During my apartment habitation period a few years ago, I’d recently acquired a new neighbor. He’d just moved in a month in the unit below me on the first floor. I’d seen him around every morning out doing he morning jogs around the apartment complex (it’s a big complex). Being antisocial that I was at the time, I didn’t give him any thought other than thinking that he was one pasty looking dude. It’s Texas. You should at least be a little tan even if it’s just from walking to and from your vehicle every day.
One particular weekday morning I had an encounter with said neighbor that was not altogether pleasant. As I was getting into my car, I hear someone whistling immediately followed with “Hey!” I turn around and there stood the greatness that IS Pasty. I wasn’t expecting anything. Maybe he was planning to say hi one of his neighbors. Maybe he had eyes on one of those prized parking spots Texans so love (the ones closest to the entrance of whatever destination they reach). What ever it was going to be I was not pleased with someone who just whistled and called out “Hey!” to catch my attention. Dogs get that kind of treatment. I’m not a dog. Hell, even I don’t treat my dog like that. It need not be said further that I was mildly annoyed when I turned around to hear what Pasty was about to say. Had I known I was going to be even more annoyed by the conversation to follow, I would have pretended to not hear him and peel out of the parking lot with utmost haste. His elegant and might I add classy repartee follows [paraphrase]:
Pasty: “You live above me, don’t you?”
Me: “Yes.”
Pasty: “Could you not make so much noise when you’re walking around inside you apartment?”
It was his last sentence where I went from being mildly annoyed to completely pissed. I may be antisocial, but I’d experienced enough of life at that point to know when someone is being rude. This nitwit was rude. I completely understood his problem. Reference my last post.
What stuck in my craw was how this individual went about resolving this particular problem he had. The first mistake he made was his first impression. When you need cooperation from someone, you do not go about introducing yourself by calling someone like an animal. I know of no one who would think this to be a good introduction. If you know of someone who does, please tell me. I’d like to meet this person. Second mistake? He didn’t ease his way in with bad news. Make small talk and then with as much subtlety as one can muster, bring up the matter of annoyance. This does more to help your cause than anything else. Of course, in this instance I don’t know how much small talk he could’ve gotten out of me since I was on my way to work. Lastly, he could’ve made the request with a cheerful smile. There was nothing redeeming about that unwelcoming pasty countenance I had to look upon. It was met with equal measure on my part. It took him aback little when I replied with an icy “OK”. I got in my car and drove off.
I altered my habits slightly when it came to ambulating inside my apartment the rest of the time I spent there. I don’t think my walk was that rambunctious to begin with and honestly, it probably didn’t make that much of a difference. Turning the volume down to 90% of what it was previously isn’t going to be that noticeable. It’s not as if I wasn’t facing the same situation. I could have been vindictive and just stomped back and forth across my apartment that evening and every evening thereon. Being the beatific and beneficent person that I was and still am, I didn’t. A higher power graced Pasty with mercy, and I moved out 6 months later.