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The original was posted on /r/amitheasshole by /u/Low_Vegetable4156 on 2024-01-24 00:31:14+00:00.

I live in a dorm room with no roommates, but am surrounded by neighbors on both sides. I tend to watch a fair amount of TV, which I’ve always tried to keep to a low volume level, as I’m naturally very conscious of those around me and try hard to place others’ comfort before my own. In fact, my volume tends to be so low that I actually need subtitles to help me understand the words from across the room. Additionally, I have very good hearing, so I think my notion of acceptable noise levels is accurate.

Well, a couple months back, my RA texted me about receiving a noise complaint in regards to a movie I was watching. I’ll admit, this time the volume was SLIGHTLY higher than I usually have it, but I would still say it was far from blaring or even really being loud at all (just high enough that I didn’t need the subtitles). Regardless though, I felt so bad that I just turned my movie off in the middle of it to make certain I wouldn’t be a bother, and I’ve since made an even greater effort to keep my volume down—I think—extremely low.

I’d assumed the girl who made the complaint was the one who lives in the room opposite the wall right where my TV is placed, as I’d have guessed—perhaps due to the thin walls of the dorm room—the volume might sound louder to her than it did to me sitting on the opposite side of the room.

However, this morning, I received multiple knocks on my door at about 8:30 AM. To my surprise, it was my neighbor across the wall on the OPPOSITE side of the TV—further away even than my own location when watching TV. She was pretty sweet, but—in my opinion—harped too long on the fact that she “hears what I’m playing ALL THE TIME” and that it’s very disruptive to her studying.

I told her repeatedly that I was very sorry, and she was kind about it, but I’ve spent the day feeling somewhat frustrated by her complaint. I feel like I’m now unable to relax in my own room, as I can’t fathom how I could watch or listen to anything at any volume level that would be acceptable to her, and my ears don’t tolerate earbuds or headphones well, so it would be an added layer of annoyance for me to have to use them within the confines of my own walls.

I was also told by a friend a while back that this neighbor has a bad hearing sensitivity, which could explain why she’s able to hear these noises which I think are extremely minimal. I feel bad that I’m being a disruption even after all my effort not to be, but I feel she could’ve been a bit nicer about it, or at least recognized the fact that it’s likely (or at least potentially) her fault—due to her hearing sensitivity—that she’s having problems, and not mine. I’ve lived in this dorm for three years and have never received any other complaints, so I just would have appreciated some more grace and not so much blame for the situation. AITA, or am I right to be a bit frustrated and to feel like I am being unfairly criticized in this situation?