quality of life

“Dear PoPville,

The building across the street from my apartment has a malfunctioning A/C unit that can be heard through our closed windows. I had a noise inspection performed, and it barely passed (due to the automatic decibel deductions that are built into the law). However, it would probably fail a nighttime inspection (the AC runs 24/7 and the nighttime decibel limit is lower). However the inspector, who was apologetic, informed me that it is now DC policy that any nighttime inspections have to be paid for by the resident requesting it (i.e. me). Is this really DC policy? I guess I was mistaken when I thought my taxes plus a budget surplus would actually allow the city to enforce the laws on its own. What’s next – having to whip out the credit card if I call the cops after 9PM?”

Photo by Royalbroil via wikipedia

“Dear PoPville,

I was walking around the McMillan reservior in NW on Sunday evening when a large group of guys on 4-wheelers and dirtbikes drove by. There were about 20 vehicles in total. They were driving fast and disobeyed traffic laws – even driving into oncoming traffic lanes on Michigan Ave (next to the Washington Hospital Center) and forcing cars to stop. It was hard to tell if it was just a group of guys out goofing around or if it was something more menacing. Are 4-wheelers even street legal in DC?”

The Post has an interesting article about some of the riders Dirt bike dreams face reality of D.C. police enforcement:

A growing number of thrill-seeking young people are taking to the streets in off-road bikes and ATVs, usually out of the sight of federal Washington. They perform risky stunts that typically are reserved for open fields or trails in outlying counties. The stunts, often inspired by video and pictures on social media sites, are playing out in urban neighborhoods across the nation.

D.C. police say the high speeds, tricks and jumps are a dangerous, even deadly, neighborhood nuisance, especially when packs of 20 or more roar through communities.

Photo by PoPville flickr user grit and whatever

“Dear PoPville,

A nearby neighbor in Pleasant Plains has been using a generator all night every night (and often throughout the day) for the past few months. In the beginning, we thought that maybe they had a generator as a back-up because perhaps they forgot to pay the bill and were waiting for re-installation from the electric company or something. However, as the weeks, then months pass, the noise from the generator that goes on every night without fail has us wondering … is this legal?

Do any of the Pleasant Plains neighbors hear this, too, and wonder what is going on? The house is on Sherman Ave and not under construction, and the few times I have been home during weekdays or have noticed over weekends, the generator generally stops running by noon and doesn’t kick back up until close to night-fall. We live with open windows and no air conditioning, so despite it being several houses away, the hum of the generator comes right to our ears every night. I don’t even want to think about gas that the thing may be throwing off. However, I do wonder if there are any DC laws governing the use of generators after hours and for any length of time.

Thanks,
A Pleasant Plains resident missing out on some sleep”

Photo by PoPville flickr user clif_burns

Dealing with Yelping Dogs:

“My noisy neighbor lets her yelping dogs out at night in the backyard. They are her security system instead of an alarm. Usually she brings them back in, but last night she didn’t. She is not receptive when I try to engage her about keeping noise down; we are in attached rowhouses.
The dog clearly wanted to come inside last night at 1am. She sleeps in the front, so she probably didn’t hear them. I managed to fall asleep but was awoken around 3am by it.
Any suggestions?”

You can see all forum topics and add your own here.

“Dear PoPville,

Around 2AM Saturday the entire 1600 block of Fuller street was awakened by an unholy racket, banging and clattering that went on a good five minutes or more down on the street. Police arrived in force, and a bicycle cop managed to track down the extremely drunk perpetrator. Apparently the noisy sound (which sounded like an elephant making sweet love to a dumpster) was him knocking over and throwing around a 3-foot concrete planter until it broke into multiple pieces, and then chucking the pieces at the closest parked car. Scuffed up the side all over, but mostly cosmetic damage.

Not the crime of the century, and this street gets a lot of foot traffic since it’s a shortcut rather than going up to 16th and Columbia proper, so we get a lot of littering and sporadic car break-ins, but this one was just odd enough for me to snap a photo.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user caroline.angelo

Happy weekend!

When becoming a member of the PoPville flickr pool please make sure your settings allow me to download your photos. Join the PoPville flickr pool here and follow PoPville on twitter here on facebook here.