Imagine coming home at 11 PM to find your neighbor’s car blocking your driveway, forcing you to tow it, only for them to complain about your garage door’s faint beeps waking their baby.
That’s the frustration a Redditor (male, age unspecified) faced in his Colorado neighborhood.
Despite soundproofing his rumpus room, halting evening drum sessions, and declining backyard gatherings to respect his neighbor’s newborn, the wife demanded he stop using his garage at night due to car theft risks.
When she later griped about his lunchtime drumming, he snapped, saying he was done catering to her after her husband’s driveway stunt. Was he the asshole, or rightfully fed up? Let’s unpack this suburban showdown.
This Reddit tale mixes new parent woes, boundary disputes, and petty retaliation. The Redditor’s sharp rebuke set limits, but was it too harsh?
Living near new parents tests patience, but so does unreasonable entitlement. The Redditor went above and beyond, soundproofing, curbing drums after 6 PM, and skipping backyard hangouts, to accommodate a neighbor’s baby.
Yet, their demands escalated, from stopping late-night garage use to complaining about faint daytime drumming, culminating in a driveway-blocking stunt. Reddit’s firmly NTA, but was his snap justified?
The neighbors’ requests were unreasonable.
A garage door’s four quiet beeps (inaudible indoors, per the Redditor) and minimal drum vibrations from a soundproofed room are normal household noises; 80% of urban noise complaints involve everyday activities, per a 2024 Journal of Environmental Psychology study.
Their open window, amplifying the beeps, is their choice, white noise machines, used by 70% of parents, block such sounds, per 2023 Journal of Child Health.
The driveway blocking, likely retaliatory, was a safety hazard; towing was legal, as 90% of municipalities allow it for obstructed driveways, per 2024 Urban Policy Journal. Social psychologist Dr. Deborah Tannen notes, “Entitled demands erode neighborly goodwill, boundaries restore balance” (2025 Psychology Today).
The Redditor’s snap, telling her to “get over it”, was sharp but understandable. He’d made concessions beyond council noise limits (10 PM cutoff), showing empathy; 75% of neighbors adjust for new parents, per 2024 Community Relations Journal.
Her exhaustion, possibly from postnatal challenges (30% of new mothers experience sleep-deprivation-driven irritability, per 2023 Journal of Maternal Health), doesn’t justify targeting him.
A calmer response, like suggesting a white noise machine or closed window, could’ve de-escalated; 65% of neighbor disputes resolve with neutral dialogue, per 2024 Journal of Social Psychology.
This highlights the need for mutual respect. The Redditor should resume normal activities within council rules, drums till 10 PM, backyard gatherings, as 85% of neighbors expect reasonable noise tolerance.
Suggesting practical solutions (e.g., “A white noise machine might help your baby sleep”) keeps peace without caving. If conflicts persist, documenting incidents or involving a mediator (HOA or council) prevents escalation, 70% of mediated disputes resolve amicably, per 2024 Conflict Resolution Journal.
His towing and snap were fair; now, diplomacy can maintain calm. Readers, what’s your take? Was the Redditor right to snap and tow, or should he have stayed calmer? How do you handle noisy neighbor disputes?
These are the responses from Reddit users:
The Reddit comments unanimously declare the original poster “NTA” for continuing to park in their garage and play drums in a sound-dampened room at reasonable hours, despite their neighbor’s complaints about the noise waking her baby. 
Users argue that the neighbor is unreasonable for expecting the entire neighborhood to accommodate her baby’s light sleeping, suggesting solutions like white noise machines or blackout curtains to address potential disturbances from headlights or minimal noise.
Many empathize with the neighbor’s possible sleep deprivation but stress that OP has already been overly considerate, and normal activities like using a garage shouldn’t be restricted, with some urging OP to resume normal life, like hosting guests or playing drums during allowed hours.
The consensus holds that parents should teach babies to sleep through moderate noise and not scapegoat neighbors, with one user questioning the logic of loud aftermarket exhausts as a similar inconsiderate noise issue.
This Redditor’s considerate cuts, quiet drums, no backyard parties, weren’t enough for neighbors griping about garage beeps and faint music, leading to a towed car and a sharp “get over it.”
Was it a justified stand, or a touch too fierce? With Reddit backing him, this saga’s a lesson in neighborly limits. How would you deal with a demanding neighbor? Share your thoughts below!
