A friend of
mine spent her holidays in Switzerland. She lived in a friend’s flat and had
first-hand experience of Swiss customs. It turns out each community has very
strict rules regarding parties, guests, noise, recycling (you sort rubbish into
about ten categories), the times when you can take a shower, flush the toilet
or run the washing machine (not after 10 p.m.). If you break the rules, your
neighbours can and will call the police. My friend was delighted with the
clarity and precision of these rules and the order they imposed on people’s
everyday lives. Well, I am not so sure…
The rules
governing people’s coexistence in communities like blocks of flats or housing
estates can’t be too oppressive and inflexible. What if I have a sick child who
cries all night? Or food poisoning, which makes me use the toilet every ten
minutes? Do I really have to wait till morning to flush it? Or can’t I have my
eighteenth birthday party at home? It’s once in a lifetime after all!
House rules
should be based on mutual respect and common sense. It should be obvious that
we try not to disturb our neighbours with loud noise, nasty smells or other
offensive stimuli. But we should be forgiven if, once in a while, we take a
shower in the middle of the night because our child threw up on us.
I think that rules are good, but we should know where to stop setting them. I understand that parties and guests can be noisy or annoying but forbidding flushing toilet and taking shower sounds absurd ...
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