\n<\/p>\n
However, not all noise disputes stem from inconsiderate neighbours. Sometimes, they can begin with a simple misunderstanding.<\/p>\n
Last year, Rachel (not her real name), in her 40s, was drawn into a dispute with the family living below her flat in the western part of Singapore, who complained about sounds that kept their young child awake at night.<\/p>\n
Like Lyn and Alice, she declined to give her real name due to the sensitive nature of the dispute and fear of retaliation.<\/p>\n
When confronted by their downstairs neighbours in February 2024, Rachel and her family immediately denied it. They were accused of making “knocking sounds”, but as far as Rachel and her family were aware, there was no knocking going on under their roof, day or night.<\/p>\n
“The noise they described didn’t match anything we were doing,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, their neighbours continued to make visits to their door, pleading and demanding for them to stop making the knocking sounds. Rachel and her family continued to deny the accusations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Exchanges grew increasingly heated. When one of the visits almost turned into a physical altercation, Rachel felt it was in everyone\u2019s best interests to de-escalate before things got worse.<\/p>\n
Attempts to resolve the issue through the CMC were hampered at first \u2013 Rachel’s elderly parents struggled with English and could not understand officers’ calls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They managed to arrange for mediation in mid-July, where a sound test \u2013 proposed by Rachel \u2013 revealed her rolling chair to be the source of the “knocking”.<\/p>\n
Standing in her neighbour’s unit below hers, she remembered saying: “Oh wow, the sound is actually quite obvious.”<\/p>\n
“If I put myself in their position, I can understand why they got agitated,” she told CNA TODAY on Oct 26. “But he was poor at describing the sound (to begin with), which made it hard to help.”<\/p>\n
Privately, Rachel felt the complaints were somewhat exaggerated. “We live near Tengah Air Base, with jets and roosters every morning,” she said. Nevertheless, she was determined to reach a reasonable compromise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She promptly purchased a carpet and a second chair to avoid rolling between desks. Soon after, the neighbours reported that the noise had significantly decreased.<\/p>\n
Today, both families maintain cordial relations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Sometimes it just takes a bit more empathy,” Rachel added. “If it turns out you’re really making noise, own it.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n