sigh...

[jay]

After a couple of days of enthusiastic practice by James on his new drum set, the police just arrived.

Seems that unspecified neighbors have been calling in complaints... a city mediator is supposed to call us on Monday. And the officer said that in order to practice, James would need a "live music performance permit" from City Hall. I don't know what that costs, or the terms... I wonder if this is broadly enforced, otherwise every band student, every 15-year old with a flute or clarinet or French horn would likewise need a city license in order to practice at home...

patgreene, whose shame buttons are easily pushed and who is intimidated by authority figures, has fallen to pieces and is locked in her room sobbing. James is slumped over his drums quietly crying, blaming himself for his mother's reaction. Sigh... what a mess, just before I go out of town for 4 days.

[update -- James ate lunch and is holed up in his room. Pat finally emerged, glared over lunch, then left the house and drove away. I don't know where she went.]

Comments

[jemstone.livejournal.com]

I'm with the others on this: If he's not practicing during normal "quiet times", then the neighbors, and the police, have nothing to stand on in this. And further, if they come out to the house again, let them know that they have nothing to stand on, because he's not PERFORMING, he's PRACTICING, and the city doesn't issue PRACTICE permits.

That should shut them up.

-JEM

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

The practice restrictions that we had given him were: no later than 8pm, no earlier than 8am M-Sat (later, if anyone was asleep), and no earlier than 11am on Sunday morning.

These are probably the same folks that called the police when I was doing drainage work on a Saturday morning with heavy equipment back in 1999... except that while contractors can't operate heavy equipment on weekends here, owners can work on their property all they like after 8am...