If you hear your neighbors shouting next door, would you call the cops?
One woman has stirred debate on the internet over whether neighbors should make calls to the police if they hear violent and aggressive noises next door.
The woman took to Mumsnet to voice her upset that a “busy body” neighbor had “called the police” on her and her husband after she’d heard them arguing loudly.
The post, which had been shared to the social media platform on March 20 by @LonelyMum27, can be seen here.
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“[We had a] 10 minute argument and I went off upstairs to bed. We’re both absolutely knackered, [my son] isn’t sleeping so this has been taking a toll on us and this is what caused the argument,” the woman wrote online.
She then explained that her neighbor had called the police on a “few people on the estate” before over minor things or “nothing I’d get worked up about.”
Police arrived at the Mumsnet user’s house shortly after they were alerted to the arguing: “Police have just came banging down our doors and windows, with blue lights shouting police! They gave us the shock of our lives and left within minutes as they saw we was fine.”
The woman shared that she’s now feeling absolutely humiliated in the wake of the incident. She revealed that she does understand that her neighbor made the call based off what she could hear, but that she would not have done the same if she were in the neighbor’s shoes.
“We feel absolutely humiliated now,” the woman concluded.
While many Mumsnet users took a stand with the disgruntled mother, plenty also validated the neighbor’s reasoning for calling the police.
Amid soaring instances of male violence against women, some Mumsnet users have been able to justify why the “busy body” would have been so concerned.
“If you were a woman who happened to be having seven bells knocked out of her you’d have been glad she called,” one user commented.
Commenting on whether the woman should confront her neighbor, another user said: “I would leave it. I’ve been the police ringer quite a few times, and being honest it takes a lot for me to call them. There was some sort of issue going on next door, my neighbor was screaming and shouting, then her son just started hysterically wailing and screaming.”
How Can You Reconcile With an Angry Neighbor?
Certified etiquette professional, Lisa Mirza Grotts, told Newsweek that she feels the cordial aura between the women could be restored if the right communication tools are applied.
“We all have coping mechanisms when it comes to betrayal, but the question is a first-world problem. Who of us hasn’t hurt or been hurt? When this happens, acknowledge, hopefully build back trust, and then move on. It’s called life, something we humans do on a regular basis,” Grotts said.
“It’s easy to get caught up in someone else’s ‘head space’ so it’s OK to recognize your emotions and to be angry. In my opinion, it’s also OK to give yourself space by drifting away until there is resolution,” she added.
Do you have a dispute with your neighbor? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
