Dubai: Shrinking living space and hectic work life are increasingly pushing some residents to become less considerate and less tolerant of their neighbours.
From improperly discarded trash and toys lying around in the hallway to residents partying all night, the list is endless when it comes to creating a public nuisance for people who live together in a community.
But the problems worsen in higher-density communities with far less elbow room.
Gulf News reported that residents are reporting community issues — whether small or big — to the authorities. The question is whether neighbours should take the initiative and try to solve the issue first before going to the authorities right away.
For Ronald Eleazar, a civil engineer who lives in Bur Dubai, it’s a daily struggle.
“Our main issue is the bicycles and the child scooters “illegally” parked in the hallway 24/7. In some instances, the kids leave the bicycles sprawled on our doorstep. They have converted the hallway into their playground,” Eleazar, 31, told Gulf News.
If there’s space for the children, like a playground or a park, then this issue will not arise. But there’s none in their community, Eleazar said.
“Once we witnessed one of our neighbours confronting the parents of the kids. He threatened to call the police if they didn’t discipline their kids.”
But nothing happened. The bicycles still lie around the hallway.
“In our case, we can still live with it. The only thing that irked me and my wife was when, on one occasion, some newcomers decided to drill and hammer on the wall at midnight. I immediately called the watchman to deal with the matter,” he said.
Eleazar said he makes it a point to notify the watchman first to resolve the issue. Calling the police is his last resort.
The threat of a police arrest isn’t always practical, Charity Ramos, a nurse working in the capital, said.
“Some people are very inconsiderate. They chat so loudly in the middle of the night in the hallway without thinking of people who are already asleep or trying to go to sleep. They do it every night as if they haven’t seen each other for a year,” Ramos said.
“I’d shout at them to shut up, and they would. But then the next day, it’s the same story.”
Ramos said she hesitates to call the police as she doesn’t want to cause a rift with her neighbours.
“I think it’s just because of the set-up of our living spaces. If we had more room, or if we were living in villas and there was enough space between houses, I don’t think noise would be an issue,” Ramos said.
Noise is also an issue for an Arab expatriate who lives in Jumeirah. “I’m extremely tolerant with my neighbours. But there are exceptions, like one instance, I heard my neighbour physically abusing a woman whom I thought to be his wife. I could hear him beat her as if he was punching a punching bag. Then all of a sudden I heard a loud thud downstairs, as if something had fallen on a car. I came down to check and saw her there,” the Arab expatriate said.
“I didn’t call police because the watchman and the landlord’s PRO were there to handle it.”
Arish Ehsan, financial analyst, considers himself lucky to have good neighbours at Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT) for the past three years. This wasn’t the case when he was living in Silicon Oasis.
“On the very first day that we shifted there, I was drilling and hammering on the wall. I didn’t notice that the wall was very thin as compared with the flats we used to live in before,” the Indian expatriate said.
“My neighbour came and started shouting at me. If he had come and talked to us politely talked, we definitely would have apologised and made amends,” Ehsan said.
Ehsan said rash behaviour isn’t necessary in communal living. People can sort out issues in a civilised manner.
“Sometimes, if you begin with politeness and if the other person is mature enough, then you’ll get along well,” Ehsan said.
One example, he said, was when his neighbour in JVT would park in front of his house. Though it was an open parking, he politely left a note on his neighbour’s car. His neighbour did not take offence and parked her car in front of her house the next time. The issue was resolved right then and there.
Ehsan said there are many causes for friction among neighbours.
“People have become restless and they want instant results. They lack patience.”
Sometimes the reason could be the other person’s social or financial status, he said.
“Affluence brings its own arrogance. I’ve seen that first-hand. That’s the reason why there are more incidents of road rage now than compared to five or six years ago.”
The transient nature of the population in Dubai is also a factor.
Those who consider the UAE home will do everything they can to co-exist with the people around them. It’s different for those who are here only to earn money and then fly back to his home country.
