Australian woman sues over noise and smell

A woman in Australia sued her neighbors because she said she couldn't use her backyard due to their children playing, them smoking, and their BBQ. Most news outlets are painting her as a joyless insane person, and the judge tossed out her case, but I think there's a point here.

• I hate it when neighbors' cigarette smoke wafts into my apartment. I don't think I should have to keep my windows closed and miss the benefits of fresh air because of their smoking.
• I'm sure most if not all of us hate the sound of kids shrieking and playing near us. I sure as fuck don't want to listen to kids.
• Her complaint about the BBQ was the smell of meat, but even if you do eat meat, it isn't exactly nice to have the charcoal smoke blowing into your house. I've had my washing ruined by other people's BBQs, had to close my windows, etc.

As breeders are so fond of pointing out to us, being in public means dealing with all the people in public. But what about in our homes, are we still expected to deal with people there? I've said it several times that I think the only way to keep people sane in an increasingly crowded world is if we allow housing discrimination on the basis of behavior. People should be able to choose not to live next to people who do things that extend, through smell or sound, beyond the confines of their own home, which are irritating. Pronatalists claim we're not overcrowded because everyone could be squished into Texas, but they seem to forget that many people's needs for space and privacy exceed what can be offered in a flimsy apartment invaded by the noises and smells of neighbors.

If anyone smoked and it bothered the breeders and kids it would be litigation worthy.

Quote
cfinboston
If anyone smoked and it bothered the breeders and kids it would be litigation worthy.

This is the problem in a nutshell. The only reason people think she's awful is because she's complaining about a "family." If she were a breeder furious that her precious children were being forced to inhale second hand smoke in their own yard, she'd have crazy amounts of support. It's disgusting.

She isn't awful for wanting the place she pays for to be quiet and have carcinogen-free air. If adults threw a party outside that including screaming, grilling and cigarettes and a famblee called to complain the police would shut down the party immediately.

I lived in a smoke-free apartment once, damned complex was full of brats.

I would love to live in a dwelling which didn't mean cigarette smoke/grill smoke coming in through open windows and brats screaming until 10 at night. I've been saying I want the yard with a fence since I was a kid and being an adult with shitty neighbors has only increased my resolve to have it.

Quote
freya
She isn't awful for wanting the place she pays for to be quiet and have carcinogen-free air. If adults threw a party outside that including screaming, grilling and cigarettes and a famblee called to complain the police would shut down the party immediately.

Probably not, as the neighbors decided to have a massive grill party to celebrate their court victory. Presumably with lots of the above. Shows what assholes they are. I hope the woman went on vacation before it took place.

I feel like these days you need a fenced 10+ acres to get away from assholes.

I wonder if she is hated because some people hate vegans due to the fact that some, not all, are always moralizing about it while having four kids that will grow up to grill burgers.

It seems like if you want to do the compassionate thing you have to do it quietly. Also a lot of people will do what they are doing only in a worse way to "celebrate" screwing over someone who complained.

A lot of places in my nearby city are all smoke-free. That includes owned places and rentals. I am a smoker, but I live on a large piece of land so my smoke doesn't bother anyone. I'm also respectful to others when I'm smoking, I don't smoke in public, and I dispose of my butts carefully and take them with me when there isn't one around.

I lived in a building where smoking was allowed when I first moved in, but they decided to grandfather out the smokers and turn it into a non smoking building. That still didn't address the cooking odors and other nasty stenches in the hallway. Quite frankly, I never smelled smoke in the hallways.

I left that place because it turned into a circus with noise, and trashy breeders were moving into the place, tossing garbage everywhere and basically making enough noise to drive me insane.

This one ignoramus single moo moved a few doors down from me, and would literally open her mail and toss the envelopes down the hallway. She also threw other things in the hall. Every day when I saw this, I would politely grab up what she threw, and place it on her welcome mat in front of her door. She eventually stopped doing it, but it was really annoying.

It was a really nice building once upon a time. Now it's a shithole.

Quote
mumofsixbirds
A lot of places in my nearby city are all smoke-free. That includes owned places and rentals. I am a smoker, but I live on a large piece of land so my smoke doesn't bother anyone. I'm also respectful to others when I'm smoking, I don't smoke in public, and I dispose of my butts carefully and take them with me when there isn't one around.

I have nothing against people who smoke but keep it to themselves. I figure everyone is entitled to do whatever they want to themselves, the only problem is when it infringes on other people's rights to not experience it.

There should also be housing available for smokers, in proportion with their numbers in society. I don't think the solution is to make people outcasts by making all properties non-smoking. Obviously as soon as you're allowed to make housing with quiet, low odor, etc, you need to ensure that there is sufficient housing for the opposite.

I also think it's perfectly reasonable for me to not like the smoke from my neighbor's patio drifting in my bedroom. But it would be equally bad to be surrounded by trashy breeders, because if anything, children's noises bother me more than smoke.