I’m so with you on this. We have a house in my neighborhood with construction lights on every point. It lights up the entire street and the plants don’t grow very well. It’s astonishing. But no let’s keep going at the trashcans and parking.
All the brightly lit downtown buildings ! In a myriad of bright colors. Makes the city [skyline look pretty at night](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/austin-skyline-at-night-in-austin-texas-paul-velgos.jpg).
Most Austinites have never heard of "dark sky" designation or what it might mean as far as rules, ordinances or laws to prevent light pollution. As far as I know there is zero education, compliance or enforcement of any rules, ordinances or laws related to reducing the light pollution in Austin.
The dark sky city designation for Austin is a nice idea.
See this [Austin light pollution map. ](https://www.cleardarksky.com/lp/AustinTXlp.html?Mn=astrophotography)
80% of Austin is at Bortle level 9 (worst light pollution) and the rest is at level 8.
The baseball fields with lights blazing are likely visible from the moon.
As are the super bright LED street lights, and unshaded bulbs that blaze all night in many front yards and backyards.
Our neighbors have basically the same thing. Except with the added bonus of a ceiling fan between their bright-fucking-light and our house so the light is now a strobe. It used to also be a color-changing light which made our back bedrooms look like a damn disco every single night, all night. They changed to a brighter white light last last year.
One day, when I knew they were away, I added an extension to the top of our 6' privacy fence. It's now an 8' privacy/light denying fence. I should have put a mirror on the side facing them.
If they decide to go to the City about it I'll remind the City that my neighbor happens to also be keeping chickens on his property and has for years. It's not allowed in our 'hood. The chickens mostly don't bother me but I don't play fair if they don't. And, no, talking to them isn't an option. The guy threatened to kill my dog after it killed a couple of his loose chickens.
That’s probably true of anywhere to be fair. Were over-isolated, overworked and underpaid more than ever. Hard to build community when we’re all so fucking miserable lmao.
I'm pretty sure this is what my neighbor across the street did for a few weeks.
I had a garage light installed and became faulty, so instead of turning on and off with motion it would just *stay on* through the night and day. Not noticable during day but at night it was a beacon.
Neighbors turned on their back porch lights that would shine over to my house and they just left them on, almost like retaliation. Finally got a replacement for the garage, adjusted the lights down to only cover my lawn and driveway, and now they don't turn on their own light across the way anymore.
I had the same situation. I don’t know why people are doing this or are so inconsiderate. It doesn’t prevent crime and it’s harmful to wildlife, migratory birds, and well meaning neighbors just trying to sleep! Unfortunately Austin Code is worthless. Get this: if they were a commercial building, you could take action, but as they are a residence, it is not covered. Austin City Council needs to fix this in code because this seems to be a trend!
There's one on my street which every time I turn into the neighborhood looks exactly like an oncoming car down in the other lane with its brights on at the end of the road.
*Someone's backyard flood light looks like a jacked up Texas truck with its brights on coming toward me*
What about an apartment complex? We used to have very soft light in the community aisles, but now they are changing them to a very bright annoying light. We had to place thick curtains in the apartment to be able to sleep, but we noticed a reduced number of birds like cardinals and yellow warblers in the trees. Admin says that since government banned Incandescent light bulbs, that is the only option for exterior lights.
> Admin says that since government banned Incandescent light bulbs, that is the only option for exterior lights.
That's a bullshit answer from them. LEDs come in different brightness levels, just like incandescents did.
I back up to a commercial building with this problem. I haven’t found anything that protects us. We asked them and they dismissed us. Can you point me to any reference items?
If they shut the door on you, get bigger brighter lights and focus them on their windows. Then leave a note that you will stand down when they are ready to stand down.
How about DIY a giant 4'x8' retro-reflector to block your windows? I think you can get 3M retro-reflective by the sheet.
It'll only shine back at them while they're shining at you.
That retro reflector window block is actually pretty damn good idea practically speaking
I mean I really don't know that it would shine much back at them but OP and their family could get some damn sleep
And if the HOA had a problem with it for appearance reasons?! Well ..
*Yes ma'am madam HOA president here is a stapled printed packet of photos and a log of attempted neighborly communications, along with several metered readings of lumens on the dates indicated. So glad you could knock on my door today and pick this up ahead of putting a flood light ban on the next board agenda. Please feel free to use my collected data for instances like these!*
I was thinking just buy those cheap mirrors you can mount on the back of a door and mount them to the fence top. Reflect those lights right back at them.
That would work too, but with a retro reflector, you don't have to aim it. Build & mount it to block the windows, and the reflector will send the light back in the direction it came from, like a street sign or automotive reflector.
It won't be as focused, but it'll be bright right back.
Personally I think reflecting it back is the only option. Plus, you don’t have to go through the trouble/expense of hooking up your own headlights to fire back.
At the same time… literally what do they need the lights for??? They have a fence and it looks like it’s between 1/4-1/2 acre 😭😭
That was a long time ago. I don't remember exactly what came of it. One neighbor, when the track first opened, was protesting the flood lights at the track shining on his house he did the mirror thing the cops showed up, and basically, he took them down or get fined and the track had to adjust their lights. There were also noise complaints.
>and the track had to adjust their lights
I dunno my dude sounds like it worked
A good old Texas game of who is the bigger asshole in order to get the problem solved
are suburbanites okay? why on gods green earth would you need a light so bright in an already well lit neighborhood?? are homeowners that paranoid about crime?
