Neighbor Scare last night

[rocky]

If you knew security was on the way, why not wait till they showed up? Sounds like the neighbor is a bit odd covering the peep hole.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Mo]

Good point.

200 degree peep-hole with brass hole cover:
PHS Products

What the hey? How can you have a 200-degree peephole? Unless your door bows out, the maximum viewing angle you should be able to have would be 180 degrees. Even if the peehole juts out from the door, it's not giving you more than 180 degrees of view angle from your perspective unless it's looking back into your house.

Anyway, I probably would have opened the door just like you did, but I'm young, stupid and would have had my gun with me. I always plant my foot behind the door when I open it to strangers, but it doesn't really keep me from being shot or stabbed. It just keeps them from bum-rushing me.

[B52]

Thumper, I have a similar door it works great for salesmen, Mormons, or any other solicitors too. They look aggrevated when they fully can't see or get to me, but the way I look at it they are the aggrevators. IMO, The peephole thing in this situation is very alarming.

[SelfDefense]

I'll try to provide an alternative perspective.

I'm sleeping because I get up at 5:00AM. I expect peace and quiet in the middle of the night. My neighbor runs his dishwasher, making an incredible amount of noise in the dead of night. He is obviously inconsiderate and I want to stop the noise so I go to his apartment to make him aware that he is causing a problem. The guy is obviously disturbed (no normal person runs loud appliances in the middle of the night) and I don't want him to target me later so I put my finger over the peephole so he cannot identify me and retaliate later. I just want him to come to the door so I can tell him he is annoying his neighbors.

[Janq]

Not a "normal-person" action. Sounds like you need to keep an eye on a problem. Stay safe. Be sure your fiance knows its socially acceptable to talk to people through the door, or to have security/management talk to the individual for her, if she's alone.

+1 on all points.

Very much not a normal person action.

- Janq

[bandit383]

Hummm...usually a person like this has a track record...wonder what it is with the local LEOs and the apartment manager. Might be useful information.

Rick

[Adam500]

If he can hear a dishwasher running couldnt he of just ask you to turn it off from his apartment lol.

All kidding aside, I agree with what the others have said why would someone cover the peep hole to talk about a noise complaint? Testing you to see how you would react?

Be carful and watch your back he sounds like a shady character to me.

Adam

[Ghettokracker71]

In my old apartments, I had a middle apartment. Only thing I could really hear from upstairs was kids wrestling/jumping up and down from time to time,never had a dishwasher make noise or a dryer/washer(had them in all apartments.)

Main complaint was the loud latino music from the next door apartment, not the guys above or below me.

[Dusty Miller]

Yes, you may have the right to run the dishwasher at midnight. He also has the right to confront you about it. Perhaps you can avoid situations like that by being quieter at night.

A little courtesy goes a long way in this world.

[cagueits]

I wouldn't even stand close to a door in that situation, let alone open it. The door can get kicked in and it could hit you smack in the face as it swings inward with force.

Also, that looking through the peep hole thing... I've taken a look at a few peep holes from the outside in; most of the times you can make out the outline of the person aproaching the door from the inside... Unless you have ballistic doors, wood doesn't stop bullets... It ain't that hard to figure out were are you standing on the other side of the door, especially when I'm watching you from the outside through your own peep hole... Cover that peep hole up and get a camera or take a look from a far window if you feel the need to take a glimpse outside.

[Ranger375]

Then there is always this technique for the next time someone wants to look into your peephole - wonder if they would notice that something looks a little different?

[Moga]

My rule is very simple: I don't open my door.

Friends who are coming over, call me first. If it's not them, then it's someone trying to sell me something, or do me harm. Either way, they're not getting in.

+1. NEVER open the door for strangers is my rule. NEVER.

[Yoda]

Blocking the peep hole late at night.. I can only think of two reasons, 1) a friend playing joke or 2) somebody up to no good

Noise does not seem to be a legitimate issue to raise at that time. I think he was making it up.

Try jumping jacks at a more reasonable hour and see if reacts the same..

[bzdog]

Peering out peep holes seem like a great way to get shot to me.

Seems like the perp could increase his odds of getting you by covering the hole, waiting for you to complain, then uncover the hole wait for the little hole to go from light to dark (cuz you have your lights on in there, right?), then shoot you through the door.

-john

[me]

I must just be the good guy in the downstairs Apartment. I hear almost everything going on above me, from dishwasher to domestic. The guy above me asked that if they are too loud I let them know. If I need to then I will do so during normal business hours not at midnight, i would deal with it, as i am now with his shower, and if i feel wronged i will let him know tomorrow.