Would you...

[meiteoh]

...call the cops if you heard your neighbours screaming and shouting, and see two guys fighting?

Am asking because just moments ago, the cops came to our apartment. About 20 minutes earlier, we were happily watching TV when I heard some fighting going on. At first I ignored it because it sounded like any normal fight and then it got really loud and mind you, the apartment door was closed. Then I heard their door open and the shouting got louder and a woman was screaming. Now, I don't speak Mandarin so I had no idea what they were saying but the tone was disturbing me and hubs so I went to take a peek. I opened the apartment door a little and saw two men having a go at each other and a woman's arm trying to stop them.

I turned around and had this look :err: on my face. That was when the women screamed even louder and louder - it was as if she was the one who was going to get hit or something. So hubs and I called the police.

Here's the kicker - the moment he hung up, all went dead quiet next door. They closed the door and it was as if nothing happened. When the police came, I felt so mortified at having called them for nothing but part of me had this naggy feeling that it was right of me to call them anyway because of gut instinct.

I had the same experience before in Switzerland - my neighbours upstairs were fighting at 3am and a woman was screaming, a man was shouting and things were getting thrown around; it was all going on in Spanish and we called the police. When they arrived, the couple was still having a go at each other. And you could hear them from the entrance of the apartment block. :S

My hubby kept going on and on about how he shouldn't have called the cops but I keep telling him that we should have...who knows what it could have escalated into?

But still...I guess the Asian part of me is wondering whether it was right/appropriate to get involved in such a situation considering that I live next door!!!!! :/

What do you guys think?

ps: I was even telling the police that I should have recorded the whole darn thing on my phone. Guess I wasn't thinking all that quick then. :/

 

[jojoki]

haha i wud have ignored it but it think it was a wise decision to call the cops, just in case things get out of hand. Ever heard of this real story many years back can quite recall the exact events that took place but it was something about this woman whom got stalked n murdered in a alley within many apartments and her screams woke many ppl. Around 8-10 apartment dwellers witnessed the entire scenario but ironically none called the cops. Because they were so many ppl witnessing the scene, they all assumed that "someone" must have called the cops, so they did not bother calling n the poor woman was murdered in front of many pair of eyes.

 

[uddermummy]

i would have called the cops too if it sounded like pple were getting hurt.

but yah lorr, can be quite mortifying and embarrassing when the screamers suddenly quieten down just before the cops come. They've got sixth sense or what?

 

[Ting]

if the argueing n all r getting way too loud, i think i would too. it's much safer, what if someone gets hurt really bad??

meiteoh, i think u n your hubby didnt do anything wrong. i suppose it was so loud, the other neighbours would hv heard it too.

 

[apollo]

if me, i will call the police. even i dont, my hubby will. no ones know what will happen. what if they hurt each other? =)

 

[Renzie]

I think that its right of you to call the cops, who know what might happen.
You might be regretting it now as nothing had happened, and when the cops came all was quiet. But what if you didn't call and something DID happen?

yeah I had that case study of how a gal was brutally murdered for about half an hour, and 20-30 over people had heard her screaming in a nearby apartment block, but no1 had called for help, assuming that other people would do so, and that they dont wish to get involved.

There was one time my dad's friend came over to our place, and gate was locked but door was open, he tried calling my dad but no1 picked up or answered, hp was left ringing in the flat, in the end, he was so worried (because my dad was home alone) that he called the cops, and our front door was filled with firemen trying to break into our flat. haha, and my dad returned from his short trip to the grocery store. He had left his hp at home, and his friend thought that my dad had suffered a heart attacked or had fainted in the flat, thus got worked up. That friend got a huge scolding from my dad. But from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate what he had done. For its lucky that nothing had happen this time, a huge wooha over nothing. But what if something had happened? Its better to be safe than sorry isn't it?

Plus maybe then your neighbours will realised that their arguement will disturb other people as well, especially if they don't wish the police to come knocking on their door. Its out of neighbourly concern for them thus you had called the police.

 

[diymummy]

Did the police tell you that if it happens again to call them again? Like follow up? Coz sometimes such quarrels will recur.

It's good that you gave the police a heads up. Hopefully they will come more quickly the next time it happens. But hope it won't happen again.