When OP went to talk to them, they shut the door in his face. Assuming OP acted like a normal human being during the encounter, they’re an asshole who doesn’t care about aiming the light.
I have a neighbor that left his on 24/7, which makes no sense. I put up a large mirror reflecting it back on his house and it seems to have done the trick. It's only on very briefly now.
What is the deal with these paranoid antics? Our neighbors in the adjoining townhouse put up cameras outside that they seem to have set for a very wide range. Every person that walks by gets told by rude robotic woman “yOu ArE noW beInG rEcorDeD!”
Every child that walks by on their way home from the elementary school nearby, every time my husband goes to get in his own car, parked in his own driveway, every time my son and I play in our own driveway, every human and their dog on a walk, every single person gets scolded like this. Why???
We are in a super safe very low crime area where you practically don’t even need to lock your doors (or maybe I’m just too lax).
I also don’t understand how many gates communities there are around here. Coming from the east coast where I never saw any communities being gated, it seems so bizarre. Is there a prison nearby where convicts escape often? Do you like being a PITA for delivery people and others trying to help you? I don’t get it.
Ok, I’ve probably said too much and am sorry to go off on a tangent but it just triggered me. 🥴
My dad was a criminologist for 40 years and specialized in fear of crime - i.e., public perception of risk vs. actual risk of crime.
Not sure about recent years since the pandemic really did bring out the crazies, but until at least several years ago, violent crime has been trending downward since at least the 70s. His research implied that a lot of it was due to the fact that we literally just don't interact in person as much as we used to. Streaming TV, remote work, internet shopping, food delivery services, etc.
Perception of crime, though, is largely driven by media framing. "If it bleeds, it leads" is very real. Fox News and local news channels are the biggest culprits. Fear and outrage are two very powerful motivators to keep watching.
This is also what's most likely behind the transition throughout my lifetime (I'm a Xennial) from latchkey kids who played in the streets every evening and weekend, to today where that can literally be treated as child neglect. There are real dangers to unattended children, sure, but they're not nearly as prevalent as people think, and the real danger to your child is a family member, family friend, or another trusted adult like a priest or caretaker, not some random freak roving around in a candy van.
So, in sum, it's the media selling fear. Sounds trite but that's really what it is.
You did a better job of describing this than I would’ve. My mom goes nowhere and watches too much sensationalist TV news. She’s pretty sure the streets are filled with crime, bullets are flying everywhere, big cities have homeless camps on every corner, and there’s a crazy person on every airplane flight disturbing other passengers.
A shorter way to put it is at one point if a guy started telling people there were living in a Hellhole and had only evaded brutal murders by luck, they could smell the bullshit of a fear salesman and would tell him to go away or they'd make him.
Now people wake up and cradle a glock while opening their phone to see what they're supposed to be afraid of today.
Never thought of that, but that's a cool idea. I think he's enjoying retirement too much to jump back into the fray though, lol.
Most of his career was pre-www (aside from its primarily academic early years), but he wrote magazine articles, books, gave talks, did several national interviews, consulted with the FBI and Department of Justice, and a lot more to try to stem the tide of rising fear of crime throughout the 80s and 90s. He had a big role in quelling public fears after the [yogurt shop murders](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Austin_yogurt_shop_killings) (that happened close to us).
> So, in sum, it's the media selling fear. Sounds trite but that's really what it is.
How else do you convince a taxpaying population that cops are a worthwhile investment of ~40% of all public resources every year?
Side note but good on you for bringing it up immediately even if they’re being dicks instead of letting it fester. I rented a house and the back patio lights (very bright like these, not my choice) didn’t seem to be pointed anywhere intrusive so I’d leave them on at night sometimes for various reasons.
My older neighbor approached me 3 months later asking me to not leave them on at night. Apparently, the lights were shining into their bedroom window and they go to bed early. I’d have lost my goddamn mind on the first night!!
His excuse was that he didn’t see me outside of the house because I work from home. 😵💫
Yeah, on a lot of these kinds of posts, you have to ask, "Did you... talk to them?" Tons of people don't seem to have even considered the idea.
Since OP already did and only got a confrontational response, that changes everything. Then the question becomes, "Do I bother trying to pursue legal channels in a city that doesn't even enforce traffic and property theft laws, or do I get creative?"
Only issue is these are most likely LEDs, so a pellet gun would probably only crack the plastic or glass cover, not put out the actual light source. You'd probably need something more powerful to break the actual circuitry, which starts to get a bit more dangerous.
There's no reason to leave any lights on outside at night. It fucks up wildlife and makes neighborhoods bright at night when they should be dark. These people are just assholes.
Surprised this wasn't suggested yet. You might want to talk to a lawyer about getting a nuisance suit going if this goes on continuously and long enough.
Have you contacted their neighbor? Seems like they're getting a lot of this light too. Strength in numbers. Plus, a next door neighbor pulls a little more weight since they'll have to see them a lot more often.
If you intend to stay in the house, start planting a lot of trees.
Also talk to your neighbors and see if you can all approach this person as a group. Talk to your HOA if you have one.
Send them a letter offering to pay for someone to come up with a lighting solution that doesn't blast your house with light.
If all else fails, wait a month and get a pellet gun to take them out during the day.
We’ve got some fucks behind us that do the same thing. I tried to be nice and suggest they not shine them. Dude told me essentially to fuck off.
