When I was a junior in college and moved into my first apartment, the combination of thin walls and the overall loudness of the boys in the unit next door made me privy to every aspect of their lives.
I could hear them so clearly, I know what movie they were watching the night before, if one of them spilled something on the other's laptop, and even who was fighting with their girlfriend that week.
The fact is, there are a lot of apartment buildings with thin walls, meaning everyone can hear everything. Sometimes, this is just annoying: too much noise when all you want is some quiet.
However, every now and then, you overhear something interesting and funny. Redditors certainly have, and they are eager to share!
It all started when Redditor EskildDood asked:
"Redditors with thin walls, what have you heard in your apartment?"
How To Save A Life
"In college, I lived in a crappy apartment nearby the school, that was mostly populated by students. Halfway to class one day, I realized I forgot a book and had to rush back to my apartment to get it. As I was running up the stairs (which shared a wall with the stairs in the next door apartment, which mirrored my own) I could have sworn I heard someone yelling. I ignored it and ran to my room to grab my book. As I clambered downstairs, again I heard yelling, and I paused to listen. I heard some unintelligible moaning, and eventually heard the words “help me,” weakly groaned from the stairs next door. I rushed out and tried their door, but it was locked. I totally forgot about my class and ran to the apartment management office, hoping that someone was there."
"A manager was, thank goodness, and after I explained the situation, she grabbed her master keys and we booked it back to my neighbor’s place. She opened the door and the poor guy was laying in the stairwell (it was one of the ones that goes up halfway to the second floor, then turns 90 degrees for the rest of the way), clearly having fallen. I called 911 while the manager ran over to the guy. Ambulance came and picked him up, and I later learned that he had fallen down the stairs after passing into a brief diabetic coma. I guess he hadn’t eaten in some time; I don’t know too much about how diabetes works. Anyhow, to this day, I feel grateful that I forgot that book. That poor guy could have died, slumped halfway down the stairs with his face in the carpet."
"Edited to add: also, relevant to the thread, I was grateful for the thin walls. Just for that though. Thin walls suck."
– thatdanglion
I Know What You Did Last Workday
"my old neighbour was a cam girl and I could hear absolutely everything she said in every single session for a good 4 months. pretty much learned the names of her clients. I work from home and it was always a gamble whenever I had to meet with someone virtually."
– hausofelle
Roommate Woes
"I once heard a former roommate laughing with his then-girlfriend about how they're screwing me over on money. Turned out they were taking my utility portion and buying various games and alcohol."
"Instead of confronting them, I confirmed what they said with the utility company (they hadn't paid the bill in 2 months) and I moved all my stuff out that day while they were at work. For good measure, I took myself off the lease and told them about the GF that had been there 6 months."
– Azurko
Well, Duh!
"I once heard an argument that went a little like this:"
""Stop treating me like I'm stupid!""
""You asked if Seahorses were mammals, Jessica!""
""THEY GIVE LIVE BIRTH.""
– ApplepieButterfly
"I was at a bookstore once and a strange couple walked by. I wonder if it was them, because I overheard"
""Tinkerbelle is half fairy, half PIXIE, Jessica, geez!""
– toktobis
The Day The Music Died
"I actually manage an apartment complex where my office is surrounded by a one bedroom unit. The building is old and the walls are thin. The tenant that used to live in the unit was a quiet man but would frequently sing beautiful opera music. His voice was amazing and I loved it every time I heard him sing!"
"Then one time I saw him in the halls and made the mistake of asking if he was the one who sang these beautiful opera songs. His face turned red but he confirmed that it was him. I told him that I always enjoyed it when I heard him sing and that it would always brighten my day."
"Never should have said anything because I never heard him sing again."
– Deleted User
He Will Always Be Her Kid
""William! We do not hit!"""
"His mom was visiting. He was 30."
– HungryLikeTheWolf99
"Poor mom, I feel bad for laughing at this."
– Deleted User
Ain't That The Truth
"“Yeah girl, you know you want this.”"
"My college roommate. 3 kids later it’s apparent she did, in fact, want it."
– stannndarsh
We Know Who Won That One
"Heard the couple next door arguing. The wife was furious because she realized he had been cheating on her after she found out she had chlamydia. He tried to convince her that she must have been the unfaithful one. She still lives there. He doesn't."
– thedesertnomad
I Know What You're Up To
"I moved from far away, so I have a different state license plate than everyone else at the apartment complex. A couple of days ago I head my upstairs neighbor drunkenly ranting to his wife about what he thinks I'm up to. He's convinced that I'm on the run from something. I'm just in grad school lmao."
– greatergood2019
"Grad school...for crime!"
– recumbent_mike
Oh My God!
""Gina, I love you! Gina no! Gina, dammit put the knife down!!" At this point, both the apartments adjoining to Gina's called the police. Gina's husband decided to spend the night elsewhere."
– oldmuttsysadmin
"Had this exact thing happen about 12 years ago when I was pregnant with my oldest. I was tired, so laid down for a nap, trying to ignore the action movie hubby was watching."
"After somehow falling asleep for a while, I end up waking up to a male voice going, "No, please, put down the knife! Can't we talk about this?" And then a dramatic outcry that sounded as if he'd been stabbed."
"Figured hubby was still watching the action movie, go out to the kitchen for a snack, see the TV is off. I freak out and tell him what I heard, and we call the police. We never heard anything about it after that though."
– Siferra84
Bullseye!
"I lived next to a couple some years ago and they came home after a night out and started fighting about who was better at darts. I thought they were joking but it got pretty heated. Doors were slammed."
"Edit: Since people are asking, they were playing darts at the bar earlier that night. From what I could tell they were playing as a team and the boyfriend wasn't pulling his weight and was super defensive about it (had an off night, allegedly). The girlfriend was mad he couldn't accept she was better. I'm no detective but think they had some relationship issues bigger than darts."
– Aromatic_Bird
The Alarm Worked...
"More what my neighbour heard...I'm a deep sleeper and was an even deeper sleeper as a teenager. My phone alarm was going off for 30 minutes and my neighbours could hear it through the walls, assumed it was a burglar alarm and called the police. Waking up to the police banging on my door was confusing."
– iMac_Hunt
Yikes!
""Everyone in my family thinks you're gay!""
""I am though?""
""Well we haven't told them yet, so tone it down a bit.""
– mollymuppet78
Spaghetti Policy
""F*ck you, man! If you don't like spaghetti, then you don't like me!""
– xaanthar
"Preach"
– LockoutFFA
I can't stop laughing at that last one!
Do you have any thin wall stories to share? Let us know in the comments below.
@reluctantmutant/X
@zdroberts/X
