Living in apartments, even the most fabulous apartments, can come with challenges.
In so many cities, people are on top of one another like sardines.
And having or being a downstairs neighbor can often be dramatic.
Sometimes, the older the building, the louder the sound travels.
But is everyone just supposed to walk on their tippy-toes?
Redditor ritzrosiee wanted to discuss their experience and get some feedback, so naturally, they came to the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subreddit.
They asked:
“AITA for using my walking pad even during the day when my downstairs neighbor slams on their ceiling, noting for me to stop? I did it at night, and they did that which I quit understandably.”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“I have been working out for a few weeks using the walking pad, usually early afternoon or the evening.”
“I have a weird schedule from classes, and my work schedule.”
“Last night I couldn’t use it till 10 pm, and my downstairs neighbor slammed on their ceiling for a good thirty seconds.”
“Understandably, I stopped and switched to a low impact work out.”
“Today, I started at 5:30 pm when I got home (I also wanted my B[oy]F[riend] to be home in case of conflict).”
“I am not going to do it at night anymore, but they slammed on their ceiling again.”
“I feel like it shouldn’t be an issue during daylight, although I know it could be annoying.”
“I especially will watch the times I’m doing it since she has kids, like early morning/night, but I am only usually on it for 20-40 tops minutes at 3.3 mph during the day.”
“I really don’t want to quit.”
“I get anxiety walking outside, and I can’t always get myself to do it.”
“I am going to get a yoga mat to try and reduce the impact.”
“Their kids also are always running through the building slamming doors and leaving things in the hallway that make it hard to open doors sometimes and they always park terribly in spots closest to the building that aren’t even spots that block other real parking spots but it’s frivolous it doesn’t even bother me (the parking does occasionally bother me) but its not a big deal.”
“I just want to work out a solution, but before I proceed, I want to know if I am being an a**hole for using it during the daytime.”
The OP was left to wonder:
“So… AITA?”
Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed in on some options to the question:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Redditors declared that everyone involved WAS the a**hole.
“ESH. Banging on the ceiling for someone to be quiet outside of quiet hours is an overreaction.”
“Having a piece of workout equipment with nothing underneath it to dampen the sound is inconsiderate.”
“It shouldn’t take someone banging on the ceiling for you to realize you need to put a mat underneath it.”
“And a yoga mat might not cut it – look into actual rubber mats that are designed for exercise equipment.” ~ Swirlyflurry
“This is apartment living.”
“I would never do it after 8 pm or before 9 am to be respectful, especially if they have young kids.”
“But outside of that, they will have to deal with it.”
“A yoga mat won’t make a difference, but try the thick rubber tiles that fit together like a puzzle.”
“You see them under gym equipment a lot.”
“They were surprisingly cheap, and I put them under my treadmill.”
“It reduced the sound and vibration and also protects my wood floor.” ~ kitrose4
“I mean, not everyone has lived in an apartment before, so saying people should just KNOW is kinda wrong.”
“I’ve never lived in an apartment, I didn’t realise downstairs neighbours could hear that, so I definitely wouldn’t assume someone would hear.”
“Sure, maybe OP HAS, I dunno… just saying that not everyone inherently knows these things.” ~ shado_85
“You should really do something about the noise.”
“A certain amount of noise during the daytime is ok but 40 minutes of rhythmic banging is a lot.”
“In some buildings, that sound can really carry, especially if you have wooden floors (in which case a mat probably won’t help much).” ~ Poekienijn
“YTA, because you have not done anything to mitigate the sound.”
“I used to use a treadmill on the second floor.”
“I bought a mat specifically for gym equipment, and put shock absorbers between the treadmill and mat.”
“With that setup, it was not a problem for my downstairs neighbor.”
“Before I got those things, they said it was intolerable.” ~ Maleficent_Finger642
“It’s possible it’s making more noise down there than you think.”
“Some apartment buildings ban these and treadmills because of the noise.”
“It’s also possible to damage the ceiling of the unit below you if you’re stepping on it/running hard enough. YTA.” ~ Weird_Bluebird_3293
“This is extremely unlikely, and if her walking pad destroyed a ceiling below, the apartment has bigger issues.”
“Floor assemblies are made incredibly robustly these days, so unless this is a condemned building, the kind of damage you’re imagining would not happen due to a walking pad.”