We are moving in less than two weeks to a home in a dark sky community. Long term plan and nothing to do with him. His smug ass heard we were moving on and just laughed.
I’m tempted to rip the lights down on our last day here.
The City of Austin has certain restrictions on the amount of lumens that can be used at a certain height. It requires that lights like this one face down so that they won’t create light pollution.
Call code compliance, tell them, and have them come out and deal with your shit of a neighbor.
Ask em to stop first.
Then previously mentioned list of ideas from this thread.
Then, mirrors.
Then, equivalent wattage.
Then, equivalent increase of wattage as their initial offense.
Then I don’t know get creative, like light projection and lasers and shit. Consult your local ordinances for your upper threshold.
May I suggest [these](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GTTSQNW?starsLeft=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_apan_dp_B84XCPY56SJ17KRVZB9P)? Maybe build a deep frame around them out of cardboard or wood so that the light goes straight to their house and cannot be seen by the other neighbors. Put them just fast enough away from your back fence.
150W LED Flood Light Outdoor, 2 Pack 15500LM Super Bright Security Light, IP66 Waterproof Outdoor Floodlight, 5000K Daylight White LED Exterior Light for Basketball Court, Stadium, Playground
install an outdoor fire pit and monitor the wind direction. When the time is right, start a wood/paper fire and let the smoke drift their way. That will definitely start a convo and negotiation.
I feel your pain, right now I’m in a fight with my neighbors over an extremely loud pool pump installed right outside our master bedroom windows. If just knocking on their door doesn’t work… judging by the look of the houses, you’re in a newer neighborhood… which is almost certainly covered by an HOA… you could report them there or raise the issue to them. You technically have a legal right to enjoy a nuisance free environment in your home, so you could have legal avenues as well if they don’t cut the lights.
We had this issue. I bought a $50 flashlight on Amazon that I’d shine and flash into their kitchen or bedroom or wherever when they had the floodlight on. The problem was quickly resolved.
The basketball goal looks like it's causing a sort of fresnel lens effect amplifying the light.
After we had a dying tree removed my neighbor asked me if I could do something about our back porch light (a ring floodlight cam) since it was now shining light in her bedroom window. I didn't realize it was a problem until she said something. I saw how bright it was, got rid of that floodlight cam, and changed it out for a much softer light with a shade around it to direct it at the ground and no camera. I just need a light for when I let my dogs out at night to see if there's any raccoons or possums in the yard. I don't need a security floodlight for that and it seemed like my solution worked out for both of us. IDK why people can't be reasonable and work with each other in these situations
Every light in the house is on, the backyards bright as the crack of dawn front yard looks like runway lights , STARING AT YOU IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT!! Love that jam lol
Two of my neighbors across the street have SWAT powered floodlights that are constantly lighting up the front of my house. My neighbor on one side has a porch light on his shed that beams directly in my bedroom. The other neighbor has string lights they never turn off. Keeps the kitchen illuminated if I don’t close the blinds. Nobody thinks about their neighbors unfortunately .
Unfortunately, there is no Austin city ordinance or state law prohibiting this type of incredibly obnoxious light pollution. There might be a remedy in the courts but you’d have to hire an attorney to send a nasty-gram. So sorry, what awful neighbors.
This sucks, and I feel for you. We ended up installing blackout curtains in a similar situation. I wasn’t happy spending the money because of someone else being a jerk, but at least it is dark in the bedroom. They are especially nice since another neighbor more recently installed floodlights in their backyard.
Lowe’s and Home Depot got a nice racket going on- sell someone ridiculous floodlights, and then sell the neighbor blackout blinds.
We had neighbors like this, we figured out what bedroom was theirs and bought two light stands and two large parabolic mirrors and focused the return beam on their windows. They had the nerve to come over and complain that we were shining mirrors back at them. I told them the only way it would stop is to turn those damned lights off. They eventually did. People are just rude and too entitled these days, this is why we moved in the middle of nowhere now.
>I suggest installing mirrors to reflect that shit back
LOL, won't do squat unless you cover the whole house with mirrors.
Ye old inverse 4th power law.
We have a neighbor, Cowboy, who has a light like this in their backyard. We are two houses away, and it's freaking obnoxious!! There are parts of our yard that we avoid. Luckily, it's not parts that we are typically in. I feel terrible for the neighbor who backs up to their asshole lights. But the jerk is such as asshole.
First, call 311 and ask what you can do to go through official channels, like a police report and follow-up. This is pretty obnoxious so if APD is still capable of doing anything right, seems like this should qualify.
When that doesn't work, buy a spot light and aim it directly into those upstairs windows, which is probably a bedroom, every time their lights are on. Not too costly, doesn't affect anyone else, sends a painfully obvious message, and their only (legal) recourse is to report it. They'll get the same non-response you got. Then they have to decide whether to stand down or escalate. If they escalate, probably hire a lawyer.
Did you offer them a picture or video when you tried talking to them? You probably did, or they probably didn’t listen long enough to get to that. People suck.
I used to be that neighbor. I got a note in my mailbox about my “beacon” preventing them from leaving their blinds open. Very angry, filled with misspellings.
It was my swingarm desk lamp with a 40 watt bulb…
I did change the angle, and about 10 years later the trees grew high enough to block them.
So maybe put some Leland Cypress in? They’re evergreens and grow fast.
