# Don't Mess with the Police!!



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Last night, the usual calm and quiet of our peaceful neighbourhood was disturbed by loud music, really loud music, emanating from the garden of a house up the road, third house up from ours but separated by quite large gardens of the other two houses. A party was in full swing with a group playing and singing, obviously amplified.
A few neighbours rang the police to complain and about 11.20 p.m., not late, really, they turned up. They ordered the music closed down and everyone at the party into the street, some fifty people, where they had to show ID. Turns out that the house, owned by a Spanish family, had been rented to a couple of middle-aged Brits. The police demanded sight of their rental contract.
The music was loud but it was quite pleasant Spanish music, melodic, if not that well performed. Sandra thought it quite pleasant, relaxing on the terrace by the pool with musical accompaniment.
Apparently the police have had to deal with instances of houses being rented for the sole purpose of holding parties, or so they told one of the complainants. Seems a bit odd to me. Has anyone else heard of anything like that?
Whatever, the police didn't mess about. It must have been quite an experience, being lined up in a 'respectable' street and having to show ID.....


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

mrypg9 said:


> Last night, the usual calm and quiet of our peaceful neighbourhood was disturbed by loud music, really loud music, emanating from the garden of a house up the road, third house up from ours but separated by quite large gardens of the other two houses. A party was in full swing with a group playing and singing, obviously amplified.
> A few neighbours rang the police to complain and about 11.20 p.m., not late, really, they turned up. They ordered the music closed down and everyone at the party into the street, some fifty people, where they had to show ID. Turns out that the house, owned by a Spanish family, had been rented to a couple of middle-aged Brits. The police demanded sight of their rental contract.
> The music was loud but it was quite pleasant Spanish music, melodic, if not that well performed. Sandra thought it quite pleasant, relaxing on the terrace by the pool with musical accompaniment.
> Apparently the police have had to deal with instances of houses being rented for the sole purpose of holding parties, or so they told one of the complainants. Seems a bit odd to me. Has anyone else heard of anything like that?
> Whatever, the police didn't mess about. It must have been quite an experience, being lined up in a 'respectable' street and having to show ID.....


Wrong house. Poor police thought they had finally got the chance to nab those two bl**dy queer English women, once and for all! Had to line everyone up because they couldn't believe you and Sandra weren't there!:eyebrows:


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I know there are companies which specialise in renting out large houses, in a range of countries, for big family groups or friends. People apparently book them for things like special birthday or anniversary celebrations.

I've seen the same police tactics applied in my street when some gypsy families who live higher up have been having noisy celebrations which have gone on too late (after midnight) so other neighbours have complained. Once they told them to turn the music off and disperse but as soon as the police were out of sight they started up again. The police returned swiftly and took away the sound equipment, having lined everybody up and checked their IDs and made them turn out their pockets. Good to see they don't discriminate, anyway!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

brocher said:


> Wrong house. Poor police thought they had finally got the chance to nab those two bl**dy queer English women, once and for all! Had to line everyone up because they couldn't believe you and Sandra weren't there!:eyebrows:


I can assure you all that whatever we do, we do quietly

P.S. Like you, Sandra is Scottish....


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

mrypg9 said:


> I can assure you all that whatever we do, we do quietly
> 
> P.S. Like you, Sandra is Scottish....


Glaswegians are not known for being quiet!!!!!!!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

brocher said:


> Glaswegians are not known for being quiet!!!!!!!


Ahhh...she's the silent, deadly type.
Used to sit silently, listening at meetings until everyone had finished saying long-winded, irrelevant things...then would come out with a killer comment.

We used to be known in our local Labour Party as 'Silver Snake' and 'Mighty Hammer', for some reason. No prizes for guessing which was which...


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> I know there are companies which specialise in renting out large houses, in a range of countries, for big family groups or friends. People apparently book them for things like special birthday or anniversary celebrations.
> 
> I've seen the same police tactics applied in my street when some gypsy families who live higher up have been having noisy celebrations which have gone on too late (after midnight) so other neighbours have complained. Once they told them to turn the music off and disperse but as soon as the police were out of sight they started up again. The police returned swiftly and took away the sound equipment, having lined everybody up and checked their IDs and made them turn out their pockets. Good to see they don't discriminate, anyway!


The party was closed down well before midnight, though. As we could hear, it was a birthday party. All seemed quite decorous, no screeching or drunken yelling, just the loud music.
If I owned a large house I wouldn't dream of renting it out for strangers to have parties...but as we walked the dogs round the garden before going in to watch the news, we did think that we have more than enough space to hold such a party as a large area of our land is really just a field. We'll probably do it before we finally leave.
But we'll inform all the neighbours, invite some and make sure we let the police know in advance.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> The party was closed down well before midnight, though. As we could hear, it was a birthday party. All seemed quite decorous, no screeching or drunken yelling, just the loud music.
> If I owned a large house I wouldn't dream of renting it out for strangers to have parties...but as we walked the dogs round the garden before going in to watch the news, we did think that we have more than enough space to hold such a party as a large area of our land is really just a field. We'll probably do it before we finally leave.
> But we'll inform all the neighbours, invite some and make sure we let the police know in advance.


