Are we being bad neighbors?
 

We tend to eat very late. Ordinarily that is, I suppose, our 'problem'. But now in summer we are barbecuing frequently on the weekends and am wondering if the smells wafting into our neighbors' house upstairs is something we should be avoiding.
By late, I mean 2.30 PM ( lunch ) and 9.30 PM ( dinner).

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

I'm not sure if it's the smell of the food you should be worried about as much as it is the smoke from the grill that could be an issue for them. If your neighbors have kids, they probably go to bed rather early and might have their windows open in the summertime, so that's something to be conscious of -- not only due to the smoke but also if they can hear you while trying to sleep.

Most Swiss people do seem to eat dinner around 6 pm (or so I've heard), so 9:30 pm for dinner probably does seem quite late to them. But you could always ask the people who live above you if your nighttime BBQs bother them. :)

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Why the bloody heck can't you be arsed to ask your neighbors???

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Technically emissions of all kinds that disturb your neighbours are banned, so it really is worth talking to them as pancake says before a complaint arises. In general 10:00 pm is the time that good swiss people are supposed to be tucked up in bed:

http://www.ch.ch/en/noise-disturbanc...ms-neighbours/

It is worth checking if 10pm is the time for "night quiet" where you live

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Oh, the burst of this response seems to me uncalled for.

OP is from a culture different from Switzerland, and is asking a polite question about wanting to be considerate. I think that's completely okay. It seems to me that OP is trying to learn what the right thing is, to do, so as to know how not to offend. Good on you, OP!

I agree with other posters, here, that it would be a good idea to go and speak to the neighbours, and ask about a) smoke, b) odour and c) noise.

One way to approach this is to give them your phone numbers, and ask them to call you if ever they feel disturbed, so you can tone it down immediately. Another way is to invite them to join you and add something of theirs onto the grill with you (but if you do this, check about meat/vegetarian/vegan). Another is to try to work out some compromise, if they do say that they feel disturbed, such as by which time you agree to be quiet, or on which evenings it doesn't bother them anyway, etc.

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Seeing as you can't prevent somebody from having a smoke on the balcony at any time, I can't see how you can prevent somebody from having a bbq.

I assume, it's not a charcoal bbq?

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

I have a charcoal/wood smoker on my balcony.

The only one who ever complains about it is my wife.

Tom

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

During weekends - I don't think that's a problem. I suspect your grills for dinners are indeed too late especially for week days. If they didn't say anything already odds are they won't tell you it bothers them but will secretly start resenting you....:D

Seriously, if you know and Efers too know it's late for the Swiss, why push the limits? :confused:

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

We regularly have dinner after 21 hours, sometimes after 22h.

But we're Swiss.

Tom

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

You are not living in the German/French side of the country for God's sake...

What you do in the Italian Republic of Ticino has so little relevance for most of us. :rolleyes:

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

I would expect the French bit to be similar to here for such things.

Tom

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Have you lived there? :rolleyes:

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

The only limits are those that are defined in law.

That's what I have been told by many Swiss on the subject of unwanted smoke - from any source.

Of course there are noise limits too but these are for later times and at mmidday.

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

German bit, yes, never had problems there.

Tom

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Have you?

He is right. People around here don't bbq at 6pm.

OP - it will be healthier for you to eat your bbq-ed dinner a bit earlier though, if you want to do it so frequently. Just my 2c.

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Hi folks,
Thanks for all the advice. As doropfiz presumes correctly, we are from a wildly different culture.
The only reason I chose to ask this question here rather than to our neighbors is that we get along very well with them and did not want them to say "no problem" because they felt obliged to do so.
I wanted to understand whether what we were doing could be considered un-neighborly and desist if it were so.
And just to clarify, we make absolutely no noise when barbecuing so that is not a factor.

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Actually I don't think the only limits are those defined by law. I personally tend to observe my neighbours' ways of doing things and try not to stick/stand out like a sore thumb. In my neck of the woods - it's one thing to do it once in a while, nobody is that absurd as to call the police or even come to your door. However, I know my Swiss friends complained to a family downstairs because they had loud conversations after 9 p.m.(kids bed time)
I tried to answer OP's initial post, that's all. We may or may not agree, I am pretty sure everyone here speaks from their own point of view at the end of the day.
Communities differ, neighbours with younger kids who may or may not start school very early will have different routines.

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

I actually agree with you.

It would be nice if people used a bit of common sense and decency rather than on one side, rushing off to the Police, and on the other side, making a lot of noise, within the law, but many times with annoyance to the neighbours.

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

It's the same for smoke imho. We have new neighbours who have what I assume it's their last cigarette before bed and it's not at all pleasant. It's getting very hot and it's impossible to sleep with closed windows (which we usually never do anyways, there must be some source of fresh air in our house)

Re: Are we being bad neighbors?
 

Such a rotten nasty disgusting habit and about time these cancer causing sticks were completely banned.