Antisocial behaviour: What would you do?

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When my wife developed Vascular Dementia in 2018 at the age of 77, her consultant's first decree was that she immediately gave up driving her two year old Land Rover Discovery. Great news for the younger of my twin sons who was presented with it.

I, now aged 75, had not driven since suffering a stroke in July 2012. again under my consultant's advice.

 

[Bantamzen]

Some background:

I live opposite a sheltered accommodation complex for the elderly. One of the residents is always outside tinkering about with his car. This has never before been a problem, but he has now taken to revving the engine for half an hour at a time, creating an almighty noise, and filling the air with petrol fumes.

The galling thing is that a few months ago he had a go at a Morrison's delivery driver for leaving his refrigerated van running while doing my delivery (all of 5 minutes on tick over) .

It got so bad this morning that I had to go out and tell him in no uncertain terms, politely but firmly, to pack it in. He responded by doing it all the more.

How should I deal with it? It's not a care home, it's more warden flats. Would the manager of the complex be able to intervene? Or do I just have to take the nuclear option, which I'm reluctant to do, and get the police involved? The guy must be over 80!

We have a similar sort of petrol head living not too far from us, albeit he lives in his own home. You've already tried the first option, speaking to them which hasn't worked clearly. So the next thing to do is to complain to your local council. Maybe make notes of dates & times of when he's making the noise, and give these when you complain. Maybe also encourage neighbours to do the same.

Our local petrol head has an obsession with campers, vans and crappy old cars (sorry as a non-driver I see little romance in cars, if they are old & broken they are better purposed as cans of beans for me). He is also an obsessive DIYer, albeit shocking crap at it. So there are times when the noise varies between junk worthy engines being revved, to axle grinders being played with. After a while a bunch of us got so fed up that we not only reported him for his constant, and often very early morning noise, but a few of us went around to explain that whilst some noise was bearable it wasn't acceptable all day, day after day. We also explained to him that a bunch of blokes bigger than him might help him find some new & interesting ways to use his power tools. I'm not saying that this is a recommended route, but I am thinking it loudly....