I just got threatened, I'm not sure what to do.

[AlexTheGreat]

Hey guys, I just received a phone call at 1:37 AM, from my supposed neighbours, complaining about my car being too loud (not at this particular moment, but in general). I wrote down what I remembered about the call, here's what it looks like:

"Brad" called about my Volkswagen car being too loud. He said the car was waking up his x-(possibly 10)-month old little baby. He used profanity in his description, such as “****ing Volkswagen” and “too ****ing loud.” He asked me what I would do about the problem. I told him that I was working at reducing the noise at the moment by replacing several noisy components from the car, but that I wouldn’t be able to fix the issue immediately. He then threatened to take a 12-gauge shotgun to my car.

Afterwards, "Brad" asked whether I wanted to talk to his friend "Tommy" who lives with him and also had opinions about my car. "Tommy" started very vulgarly by enumerating profane adjectives about my car, at which point I stopped him and asked him to remain polite and not threaten nor swear at me since this was the first I ever heard of their complaints. I said I had no idea the car was bothering anybody, and since they had never talked to me about it before, I was entitled to a warning before any action is taken. "Tommy" agreed and apologized for the aggression, and remained somewhat more civilized from here forth.

It is at this moment that I asked them how they gained access to my phone number. "Brad" responded that he worked in parliament and he got a secret access to it. I didn’t believe him, as I don’t think that to be his real source. As I persisted, he and "Tommy" become agitated again and started professing threats. They talked about the kitten, and "Tommy" mentioned using the 12-gauge shotgun. As I signaled that I thought this was a prank call with such a late-night call, "Brad" responded by saying that he would call every night at 1:30 AM until the problem is fixed. I repeated that I was in the process of arranging things and that it would be fixed soon.

Since the main complaint was that starting the car woke up the little baby, I told them I was working at making the car more quiet, and until the issue is fixed, I would stop turning on the engine at night time. I asked for their agreement and for a cessation of hostilities. They said they would only agree if I went down on them. I answered by restating the plan, and telling them that in case they were not in accord, I would not proceed with the plan. They took this as a threat as well, which I disarmed. I got their agreement and the call ended on good terms.

They had a lot of information about me, my car, my cats. They had been watching me for a long time it seems, and so I am not so much afraid of their threats, but about the possibility of something bad happening.

I'm not sure exactly what I should be doing now. I'm taking this call very seriously because of the amount of information they seem to have on me. It felt like a drunk dial at parts, but still they called my cell phone (I'm not sure if they knew it was my cellphone) and so I must take this seriously. I don't want to go to the police just yet, because police will probably not do anything except make them angry and possibly dangerous (and they know where I live, since we're neighbours). I wasn't lieing about making the car more quiet, but I had no intention of doing that so soon (it's mid winter).

I think I already saw the guys, and knew one of them who used to live there. They are a little on the gangster/hiphop style so I'm not sure how dangerous they could be. They should be early to mid 20s.

One more thing: after making a reverse lookup from the phone number used, I discovered it seems to be a Videotron landline (which I highly doubt), but it also said that "some numbers were ported to a new service provider" so I'm not sure who they would be with or whether it is a cellphone or not.

What should I do with this?

 

[KarmaSutra]

Is it the music or the lack of muffler?

 

[AlexTheGreat]

I've got a stainless steel catback performance exhaust with a deep growl. Although I'm well equipped audio-wise, I don't blast my symphonies on my street or in front of my house. It is the exhaust itself that annoys them. When the car is cold, the sound is very deep and penetrating. But when she is warm, the sound is muffled and smooth.

 

[Desert Fox]

lol cats

 

[horaholic]

Is this an apartment complex, or a house? If you want to avoid a confrontation, park a ways away for the time being, and slap a new muffler on it as soon as you can. Or you can tell him since he was such a prick about it, hes gonna have to deal with it, and if he tries anything hes either going to the hospital, or jail. Dont do that though, unless you get off on starting wars.

I would go the peaceful route though, and find out as much as you can about him. You can always regain your dignity later, if you find out he's just talking out his a$$.

Thats a lame situation. Either be his bytch, or start a war, blindly. Why didnt he just put a note on your car, like a normal person? Ask him that if he calls again. And try to record any future phone calls. I wouldnt call the cops, unless he does something bad.

 

[horaholic]

sorry double post

 

[thedeparted]

I like how you kept cool. But you know that if they were really gonna shoot your car, they would've done it already. It's a weak threat, and it's smart to address a weak threat as if it were real, to disarm the caller. Get more info on them and document it in case you take them to court. Then figure out a way to make the car less noisy. Not b/c some dudes were mean about it but b/c you can't drive around waking up the neighbors just to impress the girls.

