A tenant claims that for over a month, an electric vibrator intended to annoy neighbors hummed inside a New Zealand apartment tower, driving 25 neighbors “just about insane.” Eventually, the vibrator was discovered and shut off.
The management of The Pacifica in central Auckland thanked the public for their patience. They cited privacy concerns and declined to speak about the situation.
The $300 million, 57-level luxury apartment building’s photo of the device, which produces humming vibrations, showed it wedged between two books and the top of an interior window.
The gadget had a metal rod that was almost as tall as the window as well as a purple plastic item on the end. It was plugged into an electrical outlet.
According to a resident, a man planted the device in a window cavity, concealing it with a window blind. He did it with the express intention of upsetting his upstairs neighbors for unidentified reasons. “The device creates a low vibrating-type hum at about 35–40 cycles per minute at about 80hz. It sounded like a cell phone trapped in the wall on vibration, but it didn’t quit and kept going all day and night,” he said.
The tenant noted that it took weeks of investigation before management found the device.
“I’ve been told it’s a ceiling vibrator V2 version, vibrating and knocking. It just about sent 25 residents insane because it took a month for it to be located. Everyone thought it was an electrical or mechanical issue that created a dull, repetitive noise 24 hours a day. I know of residents who couldn’t sleep and abandoned parts of their apartments,” the tenant continued.
“Due to privacy, I can’t discuss matters relating to individual apartments and residents,” said Chris Ivers, Pacifica body corporate chairman.
Ceiling vibrators, or thumpers, produce vibrations or a knocking sound from the head using a long, height-adjustable rod that runs from floor to ceiling. Once turned on, they can be remotely controlled and transmitted to neighbors on the upper floors. Thumpers, sometimes known as “noisemaker revenge machines,” are thought to have originated in China.
“Earlier, when the noise was discovered nearby the flat, they requested access. Now, they think the owner shut off and hid the unit when the property was examined for the source of the noise. This is why it seemed to have taken so long to find it,” said the resident.
It is still unknown what actions the management will take against the resident who used the vibrator.
