What’s That Mysterious Smell? It’s More Than Just Bathroom Oops
Meet the 57‑year‑old resident, Ms. Lim, who’s been living at Punggol Central Block 602B for six years – and is now on a mission to stop the noise, urine, and garbage train coming from the unit above her.
The Daily Disturbances
- Rumbling Machines & Party‑like Knocks: Every morning and afternoon, Ms. Lim’s upstairs neighbour turns her floor into an unintended percussion studio.
- Chair‑Pulling Symphony: The occasional squeak of running and pulling chairs does more than rattles the ceiling – it keeps her husband from catching enough Z‑ZZ‑ZZ.
More Than Just Osmosis
- Hair, Cigarette Butts & Dust: Since about two years ago, strands of hair, cigarette butts, dust, and other “creative art” have been drifting down from the cul-de-sac of hair and trash above.
- Urine‑Latex (aka “What’s that smell?”): On the top floor, the urine smell hasn’t been a fussy post‑party cleanup – it involves pouring it all the way down the wall!
From Hose to Steam Cleaner
“We had to rinse it away with a water hose. The authorities frowned upon it, so we trudged with a steel‑soled mainstream steam cleaner to get rid of the smelly evidence.”
Why It’s Hard to Let Go
Ms. Lim and her husband have repeatedly attempted to confront the neighbour, but the big trio of noise, grease, and germs has not yielded to polite talkies.
“We’re like a bark at the end of the day, and she keeps saying, ‘I’m just keeping it clean.’ ”
All in all, Ms. Lim’s story is a reminder that sometimes we’re not just dealing with a bad day; it’s an allergy‑level photo‑op for a neighborhood that’s hardly convenient.
Baseless reports, says neighbour
When the Upstairs Neighbor Becomes a Drama King
Picture this: a 51‑year‑old taxi driver, Xu, living in a quiet HDB block, suddenly a victim of a neighbor war. The lady downstairs, Lim, files a complaint, and the police walk in. Xu? He’s less a suspect and more a bewildered victim of a misunderstanding.
Xu’s Two‑Hour Story
- He lives alone, no one in the house during the day.
- His mother moved to a nursing home last year and sadly passed away in April.
- He has a girlfriend who sees him only occasionally.
- He’s a “late‑night” guy: goes out early, returns after midnight.
He tells the Shin Min that any rumors of disturbing the neighbors are pure fiction. “I don’t even leave cigarette butts outside,” he insists, adding a touch of humble humor about the smoking habit that’s never mangled the living area.
When the Police Turned Up
“The authorities came in September, and a neighbor complained about noise from my unit,” Xu says. He immediately turned detective, filming every corner of his flat and sending the footage to the complainant. “There was zero mechanical noise,” he claims.
Maybe It Was the Pump Room?
Xu thinks the real culprit is the pump room on the ground floor. He admits that when he’s back at 10 pm, the machinery whirrs for about an hour, even with the doors shut. “I’m used to it,” he smiles. And he calls on Lim to stop ruffling the peace: “Come check it out for yourself.”
What’s the Bottom Line?
In a situation where neighbors and authorities collide, Xu wants to clear his name and keep the peace in the block. Will the laughter that follows be about the quiet nights or the furniture that keeps everyone from hearing a single puff of cigarette?