If your local byelaws are like ours, I believe it is an offence to make too much noise after 11pm, and it's on the grounds of excessive noise that the police can act. The neighbours around me tend to give a bit of leeway and don't complain unless the noise goes on after midnight.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> If your local byelaws are like ours, I believe it is an offence to make too much noise after 11pm, and it's on the grounds of excessive noise that the police can act. The neighbours around me tend to give a bit of leeway and don't complain unless the noise goes on after midnight.


Yes, it is enshrined in a Decreto Contra la Contaminacion Acustica from the Junta de Andalucia, 2003.


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

brocher said:


> Wrong house. Poor police thought they had finally got the chance to nab those two bl**dy queer English women, once and for all! Had to line everyone up because they couldn't believe you and Sandra weren't there!:eyebrows:


Oh yikes, I just realised that I had unwittingly written "queer, " meaning it in its purest sense to mean odd/ strange- which believe it or not, is still commonly used in my neck of the woods!

Now, I know Mary wouldn't be offended whichever meaning I attached to that word, used in the context it was.... but just in case anyone else thought it a bit too close to the knuckle.... or even that I was passing judgement on the Spanish polices' attitudes..... I wasn't!


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Noise*



brocher said:


> Glaswegians are not known for being quiet!!!!!!!


How right you are. Anytime after 10pm and the city centre is like bedlam.


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

I'm surprised the "noise limits" are as early as 11pm in Spain, given how late night life starts in Soain, and even how late "normal" life goes on.

I was wondering if it was anything to do with the crack down police are supposed to be having in the resorts at the moment, with British police apparently lending a hand to sort out rowdy Brits on holiday.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

brocher said:


> I'm surprised the "noise limits" are as early as 11pm in Spain, given how late night life starts in Soain, and even how late "normal" life goes on.
> 
> I was wondering if it was anything to do with the crack down police are supposed to be having in the resorts at the moment, with British police apparently lending a hand to sort out rowdy Brits on holiday.


No, I don't think so, as I said it has happened routinely where I live for a number of years, and I don't live in a holiday resort. Nobody complains when people are just sitting out in the street and talking quietly until the small hours as they always do in summer when it's so hot, but loud music is another matter.

The strange thing is that the same thing doesn't seem to apply to public events like the fiestas, where people often have to live nearby and the noise can go on until 4 or 5 am. Maybe officially organised events have some kind of dispensation?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

brocher said:


> Oh yikes, I just realised that I had unwittingly written "queer, " meaning it in its purest sense to mean odd/ strange- which believe it or not, is still commonly used in my neck of the woods!
> 
> Now, I know Mary wouldn't be offended whichever meaning I attached to that word, used in the context it was.... but just in case anyone else thought it a bit too close to the knuckle.... or even that I was passing judgement on the Spanish polices' attitudes..... I wasn't!


And you are quite right. I'm offended by very few things and even fewer of them are personal.
I don't believe we have a right not to be offended. If there were such a right, though, I'd be tempted to exercise it, albeit selectively. George Osborne offends me. Boris Johnson offends me.
I think that tippy- toeing around to avoid causing 'offence' often serves only to push feelings underground where resentment helps them breed and fester. Better to get bigotry out in the open where it can be dismissed or ridiculed.
I have no objection whatsoever to people thinking that being gay is sinful, immoral or just 'not very nice'.as my mother might have put it.
I do feel a mild protest might be in order against Islamofascists who would like to bury me up to my neck and stone me, the prescribed punishment in Sharia law for lesbianism and females who commit adultery.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

brocher said:


> I'm surprised the "noise limits" are as early as 11pm in Spain, given how late night life starts in Soain, and even how late "normal" life goes on.
> 
> I was wondering if it was anything to do with the crack down police are supposed to be having in the resorts at the moment, with British police apparently lending a hand to sort out rowdy Brits on holiday.


Not in this case as this is a dozy village, especially our little corner and the party guests were apparently all over fifty.
Not that being over fifty precludes a disposition towards riotous behaviour...


