I Just Can't Take It Anymore!

[Australis]

Quoth the raven... "BEEP BEEP BEEP".

 

[RJDiogenes]

"That Coyote is really a crazy clown...."

Oh, wait....

 

[thestrangequark]

Starting at about 9 o'clock last night, emanating from somewhere to the East, coming right in through my bedroom window, has been the BEEP BEEP BEEP. It's the sound a truck makes when it backs up: BEEP BEEP BEEP, followed by a two second pause, then BEEP BEEP BEEP. But it doesn't stop. It never stops. Not for a moment. For 26 -- that's TWENTY SIX -- hours. And it's still BEEP BEEP BEEPing. BEEP BEEP BEEP. It sounds like it's coming from the next block over, kind of distant but still very loud. I went out to escape, I came home, and it's still BEEPing. At some point during the night I heard a neighbor scream frustratedly out her window, "Turn that damn thing OFF!" But it wasn't turned off. I fear it will never be turned off. I went out again, I came home, and it's still BEEPing! I didn't stop. It's not stopping! Why won't it stop? Why won't it stop? How do I make it stop?

Sounds like Edgar Allen Poe for new Millennium.

"Hear the peeping of the beeps- electric beeps
What a world of annoyance their monotony on me heaps
In the silence of the night
How it cuts through like a knife
Oh, the peeping and the cheeping of the beeps
The beeps beeps beeps beeps beeps beeps beeps
The peeping and the cheeping of the beeps."

I called the police, as it's 5pm on Sunday and it's been BEEPing since 9pm on Friday. They said they'd have some one swing by. If they can't stop it I think I'll take J.'s advice and start coming the neighborhood myself, with a metal baseball bat! BEEP BEEP BEEP. BEEP BEEP BEEP. BEEP BEEP BEEP.

 

[Emher]

^Sounds good, especially good detail with the metal baseball bat. My kinda search party!

 

[thestrangequark]

An hour and a half on and still BEEP BEEP BEEP. How long should I give the police before I call back? On the one hand, I know the NYPD has some serious shit to deal with, but on the other hand, who knows whether or not this is more serious than an annoyance after all?

 

[Emher]

I would have gone looking for it two hours after it started, absolutely livid. But that's my southern European blood speaking. Seeing as you've somehow been standint it thus far, I'd say at maximun 1½ hours more (AT MOST) then call. Or just go look! Call some strong intimdating friends and search the shit out the neighbourhood!

 

[thestrangequark]

^While I'd love to go looking for it, it's not as easy on a street like mine as it would be in a suburb. My best guess would be that it's coming from one of 12 buildings on this end of the block, and each of those have between three and 20 apartments.

I did, however, make a run to the Mission Burrito restaurant across the street for a coffee (they have the best Mexican coffee in the world -- seriously, on par with the stuff I had in Puebla), and there happened to be two policemen in there getting lunch. I asked them about it, and they said they've gotten a number of complaints and that it's a faulty alarm at one of the buildings. They said there's nothing they can do.

It's been literally nonstop for three days.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

 

[Count Zero]

I would have gone looking for it two hours after it started, absolutely livid. But that's my southern European blood speaking.

My central European blood would have said the same.
I feel for you, tsq, and hope that it has stopped already or will stop shortly. But you might have to get involved yourself.

ETA: I only read tsq's reply after I posted. That sucks. Why can't they do anything? Is there anyway you can muffle the sound (earplugs, pillow over ears)?

 

[Jadzia]

In my experience, alarm noises are the most difficult and most annoying to try and sleep through. You have my sympathy.

I don't know if counting the beeps works as effectively as counting sheep?

 

[thestrangequark]

I'm not sure what's preventing the police from doing something about it, but I suppose there's a reason. My landlord has a bunch of tropical birds -- including one that hoots like an owl -- and they're kind of drowning it out at times. I'm afraid that id I get earplugs I won't hear my own alarm in the morning and be late for work. Right now I'm blasting Tom Waits. It helps.

 

[Emher]

Nothing they can do? What the fuck?! Guess they forgot the "serve" part. They didn't happen to be able to say who could do something?

 

[Mark de Vries]

Who's responsible for that alarm then? The owner of the apartment blocks, the manufacturer? Surely someone can shut it off, possibly with a metal baseball bat.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Alarms always come with a number to call. There's no excuse for letting that go on for 48 hours. If the police won't do anything, somebody should call a newspaper or local TV station. I'm amazed that people aren't rioting by now....

 

[SicOne]

There is no public noise or nuisance problem that cannot be resolved with the judicious application of high explosives.

 

[Mark de Vries]

I'll just quote the great Jamie Hyneman: "When in doubt: C-4".

 

[SicOne]

Heh heh

 

[captcalhoun]

I would have gone looking for it two hours after it started, absolutely livid. But that's my southern European blood speaking.

My central European blood would have said the same.
I feel for you, tsq, and hope that it has stopped already or will stop shortly. But you might have to get involved yourself.

ETA: I only read tsq's reply after I posted. That sucks. Why can't they do anything? Is there anyway you can muffle the sound (earplugs, pillow over ears)?

my nor-western europe blood agrees.

 

[Hermiod]

I'll just quote the great Jamie Hyneman: "When in doubt: C-4".

I thoroughly support this position.

 

[SicOne]

I just noticed the OP is in Brooklyn. Probably a bad idea to go creeping around at oh-dark-thirty with a baseball bat.

 

[thestrangequark]

It's stopped! It's STOPPED! After nearly three full days! The beeping has stopped. Thank the Lord Almighty!