NSW Neighbours Accusing Son of Noise - Call Police for Harassment?

[billiegirl77]

My 17-year-old son has a 95 Mitsubishi FTO, so a sports car with a muffler. Anyway, he leaves for work at 5:30am and now that mornings are cooler, the car sound is louder than normal. We got a old biddy in the street that retired and loves to complain bout anything to anyone, as she got nothing else to do (she across the road from mine but to the right so not directly across from me).

Anyway, I wasn't home and she came over to my husband to say that my son is revving his car. My husband explain to her that he is not, it's just a loud car, especially in the morning, and he had to reverse out of driveway, and being tight street (new estate & the people across the road refuse to park in their driveway for some reason), he has to do a funny reverse to get the car out. It's a manual, so he has to keep the revs up, which makes it sound worst.

After that, he started reversing the car in the afternoon instead of in the morning, so he can drive out and won't be as loud.

Then we get a letter from the council. She made an official compliant, but does state on there that he is allowed to start his car to enter and leave the property if out of the allowed hours, which he is, so from the councils rules he is doing nothing wrong. I did go over and see her. I told her he is not revving the car (cause if he was, I would tell him off!) and in fact, it would ruined his engine as it would be too cold.

My son was with me and we explain this again. The car is loud and more so cause it colder in the morning. It's only a maximum of 3 mins and then he is gone. The car legal has passed rego, and he is doing nothing wrong. He is saving for a new car, which won't be as bad but it will still be a few months off, she said ok and we left.

So on Friday afternoon, he was reversing the car back in the driveway. It's on a slight hill and the car across the road still won't park car in driveway (old biddy went to see them as her neighbour, guess they said no lol). So the car was being loud as he was backing it back in. I heard voices but didn't take note as his little sister went outside when he came home.

He came in to say the lady across the road 3 houses up drove over and told him to stop revving his car. She works afternoons and needs sleep (mind you, she was leaving the house to go out!). He said "I am not revving the car, reversing it is not easy in this car". She carried on and he told her to F off. I told him not to do that next time, but he just finished work and she was being nasty.

My daughter said she was very rude and being nasty. I know the old biddy and her are close so they probably are in it together. According the council rules, he can revv he car at that time of the day (even though he wasn't),

So my question is, I am concern what can they pull, cause they are both not happy about it and I am worried they won't let it go. I want to know what our rights are, if they approach him again like this lady did. Can I contact the police and report it as harassment?

He is a minor (until July). What's more funny is that the old biddy and this lady share the same neighbour, who is always having party, domestics, and car revving, yet they targeting a child, who not is not revving his car and is going to work and coming home. And that lady has her son driving up and down the road in a unlicensed, unregistered motorbike with no helmet (keeping that one in my pocket).

Anyway just want to know legal side if this become larger issue, I hope it doesn't and they go away. Just want to cover ourselves in case they continue.

Thanks

 

[Rod]

Based on your post I can't see that your son is doing anything wrong. I would take a few videos of your son reversing out when the neighbours across the road have made reversing hard as evidence in case you need it.

Keep in mind your son must be doing no more than is necessary to get his car in and out at any time of the day/night for a legitimate purpose. ie reversing in and out just to annoy the neighbour is not a legitimate purpose. Revving an engine just because you can is not a legitimate purpose.

 

[billiegirl77]

Thanks Rod - he not revving the car. If he was, I would of clipped him over the head for causing such a fuss and his father. I don't get up for another 45 mins when he leaves and it's the last thing I want to hear in the morning! It's just the type of car and the combination of colder morning, the driveway, the car across the road, etc.

Also as he works with his father, they would car pool together in my husband's car, but now my husband on a different shift so they go on separate times, so he using the car more than before. I do like the idea of recording the car coming in and out so we will do that just in case.

My other children are on school holidays, I have told them that if they see that kid going up and down on his motorbike to record it for me (my daughter has clear view from her bedroom window) as I assume he does it in the day when we all at work (beside miss old biddy). Guess we just wait and see what happens, maybe they realised there is not much they can do and find something else to complain about.