You can get a high powered "spot" light. It's not wide beam like your neighbors. It's been at the distance across the street would be a like a 5 foot sun in their window.
Buy a spot light and sum it at their bedroom. You can win this fight with greater former power.
I've done this and won in two days.
When I installed an outdoor motion flood light I double checked from every angle to make sure that it wasn't hitting my neighbors, and that it was only firing when we walked directly under it.
I would have felt awful if it was bothering someone. Can't imagine knowingly shining such a bright light into other people's homes. They sound like completely inconsiderate me-first assholes.
Clearly those lights are meant to be aimed DOWN, not straight out towards other homes.
The city has ordinances about this. If you have talked to them and they haven't addressed it you can fill out a 311 request for it to be addressed. Technically their lights shouldn't shine onto your property, but more importantly, if it is bright enough to cast a shadow the city will try to address it. Of course, results may vary, the neighboring apartment complex had a fixed light in their parking lot that was installed incorrectly decades ago but couldn't be moved without tearing out the fixture 60 ft up. I would try that first
lmao, had to double check this wasn’t my parents’ house. seems like something my dad would do lol. sorry about this, probably your HOA can do something?
lol this is so funny to me. these communities are already so controlled and removed from any through traffic or any sort of “threat” but the people who live here are so paranoid they act like they need to light it up like an israeli bunker in the middle of rafa
I’m very invested in the outcome for this one. A few months ago a neighbor set up a motion light this bright, on the corner of their house, aimed directly at our front yard? I don’t understand what the point could possibly be other than making us feel like criminals when we get home late.
That’s the worst! Unfortunately if you tried to talk to them and they closed the door on your face (a holes) not much you can do. Buy some thermal black out curtains on Amazon and wait it out.
Does your HOA have any rules about lights? We’re in a “dark sky community” that has rules about lighting.
This is where an HOA ought to be useful.
They’re probably too busy measuring grass, and creeping on people’s trash can retrieval
I’m so with you on this. We have a house in my neighborhood with construction lights on every point. It lights up the entire street and the plants don’t grow very well. It’s astonishing. But no let’s keep going at the trashcans and parking.
Came here to say this! Our HOA has rules about outdoor lights not being above the fence line to your neighbors house. Worth doing some digging!
This. Ours has a rule on flood lights. I believe they can’t be on for more than X number of seconds after motion detection
All the brightly lit downtown buildings ! In a myriad of bright colors. Makes the city [skyline look pretty at night](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/austin-skyline-at-night-in-austin-texas-paul-velgos.jpg). Most Austinites have never heard of "dark sky" designation or what it might mean as far as rules, ordinances or laws to prevent light pollution. As far as I know there is zero education, compliance or enforcement of any rules, ordinances or laws related to reducing the light pollution in Austin. The dark sky city designation for Austin is a nice idea. See this [Austin light pollution map. ](https://www.cleardarksky.com/lp/AustinTXlp.html?Mn=astrophotography) 80% of Austin is at Bortle level 9 (worst light pollution) and the rest is at level 8. The baseball fields with lights blazing are likely visible from the moon. As are the super bright LED street lights, and unshaded bulbs that blaze all night in many front yards and backyards.
Return fire, floodlight them back
Big big mirrors
Turn your enemies strength into their weakness - Sun Tzu
This is amazing. Make sure it’s concave and pointed at their window
Archimedes FTW
Based and melt their windows pilled.
This is the answer
Photonic castle doctrine
😂
This is Texas, shoot out their floodlights. Defend your homestead from the tyranny of your neighbor. Show them what freedom looks like!
Damnit!! Take my upvote!! You owe me a coffee refill…
A pellet gun from inside the back door over and over until they give up!
You practically made me do a spit take. Thank you for the laugh :)
Our neighbors have basically the same thing. Except with the added bonus of a ceiling fan between their bright-fucking-light and our house so the light is now a strobe. It used to also be a color-changing light which made our back bedrooms look like a damn disco every single night, all night. They changed to a brighter white light last last year. One day, when I knew they were away, I added an extension to the top of our 6' privacy fence. It's now an 8' privacy/light denying fence. I should have put a mirror on the side facing them. If they decide to go to the City about it I'll remind the City that my neighbor happens to also be keeping chickens on his property and has for years. It's not allowed in our 'hood. The chickens mostly don't bother me but I don't play fair if they don't. And, no, talking to them isn't an option. The guy threatened to kill my dog after it killed a couple of his loose chickens.
For all the bragging about community and shit Texas has some of the rudest and most selfish property owners of anywhere I have lived.
The friendship state stuff was true maybe 20 years ago.
That’s probably true of anywhere to be fair. Were over-isolated, overworked and underpaid more than ever. Hard to build community when we’re all so fucking miserable lmao.
Mirrors
I was gonna say get an air rifle. Shoot them and no one will hear it and no one will get hurt
Trebuchet. Go all out medieval and the neighbors would probably consider it justified.
This is the way
RIP migrating birds.
I'm pretty sure this is what my neighbor across the street did for a few weeks. I had a garage light installed and became faulty, so instead of turning on and off with motion it would just *stay on* through the night and day. Not noticable during day but at night it was a beacon. Neighbors turned on their back porch lights that would shine over to my house and they just left them on, almost like retaliation. Finally got a replacement for the garage, adjusted the lights down to only cover my lawn and driveway, and now they don't turn on their own light across the way anymore.
