Washing Machine Complaint Escalates Into Dispute Over Crying Baby
A Redditor says a complaint about his washing machine turned into a broader argument about his neighbors’ crying baby during an annual residents’ meeting. The user, u/National-Honeydew657, shared the account on r/AmItheAsshole, where users ask whether they were wrong in a particular situation.
The post received more than 5,400 upvotes and 900 comments. According to u/National-Honeydew657, he moved into a small apartment building with eight units about six months ago. His next-door neighbors have a baby who, he said, cries frequently, although he had never complained about the sound.
“My next-door neighbours have a baby, which I assume was born around the time I moved in. The baby cries a lot, but I’ve never complained because that’s just what babies do,” he wrote.
Neighbors Raise Washing Machine Noise at Residents’ Meeting
The dispute began when the neighbors reportedly brought up the noise from his washing machine at the building’s annual meeting. The Redditor acknowledged that he sometimes used the appliance during the building’s designated quiet hours, but said the neighbors had not previously told him that it disturbed them.
“Out of nowhere, my neighbours told me that my washing machine is very loud and that I use it during quiet hours,” he wrote. “They’re right, but they never told me it bothered them. If they had, I would have simply done my laundry at a different time.”
Frustrated that the issue was raised publicly, u/National-Honeydew657 said he responded by mentioning the neighbors’ baby and pointing out that he had never complained about the crying coming from their apartment.
According to his account, the remark prompted other residents to discuss the baby’s crying as well. The meeting became heated, and the baby’s mother eventually began crying. The property manager then ended the meeting without resolving the noise dispute.
“Nothing was really resolved there, but I now feel pretty bad about starting the whole debate,” the Redditor wrote. “They could have told me about the washing machine before bringing it up publicly, but they’re probably just exhausted parents.”
Redditors Debate Whether the Response Was Fair
Commenters on r/AmItheAsshole debated whether the Redditor was wrong to mention the baby after the neighbors complained about his washing machine. Many sided with u/National-Honeydew657 and judged him “NTA,” meaning “not the a—ole” under Reddit’s terminology.
Other commenters emphasized that a crying baby and a washing machine produce different kinds of noise. Some argued that parents generally cannot control when a baby cries, while the timing of laundry can be changed to avoid quiet hours.
The discussion also focused on the neighbors’ decision to raise the washing-machine issue at the residents’ meeting instead of speaking privately with the Redditor first. At the same time, the original poster acknowledged that his response helped expand the disagreement beyond the initial complaint.
No Agreement Reported After the Meeting
The meeting ended with multiple residents discussing the baby’s crying and the baby’s mother becoming upset. The Redditor did not provide an update on whether he and his neighbors later discussed the washing machine or reached an agreement about quiet hours.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in the Reddit post. The account is based solely on u/National-Honeydew657’s description of the dispute with his neighbors.
Why This Matters
The discussion highlights a common source of tension in shared housing: the difference between noise that can be scheduled, such as laundry, and noise that may be difficult for residents to control, such as a baby crying. It also shows how raising a complaint publicly, rather than addressing it privately, can turn a specific building rule into a wider personal conflict.
In this case, the residents’ meeting did not produce a reported solution. The available account does not indicate whether the neighbors later established clearer expectations about washing-machine use or quiet hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the dispute take place?
The dispute was discussed during an annual residents’ meeting in a small apartment building with eight units.
What did the neighbors complain about?
They reportedly complained that u/National-Honeydew657’s washing machine was very loud and was being used during quiet hours.
What was the Reddit verdict?
Many commenters judged the Redditor “NTA,” meaning “not the a—ole,” although others said a crying baby should not be compared with appliance noise because laundry can be rescheduled.
