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[Celcius]

Earlier this year I moved into an apartment and I've got a 12 month lease. Now that I've been here nearly 4 months I'm having an issue with the noise and not quite sure what to do. I've gotten used to all the airplanes here constantly flying overhead, but what I didn't expect was there to be a train (I still have no idea where it is) that blows a loud horn not only during the day but at night as well. Seems like it's only started happening at night during the past ~2 months (or so I've noticed, not sure if it wasn't running as much earlier due to the pandemic).

Lately it happening at night has really been affecting my sleep and today I took a sick day from work due to headache and lack of sleep from last night. Normally I sleep with my ceiling fan on max to drown out regular noises, but a train horn can be really loud. I also tried ear plugs but they never seem to really fit my ears well.

One one hand I'm like, "if everyone else here can deal with it then I should be able to tolerate it until my lease is up" but then on the other hand I took a sick day today and haven't been feeling so great lately. I do admit I'm a light sleeper, but what would you guys do in this situation... tough it out or break the lease early and move?

Due to covid-19 I'm full time working from home, so I'm actually inside my apartment all day every day. If I do move out, I'll have to give 60 days advance notice (and find a new place). Sigh.

 

[CrankyJay™]

How do you have no clue where a train track is in relation to you? Pull up Google Maps and look for nearest tracks.

 

[Tesseract]

my friend, you are on the road to madness

your best bet is to derail the train and save your hearing before it's too late

 

[CrankyJay™]

I just measured mine. It's almost exactly one mile away. It blares its horn at every crossing. It's actually quite relaxing when I have the windows open at night, hearing the low rumble and the horn. Maybe 1 mile away is far enough away where it's not disruptive.

 

[Nymphae]

White/brown noise is your best bet for trying to deal with it probably. I use a real box fan plus a great rain & thunderstorm MP3 ripped from YT with the treble cranked played on a stereo next to my bed (I can't stand sleeping with headphones in), I get a good high/low coverage with these.

 

[and 3 others]

your best bet is to derail the train and save your hearing before it's too late

In Minecraft, right Tessy?

Hi Tyler and FBI.

 

[Tesseract]

In Minecraft, right Tessy?

Hi Tyler and FBI.

nope, shove that de_train into a nosedive

(i am of course talking about counter-strike)

 

[and 3 others]

nope, shove that de_train into a nosedive

(i am of course talking about counter-strike)

 

[FreedomOfSpeech]

Earplugs.

 

[Aesius]

White noise machine. Box fan on high setting. Eventually you'll get used to it. I've lived pretty close to a railroad crossing for the past 4 years. On the first night my wife and I were woken up by it multiple times and nearly panicking over what we thought was a huge mistake. But we quickly got used to it. We still hear it but it never wakes us up. It's just background noise now.

 

[Tesseract]

.

'your honor, i believe my client was clearly making a joke about derailing a certain minecraft train to save his hearing'

'yer honah, i'd like to apologize on behalf of my stupid fucking lawyer, i was very nearly clearly discussing de_train in the popular vidya counter-strikes developed by gooseman and cliffe in the 90s, eventually bought by valve and pushed to greater success'

 

[Evangelion Unit-01]

This you OP?

 

[Tesseract]

your best bet is prolly some sound paneling and noise canceling phones for your workspace, ear plugs for bed or some other white noise generator

or derail the train and get sent to gitmo

 

[Evangelion Unit-01]

 

[Celcius]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I’m just going to invest in more background noise and tough it out. Maybe a box fan or white noise generator.

 

[Nymphae]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I’m just going to invest in more background noise and tough it out. Maybe a box fan or white noise generator.

Please check out my thread on white noise, I highly recommend the lectrofan for a physical unit, but you can find a plethora of great sound files online.

 

[Tranquil]

I know you signed a 12 month lease but you can break it and move, most places only charge you for a months rent as penalty. Totally worth it if you're losing sleep which decreases you're quality of life.

 

[Komatsu]

I know you signed a 12 month lease but you can break it and move, most places only charge you for a months rent as penalty. Totally worth it if you're losing sleep which decreases you're quality of life.

I've never quite managed to break a lease without having to pay a significant amount of the remaining balance. That said, with COVID it might be easier.

 

[Tranquil]

I've never quite managed to break a lease without having to pay a significant amount of the remaining balance. That said, with COVID it might be easier.

Check your agreement papers, should all be there under early termination or something like that. Seems weird they would charge you for the remaining balance but they're legally able to do it if they want.

 

[Komatsu]

Check your agreement papers, should all be there under early termination or something like that. Seems weird they would charge you for the remaining balance but they're legally able to do it if they want.

New York City, man. One of the reasons I moved further inland.

 

[diffusionx]

I know you signed a 12 month lease but you can break it and move, most places only charge you for a months rent as penalty. Totally worth it if you're losing sleep which decreases you're quality of life.

I once broke a lease and didn't have to pay a dime because they found someone to fill the place as soon as I left.

But right now, I really don't know. Like here in NYC, with people leaving in droves and many not paying rent at all, I assume breaking a lease means you're paying the whole thing.

 

[Tranquil]

I once broke a lease and didn't have to pay a dime because they found someone to fill the place as soon as I left.