“While I agree that noise transmission is a huge bummer, in apartment life, you have to get used to daytime noise.”
“She was really rude the first time, and stopped.”
“Doing this during the day is just a normal noise her neighbor needs to accommodate.” ~ TheLinaBee
“You’re probably a heavy clomper, especially if you’ve got shoes on.”
“The sound can be shockingly loud downstairs.”
“With that being said, it’s apartment living.”
“Everyone has to deal with some amount of noise from their neighbors.”
“NTA as long as you limit it to daytime and early evening hours, reasonable times.”
“No more 10 pm clomping.” ~ fivebynine5x9
“Sadly, this is just apartment living.”
“I’d say between 8a-8p you’re good.”
“If they come to you and make an issue out of it, just remind them that their children make noise too, and you don’t hold it against them.”
“The people saying ‘those things are louder than you think’… Oh well.”
“So are kids.”
“If someone wants silence, they need to make that accommodation for themselves and not expect others to cater to them.” ~ NoWonder375
“ESH. It’s probably making a lot more noise than you realize.”
“I would either get a much thicker pad (a yoga mat isn’t going to do anything), or if you intend to make this a regular thing, I would try to find ways to get your exercise in most of the time that don’t involve using the walking mat.”
“Maybe you go walking with your boyfriend or a friend so you feel safe.”
“Maybe you join a gym.”
“Does your apartment have a workout room?” ~ dragonsandvamps
“YTA, the noise that will be produced in the flat underneath will be monstrous.”
“Living in apartments means taking other people into account.” ~ gcsmt23
“ESH. You know it’s loud and annoying, but you do it anyway.”
“Does your neighbor work?”
“Maybe find out when no one is home downstairs and walk then.”
“Or go to a gym or deal with your anxiety about walking outside.”
“Your neighbor is TA too because she lets her kids run around, making noise, and slamming doors.”
“But these are two separate issues.” ~ Yoongi_SB_Shop
“This is part of apartment living, having respect for the amount of noise you’re making, especially if you’re on an upper floor.”
“Most apartments ban workout equipment because it’s a noise issue for others.”
“I think it’s best you don’t use it until you’re able to move, and kind of agree with the other comment that if walking outside gives you that much anxiety, you should probably see somebody about it.” ~ BirthofRevolution
“YTA. Part of apt living is having respect for your neighbors, and that includes things like not using a walking pad when they are home.”
“You can get their number and text them beforehand if it is a good time, or you can switch to a gym or a quieter form of exercise.” ~ meekonesfade
“I’m glad you got the mat.”
“I am sensitive to sounds, and I know that’s a me thing.”
“I wear noise-cancelling headphones now.”
“A lot. However, as a teen, my stepbrother slept in the room above me, and there was zero insulation between the floor/ceiling.”
“He needed a fan.”
“The fan vibrated the floor and the metal parts of the light in my room.”
“It drove me nuts, like seriously, I was going to have a mental breakdown, I hadn’t slept in weeks, nuts.”
“Add in the sound of your steps, and I would probably be banging too.”
“He put the fan on a box with a blanket and towels in it to absorb the vibrations, and it helped a LOT, and actually helped me sleep better, as well.” ~ popchex
“Instead of asking, go downstairs and have a civilized conversation with your neighbor about what times are compatible with them.”
“You’re a good person to care enough about their kids and schedule, so I think you can come to an amicable solution.” ~ ambarcapoor
“A yoga mat won’t help.”
“Get a rubber stall mat from a feed store.”
“It needs to be thick and heavy-duty to absorb the impact.”
“We got one for our treadmill, and it made all the difference in the world.”
“As of right now, ESH.” ~ EmergencyMonster
OP came back with an Update…
“I bought shock absorption pads, 1/2 inch thick, and a mat.”
“I will be talking to them to see if I can find a good time of day for them.”
“My downstairs neighbor slammed their ceiling, telling me to stop using the walking pad around 10 pm, super understandable, so now I will only do it during the daytime unless that makes me an a**hole again.
Everyone involved has ruffled Reddit’s feathers, OP.
There is rarely a perfect solution for these situations.
But some very good options have been brought up.
Decent padding is a good place to start.
Also, a simple knock on the door and face to face conversation can go a long way.