The Original Post
AITA: I 21(f) love playing on my computer. It is a 2020 macbook air for reference. Currently, is a Saturday night at 11:30pm and I want to play a game I very much enjoy on my laptop in bed, and the game happens to be mahjong. Now mahjong is a lot of clicking because of how the game is, just matching tiles. I have no other noises going on in my apartment at this time. No music, no tv, no talking, computer volume is muted, and both of my pets laying next to me quietly. Yet, my downstairs neighbors have been complaining about hearing the clicking of my mousepad. They also have been complaining about hearing the typing of my computer. They shouted through the ceiling “can you do this tomorrow” or “bro you’ve had all day why are you doing this now” and even “CAN YOU F-ING STOP.” When they started pounding on the ceiling is when I finally gave in and closed my computer. Didn’t even finish my game of mahjong 🙁
I just want to know if I am the one being an asshole. I am just playing a game on my computer that I enjoy before bed. We do live in a really old three-story house turned into three separate units. I am right in the middle. I don’t know how sound carries through to their apartment, but maybe it is really loud? Is mahjong not a socially acceptable game to be playing at 11:00PM? I have never even spoken to the people downstairs in real life, just hear their yelling from downstairs. I have talked to the people above me a couple times, and they have not mentioned anything about this being a problem, but they are quite lovely, so maybe they are just too nice to say anything. I would love to hear your guys opinions on this because I genuinely don’t know. Thanks!
EDIT: Because I keep getting reoccurring comments about some of these, so I thought I would just put it here. 1) My computer volume is NOT on, my computer is muted. 2) I had never even heard of the tap-to-click settings until posting this. I have since changed my settings, though doesn’t fix the sound of typing at least I will have a little more peace! 3) The house is all wooden floors throughout, but I do have rugs all over in my apartment where is reasonable. My bedroom already has a nice rug in it, my living room has TWO rugs in it. 4) After reading some comments, my friends and I have concluded that it is probably my vents that are the problem. I want to cover them but I have gas heating in my apartment and I don’t want to ruin anything. Any tips on that? 5) Some of you think this is an ad which is HILARIOUS. Yes, I am 21 and genuinely like playing mahjong, whats wrong with that 🤨. Started playing when I was a freshman in college when a friend and I would play solitaire during our lectures, and then I randomly stumbled onto this game from there. I am now a junior and will continue going strong lmao. Please tell mahjong to run me my check for the free advertisement
What Reddit Said
Most Redditors were baffled by how thin the floors must be for computer clicking to travel between apartments. However, the top comment revealed a crucial insight about sound traveling through heating vents. Many users shared similar experiences where seemingly quiet activities became amplified through building ventilation systems.
The community was divided on timing versus reasonableness. Some argued that 11PM computer use should be perfectly acceptable in any apartment. Others suggested checking for structural issues or vent connections that might be amplifying the sound unexpectedly.
The Verdict
Reddit’s consensus leaned toward NTA (Not the Asshole), though with important caveats about investigating the sound issue. This case highlights how neighbors complaining computer clicking noise often stems from building design flaws rather than unreasonable behavior. The solution likely involves checking heating vents or adding soundproofing rather than changing gaming habits. This is a classic example of neighbor disputes where communication and practical solutions matter more than who’s technically right.
Original post from r/AmItheAsshole (2,300 upvotes, 286 comments)