Agree with Renzie that it's out of neighbourly concern. Read in the papers once that this man called the police when he saw two men and a lady struggling near the rubbish dumps. When the police came they caught the men and they were charged for attempted rape.

Would think that more people should be like you.

 

[meiteoh]

Yeah, they did ask me to let them know if it happens again but I'm hoping it won't. :/ I called coz the woman was screaming like there was no tomorrow and I was thinking that she was involved in the fight too (like in Switzerland) and I know that there is an old aunty staying next door - didn't see any young chickies. If it were just two men, maybe I wouldn't have been so bothered...(I know, I know...)...but when there are women or children around, different story.

Sometimes I wonder why it always seems to happen to me (so bad luck or dunno what) - Switzerland oso sama, KL oso same thing and then the other day, I was coming out of the elevator with Eva in her stroller and these two old uncles were fighting right in front of the elevator!!!! It took FIVE men to separate them. After separating them, one of them started goading the other one so the fella wanted to start fighting again. Aiyo....I quickly walked away and then when I looked back - five minutes later, they were still fighting!!!! And in front of the town council office. Hai.

Pairs or couples always seem to be fighting in front of me. T.T

 

[tika]

Just to share my story....

something similar happened to me last night. It was 9pm and i was washing my todd's bottle when I heard shouting and screaming. I ignored it and it went on for 15 mins. My hubby then looked out the window and saw ppl at the opp block looking into one of the units below mine. The screaming got louder and it was obvious a man was quarreling with a lady. We hesitated calling the police.

I went to lie down with my todd in the master room, windows closed, door closed and the screaming got disturbingly louder and louder. I could hear the lady screaming in malay- pain pain-

SO i called the police. First thing i said... sorry, i know its none of my business but a malay couple living in one of the houses below my unit are fighting. And my toddler won't be able to sleep with all the scary screaming going on. I dont know if its right for me to call you cos i'm usually not kpoh and i like to mind my own business. But the screaming has been going on for more than half hour already. Should I get my husband to go down and tell them to quiet down or something???? Then the policeman chuckled and said thank you for your concern. Pls dont't tell your hubby to do anything. We'll send someone to check.

5 minutes later, the screaming stopped. And a policeman called me back to ask where was the screaming cos he's below my unit and he didn't hear anything. MY GAWD i wanted to smack myself then. Haha. I was afraid he would think i was wasting his time. But he assured me again that being concern about your neighbours wellbeing should be every neighbours job. That left me feeling good for being kpoh at the beginning. :red:

 

[TANZHENZHI]

Tika > I would call the police too if the shouting and screaming goes on for more than half an hour. My neighbor they also often quarrel over their maid and sometimes i will heard banging things. Their doors is closed but i still can heard them shouting very loudly at each others. It happens almost twice a week =) But for this i didn't call the cop becos they only quarrel for 15mins then will stop. The wife will then come over to my place and complain to my MIL. haha I think she just need someone to complain to. Anyway it's not kepo, as you won't know what if something really happens. :001_302:

 

[Ashbaby]

I will call the police, even if im labelled KPO, I will still call the police for help. Cos u nvr know the call u make can save someone life.

Back at my mom place, 1 night we heard neighbour quarrelling, then slowly screaming got louder, we heard a boy shouting, dont hit me. We should have call the police earlier. When we abt to call the police, someone already called them. I dont know what will happen, if everyone have the mindset that we should just mind our own business......

 

[shopaholic]

Meiteoh, did the police go over and check with your neighbours if everything was alright?

For me, I usually wouldnt call the police for neighbourly fights. But I dont know if the screams were bad, because if they were and sounded like someone might be seriously injured or even killed, yes I would call. Just in case.

I think you did the right thing and I felt the police shd go over and check things out just to ensure your neighbours were ok. Maybe I hv read too much of those bizarre news... people could get killed, chopped up and disposed/stored in fridge... *shudder*

 

[shopaholic]

Pairs or couples always seem to be fighting in front of me. T.T

They like you as an audience.

 

[meiteoh]

shopaholic, yeah, they went over to check if everything was okay. And talking about chopping up people and such, have you guys heard of Mona Fandy? That lady was scary!!!! :X