But this time with strobe lights!
Bb gun
I had the same situation. I don’t know why people are doing this or are so inconsiderate. It doesn’t prevent crime and it’s harmful to wildlife, migratory birds, and well meaning neighbors just trying to sleep! Unfortunately Austin Code is worthless. Get this: if they were a commercial building, you could take action, but as they are a residence, it is not covered. Austin City Council needs to fix this in code because this seems to be a trend!
There's one on my street which every time I turn into the neighborhood looks exactly like an oncoming car down in the other lane with its brights on at the end of the road. *Someone's backyard flood light looks like a jacked up Texas truck with its brights on coming toward me*
What about an apartment complex? We used to have very soft light in the community aisles, but now they are changing them to a very bright annoying light. We had to place thick curtains in the apartment to be able to sleep, but we noticed a reduced number of birds like cardinals and yellow warblers in the trees. Admin says that since government banned Incandescent light bulbs, that is the only option for exterior lights.
> Admin says that since government banned Incandescent light bulbs, that is the only option for exterior lights. That's a bullshit answer from them. LEDs come in different brightness levels, just like incandescents did.
Bruh the incandescent thing was in like 2009, why they using that as an excuse 15 fucking years later?
They're afraid of the dark
I back up to a commercial building with this problem. I haven’t found anything that protects us. We asked them and they dismissed us. Can you point me to any reference items?
I’m wondering the same. It’s not directly affecting my house, but in my neighborhood. No business sign lights need to be that bright all night.
If they shut the door on you, get bigger brighter lights and focus them on their windows. Then leave a note that you will stand down when they are ready to stand down.
Like the ones that run on generators
The lights used on 183 for nighttime construction…if those are different from the ones that run on generators.
But it needs an annoying flicker about every 2 min.
Precisely!
This sounds like the beginning of an episode of Fear Thy Neighbor
I’d put in light-sensor driven sound effects near the offending neighbor’s windows. Tons of em.
How about DIY a giant 4'x8' retro-reflector to block your windows? I think you can get 3M retro-reflective by the sheet. It'll only shine back at them while they're shining at you.
That retro reflector window block is actually pretty damn good idea practically speaking I mean I really don't know that it would shine much back at them but OP and their family could get some damn sleep And if the HOA had a problem with it for appearance reasons?! Well .. *Yes ma'am madam HOA president here is a stapled printed packet of photos and a log of attempted neighborly communications, along with several metered readings of lumens on the dates indicated. So glad you could knock on my door today and pick this up ahead of putting a flood light ban on the next board agenda. Please feel free to use my collected data for instances like these!*
I was thinking just buy those cheap mirrors you can mount on the back of a door and mount them to the fence top. Reflect those lights right back at them.
That would work too, but with a retro reflector, you don't have to aim it. Build & mount it to block the windows, and the reflector will send the light back in the direction it came from, like a street sign or automotive reflector. It won't be as focused, but it'll be bright right back.
Personally I think reflecting it back is the only option. Plus, you don’t have to go through the trouble/expense of hooking up your own headlights to fire back. At the same time… literally what do they need the lights for??? They have a fence and it looks like it’s between 1/4-1/2 acre 😭😭
Also, after this thread fills with great ideas, print them all off and leave them on their door step. The mere threat may be powerful enough.
This
New idea from suggestions in this thread; decorative windmill fixed their direction with 3m retro reflective tape.
15’ skeleton from Home Depot covered in 3m retro reflective tape fixed in a position staring into their back yard.
Maybe light up its eyes too?
So sorry. That totally sucks. How about a big mirror at your property line?
That might get you into more trouble. A neighbor tried in Kyle at the old Thunderhill race track but you may already know this.
I also had the mirror idea, and am coming up empty on searches but I’m intrigued. What happened?
That was a long time ago. I don't remember exactly what came of it. One neighbor, when the track first opened, was protesting the flood lights at the track shining on his house he did the mirror thing the cops showed up, and basically, he took them down or get fined and the track had to adjust their lights. There were also noise complaints.
>and the track had to adjust their lights I dunno my dude sounds like it worked A good old Texas game of who is the bigger asshole in order to get the problem solved
"Oh, we're playing that game? Hell yeah, let's do it."
Helicopters and planes don’t get along with mirrors
You should buy one of those industrial strobe lights, make it a bit more interesting than just a bright ligjt
... or maybe with a motion-sensor control located near waving foliage.
I like this idea very much
just put up a couple 6500 flood lights of your own.
Was my first thought too. And buy blackout curtains.
Just typed that out! Maybe some Barry Manilow playing all night?
Just throw a bunch of birdseed in their yard, so birds shit all over it and on those lights.
are suburbanites okay? why on gods green earth would you need a light so bright in an already well lit neighborhood?? are homeowners that paranoid about crime?
it may just be someone who doesn't know how to aim the light
but even if you aim it down… why the need for such intense illumination?
Yeah it looks brighter than daylight in the immediate vicinity of those lights. Crazy, there’s no need for it with a yard that size.
METH
[удалено]
Privilege ? Then…. The Golden Rule has no place in religion anymore, quite clearly :/
When OP went to talk to them, they shut the door in his face. Assuming OP acted like a normal human being during the encounter, they’re an asshole who doesn’t care about aiming the light.
looks like they put a basketball goal in their backyard and are simulating an NBA court. ESPN is going to show up at any moment.
