Introduction
Life in neighborhoods involves adaptation to specific conditions since for normal social interaction, concessions and compromises are natural aspects of healthy communication. However, in conditions of obvious irritants and neighbors’ incorrect behavior, many questions arise to one another, which creates inconveniences for a normal lifestyle. In my neighborhood in Woodlands Hills, LA, I have to deal with the problem of slamming doors, which leads to anxiety for pets and makes life filled with constant stress. The three most likely causes of this problem are faulty door locks, too poor soundproofing, and a careless and indifferent attitude towards neighbors’ calmness. The most responsible cause is indifference to neighbors’ calmness because the first two reasons can be corrected, while carelessness and selfishness are human qualities that are difficult to influence.
The Relevance of the Problem
The biggest problem in my neighborhood is slamming doors, and this behavior causes anxiety to all pets. Most of my neighbors slam their doors every time they come or leave their apartments. When people do this deliberately, sound and vibration irritate significantly. My dog gets anxious and barks regularly, which upsets the neighborhood continuously. Door slamming is startling and becomes a severe irritant if this a frequent occurrence. In addition to noise, ceilings and walls tremble, which makes everyone nervous. Moreover, this can happen at any time of the day.
My position on this acute problem is unambiguous and tough. Constant noise is unacceptable and disrupts the normal rhythm of life for residents and their pets. We live in a large apartment complex, and this exacerbates the problem. Moving from the complex sometimes seems the best solution to avoid further stress. This has a significant impact on my life and mood. As a result, rest and quiet pastime are impossible in such conditions. Various causes may be the drivers of the slamming door noise problem. To evaluate them, a comparative analysis of these aggravators needs to be conducted.
The Main Causes
One of the reasons for the problem under consideration may be faulty door locks. My neighbor confirmed that her door was slamming for this reason: “I have to fix the door; it seems my lock is broken” (Sheridan). However, after the locksmith replaced her broken lock, the problems in the entire complex were not resolved. This is unlikely that other neighbors slam their doors due to the same issue. Our neighborhood is in a busy place, and, according to Park and Lee, “the ease of penetration of possible intrusion routes” is the main incentive for burglars (101582). In other words, in case of the malfunctioning of many doors, theft would occur frequently. A broken lock is a clear incentive for criminals to enter the house. Therefore, this is illogical to consider this reason as the key one.
The problem of faulty locks seems less likely than poor soundproofing. As Kim and Yoo note, constant noise can occur due to “living in a room with insufficient soundproofing” (1067). Walls and ceilings tremble with the sound of slamming doors. Nevertheless, this issue is relevant to many apartment complexes, and residents adapt to it. Pyatkov et al. argue that “possession of a dog from the point of view of the law – faultless behavior” (235). Dog barking is usually not spontaneous and is triggered by a specific stimulus. Moreover, pets gradually get used to a particular living environment. Therefore, poor soundproofing is not the core of the problem.
Some residents’ annoying behavior seems to be the most compelling reason for the existing issue. Neighbors’ careless and indifferent attitude towards others’ calmness is a selfish position. According to Mutiara, “these unspoken norms of social life sometimes function quietly in the neighborhood” (268). As a result, stress is accumulated due to constant irritation and powerlessness to change the situation. Unlike the problem of broken locks and poor soundproofing, others’ behavior cannot be fixed. In their research, Lee et al. found that “neighbor noise and outdoor noise was found to be equally annoying” (6005). Indifference to others’ comfort is annoying, but this is not a reason for being held accountable. Therefore, this reason seems the most obvious aggravator of the problem.
Our neighbors’ inability to respect one another creates social tension. This is a vicious circle in which, in addition, pets are involved. Pyatkov et al. argue that in animals, “emotions and sufferings can manifest themselves with noise” (236). This behavior is natural for animals but unacceptable for humans. Everyone has the right to a peaceful and quiet rest. Although, as Mutiara remarks, “sound is shaped subjectively,” the issue in our neighborhood is evident (268). This disrespectful attitude is a consequence of the modern selfish way of life. Thus, the noise of slamming doors is not a mechanical but a human problem.
Conclusion
The problem of slamming doors in our neighborhood is an acute issue that concerns not only people but also pets. Based on the analysis, three reasons have been considered: faulty locks, poor soundproofing, and neighbors’ indifference to others’ comfort. The assessment of the problem has shown that the first two problems are removable while changing the attitude of neighbors is problematic. Disrespect for others is a key aggravator of the issue in question. The reaction of pets to noise is natural, but the situation itself is annoying. Stress and anxiety are accumulated, which creates discomfort and prompts to move from the neighborhood.
Works Cited
Kim, Jisun, and Seunghyun Yoo. “Perceived Health Problems of Young Single-Person Households in Housing Poverty Living in Seoul, South Korea: A Qualitative Study.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 3, 2021, p. 1067. doi:10.3390/ijerph18031067
Lee, Pyoung Jik, et al. “Attitudes to Noise Inside Dwellings in Three Megacities: Seoul, London, and São Paulo.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 16, 2020, p. 6005. doi:10.3390/ijerph17166005
Mutiara, Median. “Noise Complaints between Japanese Neighbors and Migrants in Rural Japan: From the Perspectives of Noisemakers.” Social Sciences, vol. 7, no. 12, 2018, p. 268. doi:10.3390/socsci7120268
Park, So Yeon, and Kyung Hoon Lee. “Burglars’ Choice of Intrusion Routes: A Virtual Reality Experimental Study.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 74, 2021, p. 101582. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101582
Pyatkov, Dmitry, et al. “Noisy Behavior of Residents of an Apartment Building as a Matter of Neighborly Law (the Case of Relationship Between Dog Owners and Neighbors).” Religación, vol. 4, no. 22, 2019, pp. 234-249.
Sheridan, Chloe. Personal Interview. 2021.