoke, but as it becomes increasingly clear that something is wrong, he decides to investigate, only for no one to open the door when he knocks. Surprise, surprise.
He was then forced to call the building’s maintenance man to report the situation, and before long, the man arrived at the complex. However, instead of trying to handle it on his own, he asked the OP for help in case the kid was faking unconsciousness. This already felt like an ominous sign, because once they entered the smoke-filled apartment, they found a seemingly unconscious 23-year-old lying on the floor.
The OP later described the events as follows: they went inside, found a burnt pot, and saw the kid passed out. As they discussed calling the police since he wasn’t waking up, he suddenly came to and started acting aggressively. Sure enough, the maintenance man had been right; the 23-year-old even went as far as threatening the neighbor who had called for help. A truly wild story.
Image credits: Alrightstock / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Now, what the OP did in this situation was, according to experts, the absolute best course of action. He assessed what was happening, recognized when it became a potential threat, and acted accordingly. Instead of trying to take matters into his own hands, he contacted the appropriate authorities (first maintenance, and later law enforcement). In the end, it’s always best not to put yourself in harm’s way.
If you find yourself in a similar situation — sharing an apartment complex with a hostile neighbor — things can get tricky. Per security pros, it may be wise to keep your private space monitored, as video evidence can come in handy. If you feel safe doing so, attempting to talk things out is always the more diplomatic route; however, if that fails, take it to the HOA, condo association, or even local authorities.
Quite a few people suggested that the OP should have filed for a restraining order due to the nature of the threat. However, this may have been a single incident resulting from the smoke in the house. Health experts say that smoke inhalation can cause aggression and other behavioral changes, and, to give the neighbor some grace, his judgment may have been clouded by intoxication.
In the end, things thankfully worked out, as the 23-year-old was eventually evicted from the apartment complex and never bothered the OP again. Still, one thing’s for sure: if I knew someone like that might hold a grudge against me or my family, I wouldn’t be nearly as relaxed as the OP. What about you? Would you have handled things differently, or would you have stepped in to help as well?
Netizens were absolutely baffled by the 23-year-old’s actions, some even suggesting a restraining order be put in place