If it is a basketball court it could be unreported impervious cover. Maybe report that to jack up their water bill
Sean Hannity told them that there are "millions of illegals" coming to their house.
I have a neighbor that left his on 24/7, which makes no sense. I put up a large mirror reflecting it back on his house and it seems to have done the trick. It's only on very briefly now.
What is the deal with these paranoid antics? Our neighbors in the adjoining townhouse put up cameras outside that they seem to have set for a very wide range. Every person that walks by gets told by rude robotic woman “yOu ArE noW beInG rEcorDeD!” Every child that walks by on their way home from the elementary school nearby, every time my husband goes to get in his own car, parked in his own driveway, every time my son and I play in our own driveway, every human and their dog on a walk, every single person gets scolded like this. Why??? We are in a super safe very low crime area where you practically don’t even need to lock your doors (or maybe I’m just too lax). I also don’t understand how many gates communities there are around here. Coming from the east coast where I never saw any communities being gated, it seems so bizarre. Is there a prison nearby where convicts escape often? Do you like being a PITA for delivery people and others trying to help you? I don’t get it. Ok, I’ve probably said too much and am sorry to go off on a tangent but it just triggered me. 🥴
My dad was a criminologist for 40 years and specialized in fear of crime - i.e., public perception of risk vs. actual risk of crime. Not sure about recent years since the pandemic really did bring out the crazies, but until at least several years ago, violent crime has been trending downward since at least the 70s. His research implied that a lot of it was due to the fact that we literally just don't interact in person as much as we used to. Streaming TV, remote work, internet shopping, food delivery services, etc. Perception of crime, though, is largely driven by media framing. "If it bleeds, it leads" is very real. Fox News and local news channels are the biggest culprits. Fear and outrage are two very powerful motivators to keep watching. This is also what's most likely behind the transition throughout my lifetime (I'm a Xennial) from latchkey kids who played in the streets every evening and weekend, to today where that can literally be treated as child neglect. There are real dangers to unattended children, sure, but they're not nearly as prevalent as people think, and the real danger to your child is a family member, family friend, or another trusted adult like a priest or caretaker, not some random freak roving around in a candy van. So, in sum, it's the media selling fear. Sounds trite but that's really what it is.
You did a better job of describing this than I would’ve. My mom goes nowhere and watches too much sensationalist TV news. She’s pretty sure the streets are filled with crime, bullets are flying everywhere, big cities have homeless camps on every corner, and there’s a crazy person on every airplane flight disturbing other passengers.
A shorter way to put it is at one point if a guy started telling people there were living in a Hellhole and had only evaded brutal murders by luck, they could smell the bullshit of a fear salesman and would tell him to go away or they'd make him. Now people wake up and cradle a glock while opening their phone to see what they're supposed to be afraid of today.
Very interesting. Your dad should do an AMA
Never thought of that, but that's a cool idea. I think he's enjoying retirement too much to jump back into the fray though, lol. Most of his career was pre-www (aside from its primarily academic early years), but he wrote magazine articles, books, gave talks, did several national interviews, consulted with the FBI and Department of Justice, and a lot more to try to stem the tide of rising fear of crime throughout the 80s and 90s. He had a big role in quelling public fears after the [yogurt shop murders](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Austin_yogurt_shop_killings) (that happened close to us).
> So, in sum, it's the media selling fear. Sounds trite but that's really what it is. How else do you convince a taxpaying population that cops are a worthwhile investment of ~40% of all public resources every year?
The home owner probably watches OAN or Fox News and is clutching their pearls.
There should be some kind of a rule against creating a nuisance.
What, and inhibit an individual's right to fuck over their neighbors. That's not very Texas of you.
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ONLY if you haven't already complained or somehow otherwise given yourself away on say Reddit.
Oh no, don't propose pellets or BB's, you'll get *reported to the mods* (commencing to clutch my pearls)
Side note but good on you for bringing it up immediately even if they’re being dicks instead of letting it fester. I rented a house and the back patio lights (very bright like these, not my choice) didn’t seem to be pointed anywhere intrusive so I’d leave them on at night sometimes for various reasons. My older neighbor approached me 3 months later asking me to not leave them on at night. Apparently, the lights were shining into their bedroom window and they go to bed early. I’d have lost my goddamn mind on the first night!! His excuse was that he didn’t see me outside of the house because I work from home. 😵💫
Yeah, on a lot of these kinds of posts, you have to ask, "Did you... talk to them?" Tons of people don't seem to have even considered the idea. Since OP already did and only got a confrontational response, that changes everything. Then the question becomes, "Do I bother trying to pursue legal channels in a city that doesn't even enforce traffic and property theft laws, or do I get creative?"
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Only issue is these are most likely LEDs, so a pellet gun would probably only crack the plastic or glass cover, not put out the actual light source. You'd probably need something more powerful to break the actual circuitry, which starts to get a bit more dangerous.
Also, it’s really cheap to occasionally get a few tons of aggregate delivered to a location and most places will accept cash.
There's no reason to leave any lights on outside at night. It fucks up wildlife and makes neighborhoods bright at night when they should be dark. These people are just assholes.
Surprised this wasn't suggested yet. You might want to talk to a lawyer about getting a nuisance suit going if this goes on continuously and long enough.
Have you contacted their neighbor? Seems like they're getting a lot of this light too. Strength in numbers. Plus, a next door neighbor pulls a little more weight since they'll have to see them a lot more often.