I know the people across the road that don't park their car in the driveway have not mowed in months, grass so high I am sure Miss M will complain about that soon.

 

[Clancy]

You might want to get a noise meter just to make sure the car does not exceed a volume that would put into question its road-worthiness? You don't want police defecting the vehicle. Aside from that, the old lady can "talk to the hand"

 

[billiegirl77]

I am not sure, he has been passed many cops, and has done random breath test and none of them have said anything to him. In fact, one cop thought his car was nice, being not common, so I am of the belief that it should be fine. Otherwise, they would of said something to him.

There are louder cars around us in other streets. Today, the people across the road park their car in the driveway as it's been night (they only time they do) and today, as he was leaving, it didn't sound as noisy, so that car being there (as it right in front of our drive way) makes a big difference. So I think recording him in and out with that car there is the best idea.

It seems like there is not much they can do. The old biddy just made more people upset with her lol

I generally had no issue with her. She never complain to us about anything and always waved and said hello. But now she just made one less friend on the street.

 

[Clancy]

I am not sure, he has been passed many cops, and has done random breath test and none of them have said anything to him in fact one cop thought his car was nice being not common, so I am the belief should be fine otherwise they would of said something to him. There are louder cars around us in other streets. Today the people across the road park their car in the driveway as its bin night (they only time they do) and today as he was leaving didn't sound as noisy so that car being there (as it right in front of our drive way) makes a big difference so I think recording him in and out with that car there best idea. Seems like there not much they can do, old biddy just made more people upset with her lol I generally had no issue with her she never complain to us about anything and always waved said hello. But now she just made one less friend on the street.

Oh well, as people get old and have been through it all before, they often become less likely to tolerate annoyances from other people. But if those annoyances don't involve breaking a law, then that's too bad, its life, but on the bright side, when your old, if people around you are annoying, i guess you don't have to worry about it all too much longer!

 

[Sally-Anne Fagin]

"its a manual so got to keep the revs up which makes it sound worst"

You don't need many revs in a manual, just tell him to let the clutch out slowly, and increase the revs slightly at the same time if it feels like it is going to stall. Sounds like a bit of driving inexperience by your son if he thinks he needs to rev the hell out of it or it will stall when starting off or reversing. He needs to concentrate on the sound of the engine and the feeling coming through the clutch pedal.

But if he can't drive without revving the engine, or it's a naturally noisy car, then it's best if he parks it out in the street outside.

You say your son is a minor, so it just sounds like he can't drive a car properly yet. I mean I'm sure he thinks he can, but so did we all at that age. He just needs someone who knows what they are doing to show him how to start off in a manual car, or reverse a manual car, it needs much less revs than you think.

Plus these young guys do like to rev their engines, makes them feel like a drag racer.

My qualifications? Lots of driving experience, plus I hold a HC and R (semi-trailer and motorbike) licence, although I never drove a truck for a job, just got the licence for something to do. And I did pass the semi-trailer and motorbike license test first go). Try reverse parking a semi-trailer parallel to the kerb between cars, which you have to do to pass the test.

So I know these young guys think they know it all when it comes to cars, and don't want to be told how to drive, but just see if your son wants to try, just for an exercise, seeing how low in revs he can start off or reverse his car.

Sure he may stall it a few times, but that will be good, as it will give him knowledge of the limits he can go to before it stalls; he should treat it as a personal competition, can I beat my last record and start off or reverse with even less revs and with even less noise.

Make it a personal competition to leave in the morning as quiet as possible; which entails low revs, and also driving very slowly until you get out to the street.

And then once he gets out to the main road he can fang it!

 

[Clancy]

"its a manual so got to keep the revs up which makes it sound worst"

You don't need many revs in a manual, just tell him to let the clutch out slowly, and increase the revs slightly at the same time if it feels like it is going to stall
Sounds like a bit of driving inexperience by your son if he thinks he needs to rev the hell out of it or it will stall when starting off or reversing.
He needs to concentrate on the sound of the engine and the feeling coming through the clutch pedal.