But right now, I really don't know. Like here in NYC, with people leaving in droves and many not paying rent at all, I assume breaking a lease means you're paying the whole thing.

It's all in the agreement you signed, so they can't change it until you sign up for another year, but yeah paying for the remaining months is pretty harsh, I'd probably stay at that point.

 

[thefool]

Nothing more important than sleeping. I go crazy with the faintest sounds. I've gone berserk with a neighbor of mine that sometimes decided to go to her balcony, in the middle of the night, to talk.

 

[Evangelion Unit-01]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I’m just going to invest in more background noise and tough it out. Maybe a box fan or white noise generator.

I’d also look into finding the train and talking to your neighbors. I don’t know anything about what the process looks like but I’ve heard of communities that have been able to get crossings near residences designated as quiet zones.

 

[Celcius]

I’d also look into finding the train and talking to your neighbors. I don’t know anything about what the process looks like but I’ve heard of communities that have been able to get crossings near residences designated as quiet zones.

I actually just finished looking on Google Maps and this time I finally found the train!
According to the scale on the map, the train is about 7500 ft from my apartment, which is about 1.5 miles away. This must be why I hadn’t seen it before... that’s quite far. The horn must also be quite noisy to be loud from that distance. Sometimes it’s not so loud but sometimes it definitely is... I guess it just depends on how hard the driver pulls the horn.

There’s my apartment, then a lake, then a house neighborhood/community, then an even bigger lake, then some commercial buildings, and then the train tracks are there, so it’s quite far. I don’t see how the people who live in apartments right next to it tolerate it.

I think I’ll grab some nice noise cancelling headphones on sale tomorrow, and maybe also a box fan or white noise generator as well.

 

[Evangelion Unit-01]

I actually just finished looking on Google Maps and this time I finally found the train!
According to the scale on the map, the train is about 7500 ft from my apartment, which is about 1.5 miles away. This must be why I hadn’t seen it before... that’s quite far. The horn must also be quite noisy to be loud from that distance. Sometimes it’s not so loud but sometimes it definitely is... I guess it just depends on how hard the driver pulls the horn.

There’s my apartment, then a lake, then a house neighborhood/community, then an even bigger lake, then some commercial buildings, and then the train tracks are there, so it’s quite far. I don’t see how the people who live in apartments right next to it tolerate it.

I think I’ll grab some nice noise cancelling headphones on sale tomorrow, and maybe also a box fan or white noise generator as well.

That is far-perhaps you are hearing something else? If there are that many people right next to the tracks I would imagine it has to be driving them crazy. I've lived much closer than that to railroad tracks and never had a problem. Less than .1 mile from tracks right now actually they do not blow the horn here but I have to really be paying attention to hear the train. I'd ask around and see if anyone else is annoyed by it. Possible that you are hearing something else? Some idiot with a horn on his truck?

On the other hand, a lake would make it easier for the sound to travel. Wide open space without anything to block the sound. Sound would also reflect off water rather than being absorbed. At night in the summer with the cool water on the lake could create temperature inversion where the sound would travel even easier. Lot of stuff happening there that could be impacting you.

 

[Celcius]

That is far-perhaps you are hearing something else? If there are that many people right next to the tracks I would imagine it has to be driving them crazy. I've lived much closer than that to railroad tracks and never had a problem. Less than .1 mile from tracks right now actually they do not blow the horn here but I have to really be paying attention to hear the train. I'd ask around and see if anyone else is annoyed by it. Possible that you are hearing something else? Some idiot with a horn on his truck?

On the other hand, a lake would make it easier for the sound to travel. Wide open space without anything to block the sound. Sound would also reflect off water rather than being absorbed. At night in the summer with the cool water on the lake could create temperature inversion where the sound would travel even easier. Lot of stuff happening there that could be impacting you.

I’m certain it’s the train... there’s a big difference between the train just going by versus the horn being blown. There’s a popular walking trail by me and I’ve also heard it while walking out there. No one else around me seemed surprised by it though, so I guess everyone else is just used to it...

 

[Celcius]

Just to update this thread with how things turned out:
Earlier this week I gave my 60 day notice to move out as it’s just been problem after problem here since I moved in. I was pushed over the edge this weekend when wasps started coming out of the fireplace, and then was told that pest control only comes out one day per week.. (otherwise I’m basically out of luck). At that point I decided that life is too short and I’ve had enough. Now I just need to find a new place... with no trains this time.

 

[Cutty Flam]

I used to live near a railroad very close by. Less than a quarter mile, probably closer to an eight of a mile from my house. At first there was some getting used to, but once I put a small fan that I liked to sort of distract from these noises it wasn't an issue at all. I slept like a rock in those days. My nutrition and activity level were on point so I'm sure that played a huge role in quality of sleep and being able to get past the sound of the train. I remember being calmed by the train when it passed but maybe that's just because I lived far enough to where it could be ignored. It didn't really bother me at all during those years now that I think about it

 

[notseqi]

At my grandparents for the week, I'm always sleeping like a baby at their house. Why? 100ft from the house are train tracks and the heavy transports are at night, their rumbling was soothing in childhood and remains to be until this day.

No tooting of horns though, thats not mandated here for crossings.