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

mrypg9 said:


> And you are quite right. I'm offended by very few things and even fewer of them are personal.
> I don't believe we have a right not to be offended. If there were such a right, though, I'd be tempted to exercise it, albeit selectively. George Osborne offends me. Boris Johnson offends me.
> I think that tippy- toeing around to avoid causing 'offence' often serves only to push feelings underground where resentment helps them breed and fester. Better to get bigotry out in the open where it can be dismissed or ridiculed.
> I have no objection whatsoever to people thinking that being gay is sinful, immoral or just 'not very nice'.as my mother might have put it.
> I do feel a mild protest might be in order against Islamofascists who would like to bury me up to my neck and stone me, the prescribed punishment in Sharia law for lesbianism and females who commit adultery.


Agree... but nor do I need the wrath of the PC police in case any popped up on here.

If you are "not very nice," then that has nothing to do with your sexual orientation. 

Many times, I could quite easily have buried some people up to their necks and stoned them..... and that has nothing to do with my religious beliefs! I'm sure many people would have liked to do the same to me and you, Mary, during your political/ union days.

I believe that our judgements of people should have nothing to do with their sexual orientation or their religion. Some supposedly religious people are not at all nice, and some folk of all sexual orienations are downright queer!


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

If you want to call the police if your neighbours do this, which police do you call - Local Police or Guardia Civil?

Our community held a street party last Saturday which included loud music etc. They obtained a licence which allowed them noise up until 3am. They are allowed to do this not more than once a year.

We decided we didn't want to get involved, nor did we want the loud noise until late as it was right outside our front door so we went away and stayed in a hotel for the night.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Once a year I wouldn't mind noise until 3.00 if for a community event. I'd participate.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

DunWorkin said:


> If you want to call the police if your neighbours do this, which police do you call - Local Police or Guardia Civil?
> 
> Our community held a street party last Saturday which included loud music etc. They obtained a licence which allowed them noise up until 3am. They are allowed to do this not more than once a year.
> 
> We decided we didn't want to get involved, nor did we want the loud noise until late as it was right outside our front door so we went away and stayed in a hotel for the night.


It's the Policía Local who deal with matters like this.


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Once a year I wouldn't mind noise until 3.00 if for a community event. I'd participate.


We would participate but my husband is not well. He has just come out of hospital and is not up to such events.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Best to let the neighbours know if having a party, or better, invite them

I do find it strange that some people buy in a tourist area and then complain about noise. Even well behaved tourists like to sit outside on hot evenings and a burst of laughter can sound loud. Two of my elderly Aunts were reprimanded for sat up late talking on an apartment balcony in Mijas, not their fault the building wasn't soundproofed


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

I have no problem with people sitting on their balcony or terrace talking, laughing etc but we have neighbours who hold karaoke parties until the early hours and their garden is about 20 feet from our bedroom.

I don't care if we are in Spain or Timbuktu - there should be consideration for other people.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Isobella said:


> Best to let the neighbours know if having a party, or better, invite them
> 
> I do find it strange that some people buy in a tourist area and then complain about noise. Even well behaved tourists like to sit outside on hot evenings and a burst of laughter can sound loud. Two of my elderly Aunts were reprimanded for sat up late talking on an apartment balcony in Mijas, not their fault the building wasn't soundproofed


Fair comment. We sit outside until gone midnight, swim even, as do our neighbours. It's pleasant hearing relaxed chatter. Give and take.
When we had a party on our terrace last month we told our immediate neighbours and invited them.
But sometimes people take things too far and upset everyone. 
I'm extremely annoyed at the moment as some thoughtless [email protected] has parked right in front of the double gates to our garden, gates obviously meant for exit/entrance of cars. Today of all days ....when I'm expecting a truck to take awáy a skip with garden rubbish...
The police were sympathetic but said they could do nothing unless I got a No Parking licence from the Town Hall.
Seems a bit daft as 99% of the time the street is empty. Does anyone have one of these permits and if so how much and where from?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

DunWorkin said:


> I have no problem with people sitting on their balcony or terrace talking, laughing etc but we have neighbours who hold karaoke parties until the early hours and their garden is about 20 feet from our bedroom.
> 
> I don't care if we are in Spain or Timbuktu - there should be consideration for other people.


Call your policia local. But first check what the rules for your municipality state about noise levels and cut- off times.


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Call your policia local. But first check what the rules for your municipality state about noise levels and cut- off times.


The cut off time for noise at our town hall is 11pm. There is also a community rule of no outside music at any time (our houses are very close together).

Unfortunately there is one house that come here for two months every year (July and August) and have the attitude that they will do what they want. Even at the pool they ignore all the rules.

They make it very unpleasant for any of us who complain so we generally close windows, put aircon on and ear plugs and long for them to leave.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> The strange thing is that the same thing doesn't seem to apply to public events like the fiestas, where people often have to live nearby and the noise can go on until 4 or 5 am. Maybe officially organised events have some kind of dispensation?


I'm sure they do. Our town hall even has an official "día de resaca" (hangover day) the next day when staff don't have to start work until 10 a.m.


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