But if he can't drive without revving the engine, or it's a naturally noisy car, then it's best if he parks it out in the street outside.

You say your son is a minor, so it just sounds like he can't drive a car properly yet. I mean I'm sure he thinks he can, but so did we all at that age.
He just needs someone who knows what they are doing to show him how to start off in a manual car, or reverse a manual car, it needs much less revs than you think.

Plus these young guys do like to rev their engines, makes them feel like a drag racer.

My qualifications? Lot's of driving experience, plus I hold a HC and R (semi-trailer and motorbike) license, although I never drove a truck for a job, just got the license for something to do. And I did pass the semi-trailer and motorbike license test first go). Try reverse parking a semi-trailer parallel to the kerb between cars, which you have to do to pass the test.

So I know these young guys think they know it all when it comes to cars, and don't want to be told how to drive, but just see if your son wants to try, just for an exercise, seeing how low in revs he can start off or reverse his car.
Sure he may stall it a few times, but that will be good, as it will give him knowledge of the limits he can go to before it stalls; he should treat it as a personal competition, can I beat my last record and start off or reverse with even less revs and with even less noise.
Make it a personal competition to leave in the morning as quiet as possible; which entails low revs, and also driving very slowly until you get out to the street.

And then once he get's out to the main road he can fang it!

If it is an older 'muscle car' then its probably in a state of perpetually sh-ite tuning because that seems to be the way they were made... And the slightest hint of a clutch engaging is an instant kill switch... I know these particular pain in the ass stupid vehicles.

 

[Sally-Anne Fagin]

Yeah, I don't know if you could call a Mitsubishi a "muscle car" though; I thought that moniker was reserved for big Fords and Holdens, and American cars.
But I googled it, and it's a sporty type of Japanese car.

But I do know, that most people, at the first sign that a car is going to stall when starting off, panic and rev the hell out of it to stop it stalling. Stalling is nothing to fear or be embarrased about.

What is actually needed is to put the clutch back in a bit to stop it stalling, and then maybe increase the revs a fraction and then let the clutch out gradually.

Basically you keep the revs static, and feather the clutch; especially when reversing or negotiating a bit of an obstacle course. You let the clutch out a bit, if going a bit faster than you want then put the clutch back in a bit, or if it looks like it is going to stall then put the clutch back in a little bit, maybe increase the revs slightly, and then let the clutch out a bit.
Basically you are riding the clutch, as they used to call it.

The foot on the accelerator doesn't move, it is the clutch that you move in and out to control the speed, or to stop it stalling.

I learnt this when I was doing driving tests for my motorbike licence when I was 18.
I had a very good instructor.
One of the things you had to do in practice, and also in the test, was to ride in very small figure of eights.
So basically the instructor taught me to keep the revs constant, and not very high, and to constantly move the clutch in or out to control the speed, and maintain even traction with the engine. The clutch does all the work.

Which makes sense, as trying to do it with the clutch out and using the throttle alone to control the speed results in jerky and uneven motion, whereas using just the clutch allows for much smoother increases or decreases in speed, and maintains a more even and constant power connection from the engine.

Another tip another driving instructor gave me for driving a manual, was move the clutch foot from the ankle, rather than lifting the whole leg up and down. That is your clutch leg stays mostly still, and just the foot moves at the ankle. It's hard to do consistently, especially when not relaxed, as the tendency I find is for the ankle to go rigid rather than flex when you are under a bit of pressure
. But when you do it gear changes are much smoother, takes away the jerkiness that sometimes happens when you use your whole leg to let the clutch in and out.

So in my experience it is not necessary to rev the hell out of a car engine to stop it stalling; if a car is capable of idling while in neutral without stalling, then you don't need to rev the hell out of it while driving to stop it stalling.