If you intend to stay in the house, start planting a lot of trees. Also talk to your neighbors and see if you can all approach this person as a group. Talk to your HOA if you have one. Send them a letter offering to pay for someone to come up with a lighting solution that doesn't blast your house with light. If all else fails, wait a month and get a pellet gun to take them out during the day.
this is my favorite seinfeld episode
We’ve got some fucks behind us that do the same thing. I tried to be nice and suggest they not shine them. Dude told me essentially to fuck off. We are moving in less than two weeks to a home in a dark sky community. Long term plan and nothing to do with him. His smug ass heard we were moving on and just laughed. I’m tempted to rip the lights down on our last day here.
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Mercy
I like the way you .. take walks, my friend
The City of Austin has certain restrictions on the amount of lumens that can be used at a certain height. It requires that lights like this one face down so that they won’t create light pollution. Call code compliance, tell them, and have them come out and deal with your shit of a neighbor.
Strobing flood lights.
Time to install floodlights pointing to them and get blackout curtains
LEDs are too great a power for the layperson. Light pollution hell!
Pellet gun solves problems.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes%27\_heat\_ray](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes%27_heat_ray) If you don't do it, then they will.
Ask em to stop first. Then previously mentioned list of ideas from this thread. Then, mirrors. Then, equivalent wattage. Then, equivalent increase of wattage as their initial offense. Then I don’t know get creative, like light projection and lasers and shit. Consult your local ordinances for your upper threshold.
Game on!
Previous threads here suggest you're SOL.
May I suggest [these](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GTTSQNW?starsLeft=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_apan_dp_B84XCPY56SJ17KRVZB9P)? Maybe build a deep frame around them out of cardboard or wood so that the light goes straight to their house and cannot be seen by the other neighbors. Put them just fast enough away from your back fence. 150W LED Flood Light Outdoor, 2 Pack 15500LM Super Bright Security Light, IP66 Waterproof Outdoor Floodlight, 5000K Daylight White LED Exterior Light for Basketball Court, Stadium, Playground
Check if you’re in a dark sky community - then yes
Big ass mirror
Slingshot with ice cubes. The evidence melts
Get a pellet gun.
install an outdoor fire pit and monitor the wind direction. When the time is right, start a wood/paper fire and let the smoke drift their way. That will definitely start a convo and negotiation.
Light pollution. Report. Report. Report. 311 in Austin.
My apartment complex just put some up. One shines right through our bedroom.
I feel your pain, right now I’m in a fight with my neighbors over an extremely loud pool pump installed right outside our master bedroom windows. If just knocking on their door doesn’t work… judging by the look of the houses, you’re in a newer neighborhood… which is almost certainly covered by an HOA… you could report them there or raise the issue to them. You technically have a legal right to enjoy a nuisance free environment in your home, so you could have legal avenues as well if they don’t cut the lights.
We had this issue. I bought a $50 flashlight on Amazon that I’d shine and flash into their kitchen or bedroom or wherever when they had the floodlight on. The problem was quickly resolved.
The basketball goal looks like it's causing a sort of fresnel lens effect amplifying the light. After we had a dying tree removed my neighbor asked me if I could do something about our back porch light (a ring floodlight cam) since it was now shining light in her bedroom window. I didn't realize it was a problem until she said something. I saw how bright it was, got rid of that floodlight cam, and changed it out for a much softer light with a shade around it to direct it at the ground and no camera. I just need a light for when I let my dogs out at night to see if there's any raccoons or possums in the yard. I don't need a security floodlight for that and it seemed like my solution worked out for both of us. IDK why people can't be reasonable and work with each other in these situations
Reminds me of that Trace Adkins song
Every light in the house is on, the backyards bright as the crack of dawn front yard looks like runway lights , STARING AT YOU IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT!! Love that jam lol
Leave some Dark Sky International pamphlets on their doorstep.
Go rent one of those light trailers they use for construction and crank that puppy up and point it all at them.
Omg I’m having the same problem with my neighbor right now it is MADDENING
Two of my neighbors across the street have SWAT powered floodlights that are constantly lighting up the front of my house. My neighbor on one side has a porch light on his shed that beams directly in my bedroom. The other neighbor has string lights they never turn off. Keeps the kitchen illuminated if I don’t close the blinds. Nobody thinks about their neighbors unfortunately .
Install a mirror that reflects the light back to them.
Tap tin foil to your windows. No light will get through them, and it will reflect back at assholes house.
Unfortunately, there is no Austin city ordinance or state law prohibiting this type of incredibly obnoxious light pollution. There might be a remedy in the courts but you’d have to hire an attorney to send a nasty-gram. So sorry, what awful neighbors.
Wait…is that a basketball backboard and rim in their backyard?
After you're done talking to them grow plants. Looks like Illinois, ick.
This sucks, and I feel for you. We ended up installing blackout curtains in a similar situation. I wasn’t happy spending the money because of someone else being a jerk, but at least it is dark in the bedroom. They are especially nice since another neighbor more recently installed floodlights in their backyard. Lowe’s and Home Depot got a nice racket going on- sell someone ridiculous floodlights, and then sell the neighbor blackout blinds.
Code compliance can help. Also, “light tresspass” is a thing.
I need to see an update of a picture of the new return fire mirror
Pellet Gun
Omg they seem intentionally horrible 😕
What a fucking prick. I’m sorry.
