Downstairs Neighbor Blows Hot As Redditor’s “Normal” Footsteps Turn Creaky Floorboards Into Noisy Nightmare

“If walking on eggshells in our own home isn’t enough, we might as well walk like proper human beings.”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• April 20, 2024

Our story kicks off in a creaky old apartment that had seen two decades of memories, a neighborly war was brewing. You see, although the apartment had undergone a total makeover, the floorboards hadn’t been replaced.

The walls were freshly painted, the carpets soft and new, but the floorboards? Creaky, squeaky, and as thin as a piece of paper. 

Since our narrator (Original Poster) and their little family lived on the third floor, they mastered the art of tiptoeing to keep the peace with the neighbors below. However, when a new downstairs tenant arrived, even their stealthiest steps weren’t quiet enough.

Armed with her trustee broom, she vigorously banged OP’s floors each time the creaks were too much for her to bear, and in her case, this was every single time. A stroll across the living room? Bang!

The vacuum hums to life? Bang!

Even their dog’s innocent bone chewing earned angry thumps from the mighty broomstick below. The poor champ was always startled.

The bangs and thumps continued until, one day, the neighbor decided it was time to take matters upstairs. She appeared at their door, teary-eyed, and declared their activities were too loud with a trembling voice.

She made them promise to “walk normally,” and walk normally they did. Naturally, the thumps didn’t cease, but that wasn’t OP’s problem anymore; they had only a month left on their lease anyway.

Who knows? The next family might just be a couple with kids. When the sounds of livelier tenants fill her days, maybe she’d finally miss OP’s ghostly tiptoeing.

The story in detail

A bit of background

On one particular day, OP’s neighbor came up to their house to give them a piece of her mind. She also insisted that they should “walk normal”

OP and their family decided to “walk normally” to appease their neighbor. But their neighbor soon realized that walking normally was worse off

Important edit

We gathered some reactions from the Reddit community:

“ My last apartment was like this and I was on the first floor.”

This is so hilarious to read

“You don’t have old floors; you have cheaply constructed floors.”

“Both side need to have the other person's experience. Then you might be able to work towards a solution.”

“If I ever decide to buy a multi-family I'm putting money into soundproofing.”

“ I don't know... now that they've heard you "being normal," it might be time for another chat with them.”

It was an intense battle between neighbors, tenants, and floorboards, but the downstairs neighbor emerged victorious—or so she thought.

OP had a feeling no one else would be kind enough to creep around their own home for the benefit of a neighbor. They couldn’t wait for that sad realization to dawn on their arrogant neighbor!

What do you think about this story? We’d love to get your thoughts in the comments.

Jesse