But if it is a situation as Clancy describes above, that the car is so out of tune that the slightest strain on the engine will cause it to stall, then get it tuned so it can idle without stalling.

Some cars can be so high geared that it takes more revs to keep them from stalling at low speed, but the OP's son's car is a road standard car, so shouldn't have this, unless it has been modified to make it higher geared, like a different gearbox or differential.

By the way I know nothing about the mechanical aspects of cars, I can just change a tyre or fan belt and that's it. I just have an involved driving history.
But guys I used to work with often talked about them and what they were doing to them to make them go faster or sound more "mean" (noisier), such as drilling holes in the exhaust pipe.

 

[Clancy]

Yeah, I don't know if you could call a Mitsubishi a "muscle car" though; I thought that moniker was reserved for big Fords and Holdens, and American cars.
But I googled it, and it's a sporty type of Japanese car.

But I do know, that most people, at the first sign that a car is going to stall when starting off, panic and rev the hell out of it to stop it stalling. Stalling is nothing to fear or be embarrased about.

What is actually needed is to put the clutch back in a bit to stop it stalling, and then maybe increase the revs a fraction and then let the clutch out gradually.

Basically you keep the revs static, and feather the clutch; especially when reversing or negotiating a bit of an obstacle course. You let the clutch out a bit, if going a bit faster than you want then put the clutch back in a bit, or if it looks like it is going to stall then put the clutch back in a little bit, maybe increase the revs slightly, and then let the clutch out a bit.
Basically you are riding the clutch, as they used to call it.

The foot on the accelerator doesn't move, it is the clutch that you move in and out to control the speed, or to stop it stalling.

I learnt this when I was doing driving tests for my motorbike licence when I was 18.
I had a very good instructor.
One of the things you had to do in practice, and also in the test, was to ride in very small figure of eights.
So basically the instructor taught me to keep the revs constant, and not very high, and to constantly move the clutch in or out to control the speed, and maintain even traction with the engine. The clutch does all the work.

Which makes sense, as trying to do it with the clutch out and using the throttle alone to control the speed results in jerky and uneven motion, whereas using just the clutch allows for much smoother increases or decreases in speed, and maintains a more even and constant power connection from the engine.

Another tip another driving instructor gave me for driving a manual, was move the clutch foot from the ankle, rather than lifting the whole leg up and down. That is your clutch leg stays mostly still, and just the foot moves at the ankle. It's hard to do consistently, especially when not relaxed, as the tendency I find is for the ankle to go rigid rather than flex when you are under a bit of pressure
. But when you do it gear changes are much smoother, takes away the jerkiness that sometimes happens when you use your whole leg to let the clutch in and out.

So in my experience it is not necessary to rev the hell out of a car engine to stop it stalling; if a car is capable of idling while in neutral without stalling, then you don't need to rev the hell out of it while driving to stop it stalling.

But if it is a situation as Clancy describes above, that the car is so out of tune that the slightest strain on the engine will cause it to stall, then get it tuned so it can idle without stalling.

Some cars can be so high geared that it takes more revs to keep them from stalling at low speed, but the OP's son's car is a road standard car, so shouldn't have this, unless it has been modified to make it higher geared, like a different gearbox or differential.

By the way I know nothing about the mechanical aspects of cars, I can just change a tyre or fan belt and that's it. I just have an involved driving history.
But guys I used to work with often talked about them and what they were doing to them to make them go faster or sound more "mean" (noisier), such as drilling holes in the exhaust pipe.

Most of that is true, and obviously the lower you can keep the revs the better for the longevity of the engine and clutch. I have had cars that i could get moving up to second gear without touching the accelerator! Just by being gentle with the clutch. But i have also had cars that are stall obsessed basteds that you cannot get moving without bashing the revs.... it honestly feels exactly like the clutch is electrically wired to a kill switch, freaking amazing.... typically 'sporty' cars are like this. And it is not something you can fix with getting it tuned because the tuning is STUPID out of the factory - (designed that way.)