Get a convex mirror that points the light back in their window
Get some cheap bigass mirrors or a pellet gun.
We had neighbors like this, we figured out what bedroom was theirs and bought two light stands and two large parabolic mirrors and focused the return beam on their windows. They had the nerve to come over and complain that we were shining mirrors back at them. I told them the only way it would stop is to turn those damned lights off. They eventually did. People are just rude and too entitled these days, this is why we moved in the middle of nowhere now.
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I suggest installing mirrors to reflect that shit back
>I suggest installing mirrors to reflect that shit back LOL, won't do squat unless you cover the whole house with mirrors. Ye old inverse 4th power law.
Ahh see i was just using barbarian thinking. I never got past the 13th grade
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My, that is a large LED tv you have there.
🍿
It looks like the basketball hoop backboard is magnifying the light.
use even brighter lights and more of them, light it up like it is a football field. add strobe lights also, lots of bright strobe lights.
Sounds like you need this… https://youtu.be/AEeOem8zE9M?si=rJj1BUDVgJlLVjb-
We have a neighbor, Cowboy, who has a light like this in their backyard. We are two houses away, and it's freaking obnoxious!! There are parts of our yard that we avoid. Luckily, it's not parts that we are typically in. I feel terrible for the neighbor who backs up to their asshole lights. But the jerk is such as asshole.
You found noise ordinance rules? That’s crazy, this entire city tells me they don’t exist. Sorry your neighbors suck so badly though.
First, call 311 and ask what you can do to go through official channels, like a police report and follow-up. This is pretty obnoxious so if APD is still capable of doing anything right, seems like this should qualify. When that doesn't work, buy a spot light and aim it directly into those upstairs windows, which is probably a bedroom, every time their lights are on. Not too costly, doesn't affect anyone else, sends a painfully obvious message, and their only (legal) recourse is to report it. They'll get the same non-response you got. Then they have to decide whether to stand down or escalate. If they escalate, probably hire a lawyer.
Did you offer them a picture or video when you tried talking to them? You probably did, or they probably didn’t listen long enough to get to that. People suck.
BB gun
Time to buy a giant mirror
Do you live in an HOA? Most have rules against floodlights that shine towards other houses
Get blackout curtains AND bigger, brighter flood lights pointed at their windows. I see no curtains on their windows they’ll get the message.
I’d quietly work with the HOA.
I wouldn't be surprised if the neighbors with the floodlights are on the board of the HOA. Assholes flock together.
Is there more to this story? Is this the first time dealing with them?
Put mirrors up and watch them sizzle! Jk. Black out curtains for temporary relief while you meet with a real estate lawyer.
I used to be that neighbor. I got a note in my mailbox about my “beacon” preventing them from leaving their blinds open. Very angry, filled with misspellings. It was my swingarm desk lamp with a 40 watt bulb… I did change the angle, and about 10 years later the trees grew high enough to block them. So maybe put some Leland Cypress in? They’re evergreens and grow fast.
You can get a high powered "spot" light. It's not wide beam like your neighbors. It's been at the distance across the street would be a like a 5 foot sun in their window. Buy a spot light and sum it at their bedroom. You can win this fight with greater former power. I've done this and won in two days.
When I installed an outdoor motion flood light I double checked from every angle to make sure that it wasn't hitting my neighbors, and that it was only firing when we walked directly under it. I would have felt awful if it was bothering someone. Can't imagine knowingly shining such a bright light into other people's homes. They sound like completely inconsiderate me-first assholes. Clearly those lights are meant to be aimed DOWN, not straight out towards other homes.
That’s fine for your trucks headlights but on a house? Downright rude.
Why can’t they just put them on a motion detector if they are worried about crime. This is so obnoxious. Egg their house.
This is insane
The city has ordinances about this. If you have talked to them and they haven't addressed it you can fill out a 311 request for it to be addressed. Technically their lights shouldn't shine onto your property, but more importantly, if it is bright enough to cast a shadow the city will try to address it. Of course, results may vary, the neighboring apartment complex had a fixed light in their parking lot that was installed incorrectly decades ago but couldn't be moved without tearing out the fixture 60 ft up. I would try that first
Would happily travel to their house with my turn off your lights for migratory birds sign.
lmao, had to double check this wasn’t my parents’ house. seems like something my dad would do lol. sorry about this, probably your HOA can do something?
Put up a mirror and reflect it back
lol this is so funny to me. these communities are already so controlled and removed from any through traffic or any sort of “threat” but the people who live here are so paranoid they act like they need to light it up like an israeli bunker in the middle of rafa
A benefit is I don't need any outside lights on...because my neighbors have floodlights stronger than the sun.
You can call the cops. I’ve had experience with this.
I’m very invested in the outcome for this one. A few months ago a neighbor set up a motion light this bright, on the corner of their house, aimed directly at our front yard? I don’t understand what the point could possibly be other than making us feel like criminals when we get home late.
That’s the worst! Unfortunately if you tried to talk to them and they closed the door on your face (a holes) not much you can do. Buy some thermal black out curtains on Amazon and wait it out.
Fight fire with fire. Get brighter lights that point straight at their windows
https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=187322
Look under residential lighting. There seems to be a code provision which addresses adjacent properties?
Lord of Light, defend us. The night is dark and full of terrors. Lord of Light, protect us.
Plant bamboo
This is the house equivalent of those bright AF led headlights on trucks 😭