Darth Wader
23-06-2009, 09:20 PM
I need a little advice in relation to a topic that is, I'm sure, close to all our hearts.
One of my neighbours, perhaps encouraging a nocturnal evolutionary path for the human race, has decided that the dim glow of the stars is offensive and needs to be washed out by two porch lights so bright that moths burst into flames upon crossing the fence line. This has been achieved by disabling the sensor on these lights and allowing them to remain on permanently, seemingly for the benefit of the entire neighbourhood. This person has also rather gallantly decided to cut down the tree obscuring a third light in order to share it with his neighbours, in case any of us required a nightlight so bright that one could read a book by it from behind drawn curtains with a blanket over their head. This new arrangement will be fantastic when my baby is born - now I'll be able to spend the whole night holding her while we're both wide awake! These glorious beacons in the night have also been instrumental in ensuring that the local wildlife become even more disheveled by human encroachment upon their habitat, which is truly entertaining when the birds delightfully begin to sing two hours before the sun comes up. Now we don't need alarm clocks, hurrah! As an added bonus, hunting DSO's in my backyard has just become so much more challenging! Why would I want to go to a dark sky site when I can hold a "highly improbable Messier hunt" right here in my backyard? No more hunting for supermassive stars people, I've already discovered the three brightest objects in the Universe - Alpha, Beta and Gamma Pollutis!
I would love to make my local council aware of his deeds but I don't know if it's perhaps wiser to leave him a note reminding him of the services he provides. I don't want to speak to him personally for fear that the light particles emitted by other devices in his home may be so intense they would destroy me upon setting foot on the stoop.
In all seriousness, I'm reluctant to address this person face to face because I've had run-ins with less than savoury neighbours in the past about things like barking dogs and rubbish, which have ended in retaliation (I know I sound like the neighbourhood crank, but I assure you I'm really not!). It's not nice. These lights shine right into our nursery and even though I've exaggerated a lot, they really are very bright and disruptive, which also impedes my stargazing abilities. The lights are on every single night.
What would you do, leave an anonymous note politely asking him to turn them off when not in use, then contact the council if there is no improvement, or just contact the council first?
One of my neighbours, perhaps encouraging a nocturnal evolutionary path for the human race, has decided that the dim glow of the stars is offensive and needs to be washed out by two porch lights so bright that moths burst into flames upon crossing the fence line. This has been achieved by disabling the sensor on these lights and allowing them to remain on permanently, seemingly for the benefit of the entire neighbourhood. This person has also rather gallantly decided to cut down the tree obscuring a third light in order to share it with his neighbours, in case any of us required a nightlight so bright that one could read a book by it from behind drawn curtains with a blanket over their head. This new arrangement will be fantastic when my baby is born - now I'll be able to spend the whole night holding her while we're both wide awake! These glorious beacons in the night have also been instrumental in ensuring that the local wildlife become even more disheveled by human encroachment upon their habitat, which is truly entertaining when the birds delightfully begin to sing two hours before the sun comes up. Now we don't need alarm clocks, hurrah! As an added bonus, hunting DSO's in my backyard has just become so much more challenging! Why would I want to go to a dark sky site when I can hold a "highly improbable Messier hunt" right here in my backyard? No more hunting for supermassive stars people, I've already discovered the three brightest objects in the Universe - Alpha, Beta and Gamma Pollutis!
I would love to make my local council aware of his deeds but I don't know if it's perhaps wiser to leave him a note reminding him of the services he provides. I don't want to speak to him personally for fear that the light particles emitted by other devices in his home may be so intense they would destroy me upon setting foot on the stoop.
In all seriousness, I'm reluctant to address this person face to face because I've had run-ins with less than savoury neighbours in the past about things like barking dogs and rubbish, which have ended in retaliation (I know I sound like the neighbourhood crank, but I assure you I'm really not!). It's not nice. These lights shine right into our nursery and even though I've exaggerated a lot, they really are very bright and disruptive, which also impedes my stargazing abilities. The lights are on every single night.
What would you do, leave an anonymous note politely asking him to turn them off when not in use, then contact the council if there is no improvement, or just contact the council first?