ByteBeetle
Well-known member
In an Australian townhouse, a 30-year-old man is at his wit's end over a noise issue he shares with his housemates - specifically his girlfriend and roommate. The problem lies in the loud blender used by his girlfriend to prepare her smoothies at 5:30 a.m., right when the couple has agreed to observe "quiet hours" from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The man, who is frustrated with the situation, tried addressing it earlier but was met with dismissive responses, including being told he should just deal with the occasional noise and that his girlfriend's needs take precedence. He even took matters into his own hands by purchasing a $40 portable blender for her to use in her car.
This didn't sit well with his girlfriend, who accused him of trying to "control her food habits" - a perception exacerbated by the man's earlier complaints about her noise disruptions. In an attempt to resolve the issue amicably, he shared his concerns on Reddit and asked fellow users for their advice.
The comments section of Reddit exploded with opinions on whether or not the boyfriend should have been more understanding or if his girlfriend was in the wrong for disturbing him every morning. While some agreed that she had it coming after he made such an effort to address the problem, others pointed out that 5:30 a.m. is simply an early hour, and that everyone has different needs when it comes to sleep.
Lisa Mirza Grotts, an etiquette expert and author in San Francisco, weighed-in on the issue, emphasizing that noise etiquette is essential in shared living spaces. She suggested having open conversations about the problem rather than dismissing one's partner's concerns or accusing them of being controlling.
The situation highlights a universal dilemma many people face: finding compromises between individual needs in shared living arrangements.
The man, who is frustrated with the situation, tried addressing it earlier but was met with dismissive responses, including being told he should just deal with the occasional noise and that his girlfriend's needs take precedence. He even took matters into his own hands by purchasing a $40 portable blender for her to use in her car.
This didn't sit well with his girlfriend, who accused him of trying to "control her food habits" - a perception exacerbated by the man's earlier complaints about her noise disruptions. In an attempt to resolve the issue amicably, he shared his concerns on Reddit and asked fellow users for their advice.
The comments section of Reddit exploded with opinions on whether or not the boyfriend should have been more understanding or if his girlfriend was in the wrong for disturbing him every morning. While some agreed that she had it coming after he made such an effort to address the problem, others pointed out that 5:30 a.m. is simply an early hour, and that everyone has different needs when it comes to sleep.
Lisa Mirza Grotts, an etiquette expert and author in San Francisco, weighed-in on the issue, emphasizing that noise etiquette is essential in shared living spaces. She suggested having open conversations about the problem rather than dismissing one's partner's concerns or accusing them of being controlling.
The situation highlights a universal dilemma many people face: finding compromises between individual needs in shared living arrangements.
. I mean, 5:30 a.m. smoothie time? That's just cruel 
. And to make matters worse, his girlfriend thinks he's being controlling and dismissive 
. Like, who tries to move to their car with a portable blender? 
Not cool. The fact that Reddit is having a field day about it says more about our society than this couple's drama 
. We need some basic noise etiquette 101 for everyone. This guy just wants some peace and quiet at his own house, but nobody's listening 
. Poor dude needs a break from the blender lady...
5:30 am is just not a reasonable hour for blending smoothies, even if you're a morning person... but is it really your girlfriend's fault that she can't plan ahead and blend her stuff before the quiet hours? 
i think she had no right to get defensive when he bought that portable blender for her car lol. anyway, the whole situation got way out of hand and now they're probably stuck in a cycle of passive-aggressive sniping... shouldn't they just have an open convo about what works for everyone? 
This is so relatable. I mean, who hasn't been woken up by a loud blender at 5:30 a.m.? It's not like the guy was being unreasonable asking for some quiet hours. But at the same time, you gotta respect that his girlfriend needs her smoothies and has to get them somehow.
I feel bad for this guy, he's literally at his breaking point with his girlfriend over something that seems so simple... 
But at the same time, I can see why she would feel like he's being controlling. It's a fine line between compromise and not giving each other any space. 
it's all about communication, right? like having an open convo with your partner instead of just dismissing each other's feelings. and yeah, $40 portable blender was a pretty drastic move lmao 
. And let's be real, 5:30 a.m. is early, even for the most die-hard morning person 
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. But honestly, it's not about controlling food habits, it's about respecting each other's space and finding a compromise. My girlfriend and I have different sleep schedules too, but we just use earplugs and noise-cancelling headphones - it's all about finding what works for you guys 
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