Btw, if they threaten *YOU* with a gun even verbally that is a whole other deal.

 

[AAAgent]

Is the noise level that ur muffler/car produce legal. if it is then tell them to **** off then park your car in ur garage incase they do something to it. have dated reports and get witness's to sign that they have threatened you and you have handled the situation properly. get neighbors if u can. i don't think having your family sign off with do you any good. but next time talk to your other neighbors first and let them know when u think a confrontation is about to occur and tell them to watch. write a little note about the situation and if ur neighbors agree get them to sign it. this will protect you in the future if something happens. when u get about 3 of them, report them to the police for threatening/harassing you and show them proof. if u can blast ur music loud by their house and rev ur engine outside then park ur car the day or the night that u do report them just to piss them off. that way they will be warmed up when the police do come. just act nice and calm, smile and point at them behind the cops back and watch them explode.

They look stupid in the end and tell them if they persists u will get a restraining order. u keep or car the way it is and they won't talk to you anymore.

The End

 

[AlexTheGreat]

Thanks for the replies guys!

The passage that I quoted above reveals to me that there are two sides to blame in this story.

One one side of the story is "Brad." He's obviously going way overboard with the threats, the profanity, etc. If I were him, I'd have called the police on you rather than engaged myself in yelling, cursing, threatening. He's going about this situation in a most unprofessional and demeaning way, which means you'll just likely continue doing what you're doing. Despite the fact that your neighbors are acting like boors and should have went to the police rather than threatened you, they deserve peace and quiet, just like you do. Understand that not everyone appreciates your loud music and muffler.

Just curious: Have you been stopped by the police yet?

I have never been stopped by the police. I know my exhaust is loud, but it's not THAT loud, and at idle, it is barely noticeable when the engine is warm.

And I'm not a fool, I'm not gonna come around and rev my engine like a douchebag in front of my neighbours' place at 1AM. Nor do I, like I mentioned earlier, blast my music in my neighbourhood. My car has better stock soundproofing than most cars, and so the music is really not loud when you're standing outside.

I have received a complaint from a neighbour before (a different one), a LONG time ago (like 2 years back) about my exhaust being too loud, but back then I had a poorly tuned engine and an exhaust leak to make it louder. That got fixed and since I haven't heard word.

 

[AAAgent]

well they clearly don't like you and are threatening you just for the reason of doing it. maybe it makes them feel more manly. just make sure u get records and proof from unbiased ppl i.e. the signatures of neighbors around u. Let them know that you are well within your rights of having everything in your car and the sound is not excessive enough to require it to be removed by law. just cover and support ur ass incase anything does happen.

If you do get jumped and u never get to see their faces your neighbors will know that u have been threatened by them instead of your word against theirs. Also you will have proof of their threats to you, and you will also have warned them that you will not tolerate it and any further action on their behalf will result in conseqeunces legally. say legally so they know you don't mean physically or you could just leave out that part and let them find out themselves when their lawyer calls them or the police notify them.

Just protect yourself and stay calm and patient.

 

[I.A.F.Y.B.]

You know.. If someone threatend me like that. I'd probably go over their and kick his a$$. Maybe, thats just the type of lifestyle I was born in. Or if he keeps threatining you. Call the police.

 

[theunflushables]

Have a tape recorder handy. If they call again hold the tape recorder to the phone and record the entire conversation. Also document the times they call. Especially easy on a cell phone. Take that information to the police.

 

[Desdinova]

Tell them their screaming 10 month old baby is waking up your sleeping car.

 

[TheBucketOfTruth]

The whole thing seems like a joke. I'm not sure if that applies to the phone call or this post (or both), but if you actually take it seriously then tell them to leave you alone and get a police report.

 

[SharinganUser]

Report it to the police. They won't do anything if you don't want them to. But if you report it to them they'll atleast have it on record and can take action if the threats persist.


Or you can put a hit out on them.

 

[AlexTheGreat]

Report it to the police. They won't do anything if you don't want them to. But if you report it to them they'll atleast have it on record and can take action if the threats persist.

This is what I did.

 

[amnbyrd]

Dude your car can not be that loud-at least certainly not loud enough to be getting this many complaints yet youve never been pulled over by the cops. Unless youre running open headers on a V8 I really dont see a car with just a catback as being that loud. Screw them-Id put the car in the garage to be save though

 

[amnbyrd]

Outta curiosity what kind of VW is it and what sorta mods?

 

[amoka]

100% prank.

 

[guitaronfire411]

That's one helluva story. I know AlexTheGreat in person and have been inside and near his car --- it's not that loud from the outside.

I'm glad that you reported this to the police. I suggest being careful when you're around your house and watch out for those psychos. Do you know where they live?